Like the city itself, Los Angeles universities sprawl across miles of oceanside landscape. For storage renters, this makes choosing the right facility all the more important. If you’re headed to college in the SoCal city where the sun is always shining (except during June Gloom) and dreams are rumored to occasionally come true, you’re probably attending one of three public universities or one of many private or community schools. While it seems like everyone moves to Los Angeles to be an actor or a model (or a waiter who thinks he’s an actor or a model), we know as well as you do that it takes brains to get into one of the city’s fine universities. We suggest applying that same intellect to picking out a student friendly storage unit.
Why Students Need Storage
It’s tempting to store all of your extra stuff with your parents, but part of being a college student means learning to be an adult (well, an adult who subsists on a diet of mostly Bagel Bites) and you’re going to have to get your belongings out of your childhood room at some point. If you’re traveling from out of state to attend college in Los Angeles, you might be considering mailing things home or paying for like ten extra checked bags at the airport. You might be surprised to learn that
storing as a student is cheaper than you realize and is often cheaper than paying costly postage or checked baggage fees. Many storage facilities offer special storage rates for students that are advertised on campus. In addition to this, most storage facilities rent month-to-month, so unlike that gross apartment that you’re stuck living in for a year because of the lease you signed, your storage unit is a pretty low level of commitment. According to local Los Angeles facility managers, students are one of the highest populations of renters. That means that it’s easier to find a spot at a property that understands the needs of college students like you.
Don’t Let Moving Cramp Your Style
During your Los Angeles college years, you’ll probably move a few times. If you attend
Occidental College, a school where most students live on campus, you’ll probably spend a considerable amount of time living in university owned housing. If you attend the significantly larger
University of California, Los Angeles, you might want to spend your freshmen year living in the dorms so that you can develop a core group of friends and then find an off campus apartment with them. Whatever you end up doing, you can use storage to make the transition between places seamless. Students actually cite moving as the number one reason for using storage. Starting college and moving into a tiny dorm? Store your stuff until you’re ready to upgrade into an apartment. Living in an apartment and longing for the sense of community that comes from being in the dorms? As Missy Elliott says, flip it and reverse it. Put your stuff in storage. Rushing a sorority or fraternity and finding that the living conditions aren’t as glamorous or spacious as they’re depicted in movies? Storage again.
Carless in Car City
Los Angeles is a driving city, but if you’re from out of state, you might not be bringing a car with you (and on campus parking spots can be restrictive to freshmen anyway). It’s true that Los Angeles isn’t known for its walkability, but you know what the exception is? Universities. If you’re attending
the second most beautiful campus in the country, we don’t see why you’d ever want to drive away from campus in the first place. Still, don’t think that your lack of vehicle means that you can’t have a storage unit. If you’re planning on accessing your storage unit often, look for one that’s accessible by bus. If you attend the
University of Southern California, you can rent a unit at
US Storage Centers which is just a 35 minute bus ride away (considering how mediocre Los Angeles public transportation is, this is actually pretty reasonable). If you don’t anticipate visiting your unit more than a few times a semester, remember that Los Angeles has ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft. Keep your commute from school to your storage facility around 15 minutes (like the ride from USC to US Storage Centers) and it’ll be relatively cheap as long as you watch out for
surge pricing. If public transportation isn’t your style and you rock a flip phone and are unable to utilize rideshare services, end your woes with
portable storage. It’s pricier, but totally hassle free.
You Probably Don’t Need Climate Control
Los Angeles is expensive. Unless you’re living the high life in Beverly Hills, you’re probably on a budget. If you’re a student, you’re on a super budget. When choosing your storage unit, it’s important to make sure you’re not paying for anything you can’t afford. You can keep costs low by choosing a unit that doesn’t have unnecessary fees for things you don’t need. If you’re considering
climate control, consider what you’re storing and where your school is located. If you’re just storing books, clothing and some couch you found on the side of the road, you probably don’t need climate control at all. If you’re storing something slightly more important (like a delicate design you made as a student at the
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising), you probably still don’t need it, but you might want to consider it. Students who are most likely to benefit from climate controlled units are those who live closer to the ocean (like Pepperdine University students) and are storing items like lace dresses, antique furniture or anything else that can be warped by the elements.
