Bostonians celebrate two holidays this weekend: Labor Day and Allston Christmas, as college students and young professionals flock to the city’s streets to move into their new apartments.

Roadways have already started being packed with U-Haul moving trucks, trash containers, furniture and cardboard boxes – a sign that Allston Christmas is a multiday affair.

More than 50 inspectors have been deployed to canvas neighborhoods that have high student populations including Allston, Brighton, Mission Hill, Kenmore and Fenway. They will be conducting “on-the-spot inspections” at the request of people moving in to meet safety and sanitary codes, said Tania Del Rio, Boston’s commissioner of Inspectional Services.

The city has suspended construction permits for the weekend in the busy college neighborhoods to make room for moving trucks.

Del Rio called Allston Christmas – the notorious “holiday” in which students flood the city once more and apartments turn over, leaving heaps of furniture, mattresses and decorations for thrifty shoppers to pilfer through – the city’s “most beloved tradition.”

“Here’s my confession: As a student I did pick up an item or two so you can imagine that I’m not getting a ton of joy from saying this, however, we do not encourage anyone picking up furniture,” Del Rio said.

“The reason for that is it can have bedbugs,” she added, “and you can not only get your own unit infested, you could get your neighbors’ unit infested. Fair warning, it is not a good idea.”

More than 3,400 moving permits have been issued this month, leading to temporary parking restrictions to allow for the moving trucks on the streets with high volumes of student residents, said Nicholas Gove, deputy chief of transportation.

“If you’re using one of these spaces, please load and unload as quickly as possible so others who need the space also have access to it,” Gove said. “We don’t want to ticket and tow so please pay attention to posted signs, do not double park or block streets or intersections.”

The city is reminding residents of a state regulation that went into effect in November 2022 and bans mattresses, clothing and shoes from being thrown into the trash. Those items now must be recycled or donated.

Boston Fire Marshal Colin Kelly noted how the city is home to 36 colleges and universities that have over 150,000 students combined. When students arrive in the fall cooking fires increase 38% in the city, he said.

There’s also an uptick in fires caused by “careless disposal of smoking materials,” Kelly said.

“Keeping these kids safe is collectively all of our number one priority,” he said. “A lot of these students, this is the first time they’ve lived away from home, and they haven’t given a whole lot of thought about fire safety in their new residences.

Garbage piles up as Boston University students move into their dorms. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Boston University students move into their dorms. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Boston University students move into their dorms. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)