Where to Keep Belongings While Subletting Your Apartment

By Stephanie Hyland, Storage.com

Whenever you’re changing homes, you have a lot to think about. Let Storage.com help you navigate the process with tips on buying, selling, or renting, or with some additional space to help along the way.

After you have reviewed the guidelines of your lease agreement with your landlord and have found a trustworthy tenant, it’s time to prep your place for the future occupant who will be subletting your home. Whether your tenant will be living there for four weeks or four months, you want to make sure the space is presentable, welcoming, and has enough room for the items they are bringing with them. Where do you start?

After sifting through drawers and scanning the shelves, you realize that your closets are full of seasonal items and the corners of your house are packed with recreational equipment and extra pieces of furniture that will just be in the way for the incoming tenant. Where are you going to put everything? To ensure your items are secure and out of your future tenant’s way, invest in a self storage unit!

Flexible Lease Agreements and Payment Plans

Individuals sublet their homes for a variety of reasons and lengths of time. If you are planning on subletting your apartment for only a couple of months, find a local storage facility that allows flexible lease agreements or month-by-month rental agreements. By finding a storage facility that offers this type of lease agreement, you can be sure that you will not have to pay for a storage unit longer than you need it.

To make paying rent on your storage unit easier, consider a facility that offers an online payment plan. This way, you can avoid late fees and will be able to pay for your storage unit wherever you are.

Finding the Right Size Storage Unit for You

When it comes to putting your belongings in storage, you want to make sure you rent the right size unit in order to avoid paying for more space than you need or not reserving enough room. Before you rent a unit, take an inventory of all of the items inside your home that will need to be moved into the unit. Measure key pieces and use your inventory and measurements to estimate how much space you will need. The list of items that are in storage will also come in handy if you are ever looking for a specific item and cannot remember if you put it in storage or left it in the space you are subletting.

If you only need a little extra space to store a seasonal wardrobe or decor, a 5×5 unit, a unit the size of a walk-in closet, will give you the 50 extra square feet of storage space you are looking for. If you need to store extra furniture that your future tenant will not be using, a 5×10 or a 10×10 unit will do the trick. Both sizes can fit at least a mid-size bedroom and still have room for boxed items.

For more information about what you can fit in various sizes of storage units, use our storage unit size guide.

Invest in a Climate-Controlled Storage Unit

If you’re going to be storing wood furniture, artwork, photos, electronics, delicate materials, or anything that is temperature sensitive, it’s important that you invest in a climate-controlled storage unit. These units are kept between 55–85°F year-round and the humidity level is regulated. By leaving your environmentally sensitive items in a climate-controlled storage unit, you can avoid having to replace expensive items because they were damaged by fluctuating temperatures or moisture.

Become Familiar with Security Features

When you’re leaving your belongings in a storage unit while you’re subletting your home, you want to make sure that they are as protected as possible. Many self storage facilities offer 24-hour video surveillance and personalized gated access. If you’re looking for additional security measures, research self storage facilities in your area that offer on-site management or alarmed units.

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