Self Storage in Orlando: How It Can Help Local Residents, Businesses and More

Disney World may have made Orlando famous as a tourist attraction, but the sun-soaked area has been changing from a tourist area to a place where people settle down, attracted by job opportunities and the sunny Florida weather. In fact, Orlando has seen one of the largest population increases in the past two years.

As a result, construction boomed across all sectors to meet the demands of a growing urban center. Besides residential, commercial and industrial, the self storage industry also saw a significant boost in the last decade, with as much as 6M+ square feet of construction being added to the local inventory in the last decade. Such prolific development activity is a testament to the industry’s tight connection to the residential sector. As more housing has been added, the self storage sectors grew as well to respond to people’s needs for space. Self storage is useful when people move, downsize or they simply wish to keep an uncluttered home.

Here’s how and when self storage can serve the Orlando area, whether we’re considering the needs of residents, businesses or anyone else:

1. Orlando residents

Here’s how self storage can assist dwellers in the City Beautiful:

• Renters

With renters making the largest chunk of dwellers in Orlando – 62% according to Census reporter data – the question of self storage is well-suited for them as well. Apartments are typically smaller than homes, so it’s natural to consider outsourcing some of the storage space outside of the home. As the metro area has seen accelerated construction in the last decade – adding about 50k multifamily units in the last decade – the need for self storage among this local population segment is obvious.

Most people rent a 10’x10′ unit, but if you’re looking to store just a few items, such as outdoor gear, a 5’x10′ unit should suffice. Renting a self storage unit in Orlando, Florida costs $115/month.

• Homeowners

Homeowners in Orlando can turn to self storage to avoid having a crowded and cluttered home. Furniture, bulky winter clothing and seasonal items are just some of the belongings that can stay in storage until they can be used again. Additionally, since electric vehicles are picking up steam in Orlando – based on a recent report – they can also be put in storage. While electric cars are typically used for driving inside a city, gasoline-fueled ones are preferred when you’re traveling out of town.

2. Students

As a city that’s grown tremendously, Orlando is home to many colleges and universities. The University of Central Florida recorded the highest enrollment in Florida, with 70K+ students enrolled in the current academic year. Other state universities, such as Florida A&M, University College of Law and Florida State University College of Medicine, are also located in Orlando. State colleges, private universities and other institutions of higher education enroll an impressive number of students.

For out-of-town students, self storage can prove to be quite a boon: They can keep their seasonal clothing and other items in storage to avoid cluttering their dorm rooms or their apartments. Additionally, they can put all their belongings in storage over the summer break instead of taking them back home. This service is truly a lifesaver, as it saves them the inconvenience and the cost of transporting furniture, appliances and more back home and then reversing the process when the fall semester begins.

3. Office-based businesses

Orlando’s downtown skyline is lined with skyscrapers hosting a booming economic activity. The metro area is a high-tech and industrial center. Several engineering companies are headquartered here, including General Electric, Delta Connection Academy, KDF and more. As a lot of business-related records require printed copies, self storage can come in handy. Instead of renting additional office space to be used as a storage room, companies can instead rent storage units where their paperwork can safely sit as they conduct business as usual.

4. Healthcare facilities

Besides the two non-profit hospital systems, which include Orlando Health and Advent Health, Orlando is also home to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, which includes the only Level I trauma center in all Central Florida. As the University of Central Florida’s College of Medicine was completed, Orlando is now well-equipped to serve its residents medically.

As hospitals are also required to keep physical copies of their records, self storage can be a useful service for this industry as well. Medical records can be put in a storage unit instead of being kept on the hospital premises. This way, hospitals and medical centers can put their allotted space to much better use.

5. Retailers

Did we mention Orlando is Shopping Central? Orlando boasts a significant number of malls, outlets and stores that can serve any number of tastes. In fact, The Florida Mall – the largest mall in Orlando – is one of the largest single-story malls in the country. Other local shopping destinations include the Mall at Millenia, Orlando Fashion Square and Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, among others.

For retailers in Orlando, store space comes at a premium, making the need for extraneous storage even more apparent. Instead of keeping excess merchandise on the store premises, they can rent a storage unit. Seasonal store décor can also go in storage, making more room for the items that are currently or about to be sold.

6. Construction businesses

Thanks to the continuous economic development and the constant influx of people moving here, construction in Orlando is simply booming. In the last 10 years alone, the Orlando metro area has built tremendously across all real estate sectors, propelling it among the most active markets for new construction. Over 130,000 single family building permits and multifamily permits were filed between 2012-2020. Moreover, 9M+ square feet of office space and 16M+ square feet of retail-dedicated space were added in the same period.

To ease construction operations, contractors and construction companies can turn to self storage. Construction supplies and tools can be stored at a facility near the location of the project at hand. This is a much better alternative to keeping these items in a warehouse that can be further away from the construction site.

7. Realtors

As Orlando has become a popular place to relocate, real estate activity intensified in 2021. This means that local realtors were busier than ever. As part of their job, realtors assist sellers in staging their homes. Small pieces of furniture, décor and more are some of the items used for this purpose. Instead of having these staging items clutter their homes, realtors are better off putting them into storage. This way, they can keep the staging paraphernalia in one place while their homes stay clutter free.

8. The local entertainment industry

Thanks to the considerable number of films made here in the 1990s, Orlando was dubbed “Hollywood East.” Universal Studios, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy are located here, among other production companies and schools. Television shows and direct-to-video productions are still part of the local entertainment industry here.

The local entertainment industry can also benefit from using self storage. Props, costumes, and other items used in the production of movies and TV shows can be easily kept in storage units – a cheaper and more convenient way to keep these items in-between filming.