Self storage units in San Francisco, CA

Cost of Self Storage in San Francisco: Traditional vs. Peer-to-Peer

Traditional storage facilities tell you that self-storage costs vary depending on the facility’s location, unit size, and property amenities. This simple formula still leaves many questions unanswered.

Will prices rise? What are the itemized costs associated with this monthly rate?

With peer-to-peer storage marketplaces like Neighbor, monthly rates are clearly posted (and per-month rent costs will never increase). After booking, your price is locked in.

Plus, peer-to-peer self-storage is 30% cheaper than traditional options, even in high-cost-of-living cities like San Francisco. The same 10’30’ storage space in the SF area is $375 cheaper on Neighbor ($625 vs. $250)

Types of Self-Storage Spaces Available: Traditional vs. Peer-to-Peer

When you go through a traditional self-storage facility, San Francisco residents like yourself can choose between drive-up storage (non-climate-controlled) or indoor-access storage (usually climate-controlled). Regardless of storage type, you’ll usually have the following size options:

• 5’x5’
• 5’x10’
• 10’x10’
• 10’x15’
• 10’x20’ (Ideal for large furniture and vehicle storage)
• 10’x30’ (Ideal for vehicle storage)
• 10’x40’ (Ideal for vehicle storage)

On Neighbor, a peer-to-peer storage marketplace, you’ll not only have access to traditional storage units, but also:

• Private residential garages
• Sheds
• Spare rooms
• Basements (Unfinished or finished)

…all located in your own San Francisco, CA, neighborhood, which means less time spent commuting to and from self-storage facilities in remote areas.

When deciding which is the right storage unit for you, keep these other self-storage tips in mind:

1. San Francisco self-storage facilities prohibit renters from living and working in storage units.
2. Size is usually the biggest determinant of storage cost
3. A 10’x10’ unit is the most popular size of storage unit
4. Not all traditional storage facilities permit vehicle parking–even if they might offer units large enough to store a vehicle. Contact the storage facility directly to inquire about their policies.

Drive-Up Storage Units

Right for You If:

• You’re storing large items or vehicles with very specific size dimensions: While the sizes of residential storage spaces are variable and unpredictable, storage facilities across San Francisco usually offer similar menus of storage unit sizes.
• You want to purchase an add-on insurance plan: Check out this storage unit insurance guide for information on what you can expect price-wise.
• You plan to use your storage unit for car storage: With drive-up units, renters can easily pull their vehicles in through the garage-style doors.
• You want unloading and loading your items to be as quick as possible: Just pull your vehicle up to your assigned unit. Unloading/loading is quick because your vehicle’s trunk is only a few feet from your storage unit’s entrance.

Not Right For You If:

• You’re storing high-value/priceless items: Self-storage facilities are becoming major targets for thefts/break-ins, especially in higher-crime areas like San Francisco.
• You want climate-controlled storage: Most drive up access units are NOT climate-controlled
• You want a secure storage facility within 5 minutes of your home: Most traditional drive-up storage facilities are located in remote areas, far away from city centers.

Indoor-Access: Storage Units

Right for You If:

• You have a specific storage unit size in mind: The dimensions of residential storage spaces are inconsistent, but traditional storage facilities standardize unit sizes.
• You want to purchase an add-on insurance plan: Want to know your belongings are protected, even in the case of break-ins and theft? You can pay the extra for an insurance plan.
• You are insistent about climate-controlled storage: Most indoor-access facilities are climate-controlled (meaning they’re kept between 65 and 85 degrees).
• You don’t mind making extra trips up to your unit: Because you can’t pull your car up to your unit, you’ll have to load your items onto a cart (and potentially take an elevator).

Not the Right Fit If:

• You want loading and unloading to be quick & hassle-free: When accessing an indoor-access storage unit, you’ll need to park your vehicle, locate a cart, load up your items, and then push the cart to your assigned storage space.
• You don’t want to deal with all the heavy lifting: Moving heavy furniture from the parking lot to a unit on the third floor is no small task. Without a team of movers, you may even be at risk of injury.
• You’re on a tight budget: Indoor storage units typically cost more than a unit with drive-up access

Private Garages

Right For You If:

• You prioritize security over cost-savings: Residential storage spaces are up to 14x safer than traditional units
• You’re willing to pay extra for the right storage unit: Residential garage spaces typically have a higher price tag.

Not the Right Fit If:

• You have a limited budget: Because these spaces are rare, they’re priced at higher rates.
• You prioritize privacy When renting garage space from a San Francisco resident, you might end up sharing the space with other renters of the host themselves.

Shed

Right For You If:

• You’re storing a small vehicle: Sheds are the perfect size for smaller vehicles like motorcycles, dirtbikes, canoes, kayaks, and more! _And thanks to San Francisco’s temperate climate, you won’t have to worry about extreme temperature fluctuations causing damage.
• You’re looking for a cheap storage option: Compared to private garages, private sheds are a more affordable option.

Not the Right Fit If:

• You need a larger storage unit: While larger storage units can be up to 12 feet wide and 24 feet long, most smaller to medium-sized sheds are between 10-15 ft long.
• You want total privacy: If the shed is large enough, you may end up sharing the space with other renters or the host’s belongings.

Spare Room:

Right For You If:

• You’re looking for maximum security storage: Since the space is located in someone’s home–which is most likely equipped with a built-in security system–your belongings are at lower risk.
• You like the idea of someone watching over your belongings: Because the host lives in the space, you can find peace of mind, knowing they’re there to respond to any security concerns.

Not the Right Fit If:

• If you don’t want to share a space with another renter: Most spare rooms listed on Neighbor are rented out to multiple renters.
• You need 24-hour storage: If you need to access your belongings very late at night (or very early in the morning), this isn’t the right space for you.

Unfinished Basement:

Right For You If:

• You’re worried about potential theft: Because this storage space is a part of someone’s home, you can rest easy, knowing your host will go above and beyond to keep your belongings safe.
• You need to store a smaller recreational vehicles: These spaces can easily fit smaller recreational vehicles like kayaks, canoes, e-bikes, scooters, etc. (even motorcycles).

Not the Right Fit If:

• You don’t want your belongings stored with someone else’s: With plenty of rentable space, unfinished basements are usually shared between several renters.
• You’re storing belongings that household pests could damage: Unfinished basements can be hotspots for pests (insects, rodents, etc.) as they’re usually dark and damp.