Living Here

From getting settled to caring for your home, find the right starting point for the task in front of you.

Settling In

A practical start for renters and homeowners. Work through the short checklist, then find more detail about the services at your address.

Your Guide to Settling In

View Your Guide to Settling Into Montgomery County (PDF) (opens in a new tab)A helpful, print friendly checklist for your move by LizyTylerCo · www.lizytylerco.com

Request USPS mail forwarding online or at a Post Office, and confirm the start date.
Update your address with important accounts and contacts, including banks, insurers, your employer and relevant agencies.
Update applicable Maryland license or ID and vehicle addresses. Moving from another state? Follow the new resident process.
If eligible, register or update your voter address and confirm the change.
Confirm water and sewer coverage with WSSC, your municipality or the property’s private system records. Arrange utility transfers and verify internet availability for your address.
Check your trash and recycling services, including municipal, community or private hauler arrangements.
Register for Alert Montgomery, or update your saved addresses and contact preferences.

Use the steps that apply to your move. Confirm your address’s jurisdiction, provider coverage and any landlord or community arrangements. Check official sources for current requirements.

Settling in sources reviewed 10/17/2026

Find the Right Office

A Rockville, Gaithersburg or other postal address does not establish that a property is inside that municipality. Confirm the property’s boundaries before choosing an office.

Montgomery County’s municipal permit directory distinguishes city only, county only and combined approval arrangements. Rockville and Gaithersburg handle their own building permits. Other towns may require their own approval as well as county review. Ask which agency handles the particular work, rather than assuming that one permit covers everything.

Municipal Permit Responsibilities

Set Up Utilities and Care for Septic Systems

Confirm electricity, gas, water and sewer individually from the existing service records and the provider. WSSC Water serves much of the county, but municipal and private systems are important exceptions.

Even inside the City of Rockville, some addresses receive city water and sewer and others use WSSC. Use the city’s provider map. Poolesville operates its own water and sewer system. Do not infer utility coverage from a postal place name.

For a private well or septic system, collect testing, pumping, permit and layout records. Ask the county about testing and permitting before changing a system or adding living space. The county’s environmental protection guidance explains owner responsibilities and links to the responsible permitting staff.

Internet Access

The county’s Community Technology office provides cable provider information and consumer resources. Use its map as a starting point, not a promise that service reaches your home.

Confirm availability at the exact address directly with providers. Ask about installation dates, equipment, upload speeds, introductory pricing and the total ongoing charge before ordering.

Community Technology and Provider Resources

Recycling and Household Waste

Use the county collection lookup to check the services assigned to your address. County recycling coverage and county trash coverage are not interchangeable. Municipal, multifamily and community arrangements can differ.

Confirm trash pickup with the town, property manager or private hauler where county collection does not apply. Check separate rules for bulk items, electronics, household hazardous waste and the transfer station before loading a vehicle.

Owning & Improving a Home

Keep these resources close when you need property information, help caring for your home or a starting point for a project.

Find Property Records and Tax Bills

Use Maryland SDAT to find the property account, assessment and ownership record. Check the county’s tax lookup separately for the actual bill and account history. Save closing documents, surveys, utility information and permits together.

Municipal charges and other assessments can affect the full bill. Reconcile payments made through escrow with the county account. Recorded deeds and plats are separate from tax records.

Find Tax Information and Relief

Maryland’s Homestead Property Tax Credit and the income based Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit are different programs. Review application status and current requirements with SDAT rather than assuming either applies automatically.

Montgomery County lists additional credits and exemptions. Check eligibility and required applications with the administering office, and confirm an approved adjustment appears on your bill.

Plan a Renovation

Write down the whole project scope and collect the survey, existing permits and any well or septic records before choosing a design. Ask about zoning, setbacks, historic review, trees, stormwater and other site restrictions.

Check HOA or condominium approvals separately from government permits. Include inspections and final approvals in the project schedule, and confirm which costs and applications the contractor’s proposal includes.

Put your goals, priorities, questions and next steps in one place.View Home Project Planning Sheet (PDF) (opens in a new tab)To keep completed entries, save a copy with your changes using the PDF viewer’s controls.

Understand Permits and Inspections

Use the county permitting service for the project type, then confirm municipal responsibilities for the exact address. Building, trade and land development reviews may be handled separately.

Do not assume that a repair or replacement is exempt. Ask which plans, inspections and final records are needed before work begins. Keep approvals with the home’s permanent records.

Repair and Housing Assistance

Montgomery County’s Home Accessibility Rehabilitation Program helps eligible households adapt a home for an older adult or a person with a disability. Review the current occupancy, income and other requirements before planning work around possible assistance.

Ask the county housing office about available repair resources and referrals. Program funding and eligibility can change. Do not start work expecting reimbursement without written program approval.

Check a Contractor

Use Maryland’s licensing resources to verify the contractor and the type of work covered. An MHIC license does not replace any separate trade licensing or local permit requirements.

Compare written scopes and references, verify insurance, and identify who obtains permits and schedules inspections. Avoid pressure to commit immediately to an unsolicited offer.

Keep useful questions and conversation notes together as you compare your options.View Questions Before Hiring a Contractor (PDF) (opens in a new tab)

General information to help you find the right starting point. Requirements, eligibility, service areas, and application processes can change. Confirm details with the office or provider serving your exact address. Official links open in a new tab. Found a broken link or a changed office? Contact LizyTylerCo and include “Montgomery County Guide,” the link name, and what happened. Return to All Resources.