7 Instances When College Students Can Rent Self Storage (Plus 7 Tips on How To Find Self Storage)

College is an exciting time when you get to officially live on your own. This is especially true if you move to another city to pursue your studies. However, besides the excitement of your new life stage, a slew of new responsibilities come along, which can be challenging when you’re first confronted with them. You might discover that your new living situation – in a dorm or an apartment with roommates – comes with much less space than your parents’ home. To help better manage all of your new belongings during the school year, summer break and beyond, you can turn to self storage. Here are some instances where you can use self storage if you’re a student and a few tips on how to use the service as well:

Instances When Students Can Use Self Storage

If you’re a student, self storage can come in handy in a variety of circumstances, such as the following:

1. Make the Most of the Living Space

As a student, you probably don’t enjoy the luxury of having a lot of space, whether you live in a dorm or share an apartment with other roommates. That means you don’t get a lot of room for all your belongings. To make the most of your living space, you can consider keeping seasonal items – whether they’re bulky clothing, hobby gear or winter bedding – in a storage unit. You can always retrieve them when you’re ready to use them again.

2. Keeping the Car Safe

If you’re like most college students, you’ve come with your car from home. You might soon discover that there isn’t enough space on the campus to keep your vehicle. Thankfully, there’s dedicated self storage for vehicles, where you can park your car when you don’t need it. There’s outdoor storage, awning covered parking or indoor storage. Pick the right option based on how long you plan on storing your car and your budget. Indoor units, which typically come with climate control, are more suited for long-term storage and they tend to cost more.

3. Over-the-summer Storage

When summer break comes, students typically go back to their hometowns. This is a time when they need to decide what to do with their belongings. They can either move everything back or keep everything in town in a storage unit. Turning to storage is a much cheaper and less challenging option than moving their things back and forth. When the new term resumes, they can easily retrieve everything they stored.

4. Studying Abroad

If you’re going to study for a few months or a semester abroad, the issue of dealing with personal items arises again. Unlike rental leases, self storage is more flexible in terms of the duration of the lease. That means you can easily put your furniture, appliances, and the rest of your belongings in a storage unit while you’re immersing yourself in a new cultural environment abroad.

5. Keeping Valuables Safe

Whether you’re collecting comics or you just need a place to keep your gadgets, musical instrument or any other item that holds sentimental value to you, you can keep them safe for a short period of time when you put them in a storage unit. Storage facilities tend to offer better security than the trunk of your car or your dorm room.

6. Living in a Big City

You might have been accepted to the college of your dreams, but it’s located in a city where the cost of living is high – think living in Seattle, New York City or San Francisco. A lot of times, these cities are places where apartments located in the middle of the action are on the smaller side. This means you need to compromise on your living space if you want to avoid a long commute. Renting a self storage unit can help you save money on your rent while assisting you in making the best use of living quarters, as some less frequently used items can sit in storage until you’re ready to use them again.

7. In-between Leases

Whether you’re moving from one apartment to another or you’re transitioning from dorm living to apartment living after graduation, you need to have a plan on how to manage your belongings while you’re in this period of transition. You can keep everything in a storage unit and save yourself the headache of worrying about where to put your belongings until move-in day.

Tips for Renting Self Storage When You’re a Student

If you’re a student and you’re planning on renting a self storage unit for the first time, there are some things you need to know about how to find a storage unit and what things you need to know to make the most of your experience. Please consider the following:

1. Location of the Storage Unit

To make trips to the storage unit easier, make sure to find a storage facility close to where you live. It saves you travel time to store or retrieve items. You can ask your friends to suggest a facility they might be already using or you can search for one online. The RentCafe self storage portal can also help you find the best self storage options nearby.

2. Pick the Right Storage Unit Size for Your Needs

Storage units come in many sizes, but you need to know which is the right one for the items you’re planning on storing. College students typically turn to smaller units such as a 5’x5’ or a 5’x10’. They can easily hold bulky and seasonal items, as well as a long sofa, a chair and other small furniture. If you’re planning on storing all your belongings over the summer, you can go for a 10’x10’ unit – as large as a big bedroom – or upgrade to a 10’x15’ if you have more belongings. If you’re not sure which unit size you need, you can check out this storage unit size guide.

3. Cost of Self Storage

The cost of self storage tends to vary based on location, amenities and more. In bigger cities, where demand for the service is high, self storage tends to cost more. For instance, renting a storage unit in San Francisco, CA ($264/month). Similarly, rates in cities such as New York City, NY ($242/month), Seattle, WA ($189/month), San Diego, CA ($183/month) or  Portland, OR ($142/month) are also higher. In other cities, however, self storage rent is more budget-friendly. It’s the case of Chicago, IL, ($128/month)  Nashville, TN ($121/month), Dallas, TX ($114/month) or Minneapolis, MN, ($107/month), all recording rates below the national average.

Check out self storage rates in other cities:

 

While you’re still in college, you should ask if the facility of your choice offers student discounts. A lot of them offer this perk to attract new customers. This way, you can keep your items safely away from home without breaking the bank.

4. Lease Duration

Unlike apartment rentals, self storage is a much more flexible service. You can rent month-to-month if it’s more convenient for you, or you can pick a long-term lease, which typically lasts around six months. Consider this type of lease if you’re studying abroad.

5. Amenities

Self storage facilities offer all kinds of amenities. Here’s a common list that can help you decide which is the right facility for your needs:

Facility Access

If you’re a student, you’re most likely to have your own schedule, whether you prefer studying late at night or meeting for studying groups in the evenings. That’s why it’s essential that you can find a facility that can match your schedule. A lot of them offer round-the-clock access, allowing you to visit your unit anytime you find it convenient.

Climate Control

A climate-controlled unit offers ideal humidity and temperature to ensure that sensitive items don’t get damaged while they’re in storage. You can consider this type of unit if you’re storing furniture, appliances, clothing, paper products, musical instruments or collectibles. Climate-controlled units are also indoor units, which makes them more secure.

Storage Facility Security

Putting your belongings in another place, such as a storage unit, means you need to also consider how safe the place is. Check to see if they offer video surveillance, fencing, gated electronic access and keypad access to the unit. These are some essential security features that can give you peace of mind while you keep your items in storage.

6. Unit organization ideas for student storage

When you’re about to take your belongings to a storage unit, keep the following in mind:

• Organize boxes and storage containers by content and label them before taking them to the unit
• Go vertical to make the most of the space you have
• Put heavier items on the bottom and lighter boxes on top
• Leave a walking aisle in the middle of the unit to have easy and quick access to everything stored
• Keep an inventory list of everything going in and out of the unit

7. Getting Self Storage Insurance

To protect your items while they’re in storage, you should consider getting self storage insurance. It can help in case of unforeseen damage or loss. GoodShield, an insurance program powered by Yardi, can give you peace of mind while you keep your belongings in storage. Once you sign up, the bill will be included in your monthly self storage rent for your convenience.

Using self storage when you’re a student can prove a valuable service whether you need more space to organize your belongings, you’re studying abroad or you’re simply looking to save money.