Moving totes for Palmer Florida students

No. Palmer Florida has no residence halls, so every student rents off campus. Palmer says a few apartments are within walking distance and many others are a short drive away.

The Florida campus keeps a local apartment list with contact details and potential discounts. Email housing.fl@palmer.edu or call 386-763-2724 to ask for it.

Palmer also points students to Apartments.com, ForRent.com, ApartmentGuide.com, Realtor.com and Zillow. Palmer notes it is not responsible for what those sites list.

If you are relocating from out of state, Palmer's admissions counselors can also help with questions about non-Palmer housing. Reach them at admissions.fl@palmer.edu or 386-763-2709.

• Ask for the local apartment list before you sign anything.
• Ask each complex whether it offers a Palmer student discount.
• Springs at Port Orange, 5410 S Williamson Blvd, lists Palmer students as eligible for waived application and administration fees.

Sources: palmer.edu/housing, palmer.edu/housing, springsapartments.com/preferred-employees

Palmer Florida's newer students follow a trimester calendar. Each trimester opens with new student D.C. orientation, and classes start the next day.

Each start date follows a recess of one to three weeks. That recess is your best window to arrive, unpack and set up utilities.

Plan to have keys a few days before orientation. That leaves time for a utility deposit, a missing box or a late furniture delivery.

If you can visit first, Palmer runs Florida campus visits with a 9 a.m. to noon tour and information session. A counselor follows up after you submit the visit form.

• Fall 2026-27: recess Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, orientation Nov. 2, classes Nov. 3, 2026.
• Spring 2027: recess Feb. 27 to March 7, orientation March 8, classes March 9, 2027.
• Summer 2026 (most recent summer): recess June 20 to July 12, orientation July 13, classes July 14, 2026.
• A Summer 2027 start has not been published yet. The 2026 pattern put orientation in mid-July.

Sources: palmer.edu/academic-calendar, palmer.edu/campus-visit-florida

Palmer's trimesters start in July, November and March. Those dates rarely match a standard lease that starts on the first of the month.

For a November start, a lease beginning Oct. 15 or Nov. 1 lands inside fall recess. For March, a March 1 lease falls inside the Feb. 27 to March 7 break.

When you move between apartments later, aim for a recess too. Thanksgiving is only three days, but the winter recess runs Dec. 19 to Jan. 3.

• Ask whether the complex will prorate a mid-month start.
• Get the move-in date, deposit amount and fees in writing.
• Ask if the lease must be signed and witnessed; the city water office needs that copy.

Sources: palmer.edu/academic-calendar, port-orange.org/Starting-Service

The City of Port Orange runs water and wastewater. Florida Power & Light supplies electric, and Waste Pro handles garbage and recycling.

To start city water, renters need a full legal name, a driver's license or state ID number, and a signed, witnessed lease. Every account requires a deposit, based on meter size and whether you rent or own.

The city accepts orders up to 10 business days ahead. Same-day service is available for orders placed before 1 p.m. at locations that need no installation.

FPL lets you start service online in minutes with an FPL.com user ID. Orders received by noon, Monday through Saturday, are typically connected the same day.

• City utility office: 1000 City Center Circle, Port Orange; 386-506-5700.
• Office hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays until 4 p.m.
• City deposits earn interest and are refunded only when you close the account, after the final bill.
• The city does not provide garbage cans; recycling bins are available at 407 Virginia Ave.
• Natural gas: TECO Peoples Gas. Phone: AT&T. Cable: Spectrum.

Sources: port-orange.org/Utilities, port-orange.org/Starting-Service, port-orange.org/Deposits, port-orange.org/Utility-Service-Checklist, fpl.com/service-order

Florida Statute 83.49 sets the rules for rental deposits. Your landlord must hold the money in a Florida bank account or post a surety bond.

Landlords must tell you in writing where the deposit is held, in the lease or within 30 days of receiving it. Landlords renting fewer than five units are exempt from that notice rule.

After you move out, a landlord with no claim must return the deposit within 15 days. A landlord making a claim must send written notice within 30 days, or loses the right to claim.

You then have 15 days to object in writing. Take dated photos at move-in and move-out to support your side.

Sources: leg.state.fl.us/index.cfm

Plan to unload at your apartment, not on campus. Palmer's parking procedures say no vehicle may be parked overnight on Palmer property.

Trailers, buses and large vehicles need advance arrangements with Campus Security. Vehicles left more than 48 hours are presumed abandoned and towed at the owner's expense.

If you arrive early for a campus visit or errand with a loaded vehicle, call Florida Student Services at 386-763-2724 first.

Campus Security enforces these rules around the clock, all year. Drivers with four or more citations can be towed without warning, so park only in designated spaces.

Sources: palmer.edu/parking-procedures

Votran is Volusia County's bus system. Route 12 (Clyde Morris) serves Port Orange City Center, Clyde Morris and Dunlawton, and the Pavilion at Port Orange.

Routes 4, 7 and 17 also reach Dunlawton Avenue and the Swallowtail Super Stop, where you can transfer. Route 12's posted schedule shows weekday service only.

A single adult ride costs $2.00, a day pass $4.00 and a 31-day pass $50.00. Votran has no separate fare for graduate students.

Flying in? Daytona Beach International, Orlando International and Orlando Sanford International all serve the area.

• Check live bus times with Votran's My Stop tracker.
• Votran customer service: 386-761-7700.
• The Votran map also marks Walmart Port Orange and the Pavilion for move-in supply runs.

Sources: votran.org/VoTran-Map-East-SE-Volusia-O, votran.org/maps-schedules.stml, votran.org/bus-fares-passes.stml, votran.org, digitaledition.qwinc.com/article

It can. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30, with a main peak in September and a secondary peak in mid-October.

That means the summer recess and the Oct. 24 to Nov. 1 fall recess both fall inside the season. Build a buffer day into a long-distance drive.

Sign up for AlertVolusia, the county's emergency notification system, and choose Port Orange. It sends hurricane and evacuation alerts by text, voice or email.

Sources: nesdis.noaa.gov/earth-orbit-atlantic-hurrica, volusia.org/alertvolusia, palmer.edu/academic-calendar

Palmer asks new students to complete the Student Onboarding Checklist and Compliance Training before orientation. Both are reached through the Palmer Student Portal.

Review your financial aid offer and book a Florida Financial Aid appointment if needed. Doctor of Chiropractic students must bring a personal computer.

Your first term's cost of attendance includes a computer budget adjustment for a device and privacy screen. Orientation questions go to orientation.fl@palmer.edu or 386-763-2724.

Sources: palmer.edu/orientation-information

A studio usually fits in about 20 totes. A one- or two-bedroom apartment typically needs around 40, and a three-bedroom about 60.

Doctoral students often bring heavy textbooks and lab gear. Pack books in several half-full totes so each one stays easy to lift.

Sturdy totes stack better than cardboard in a car or truck, and they hold up in Florida humidity.