Long Term Self Storage vs Short Term Storage: What’s Best for You?

Maybe you’re looking for a valuable space to keep your seasonal belongings. 

Or maybe you’re getting a head start on an upcoming move and want to pay a monthly rate for a storage unit to store your fragile items and carefully packed boxes until moving day.

Regardless, knowing the specifics of your self-storage needs and understanding the difference between long term self-storage and short-term storage is the essential first step toward getting the best deal on a self-storage location near you. 

With short-term storage, you only sign a month-to-month lease, but your monthly rate is higher. 

With long-term storage, you pay a lower month to month rent, but you’re obligated to pay for a specific period–typically a 3 to 6-month lease or maybe even a year.

This helpful guide compares long term storage vs short term storage. We talk about the pros and cons of each, and when short term or long term self storage is the appropriate choice.

Finally, we’ll cover the variety of storage unit features you can choose from and how Selftorage.com can help you find the ideal storage location for your needs!

What Is Long-Term Storage? 

Long term self-storage is when you sign a contract with a storage facility to reserve storage units for you or your business for an extended period. A long-term storage contract can last from three months to multiple years.

Long-term storage is an ideal option for anyone who wants to set up and maintain a storage unit to their liking indefinitely. It may be used for workshop or office space, decluttering and downsizing a garage or home, valuable items and collectibles, decluttering and downsizing your garage or home, or extended travel.

Reserving a unit for long term storage is a commitment, as you’re responsible for the monthly rent for the duration of your contract, even if you’re not using the space.

That said, the monthly rate of the storage unit is typically lower when you sign a long-term lease, making it the cost-effective solution for freeing up some additional living space at home. 

A long-term storage facility tends to be licensed for a wide variety of usages, like business storage and vehicle storage. They’ll offer amenities like climate-controlled units to protect items sensitive to extreme temperatures and humidity.

That said, it’s important to declutter and check on it regularly to maintain the condition of your belongings and your personal peace of mind.

Let’s take a look at the ideal scenarios for leasing long term self storage:

• Decluttering: Downsizing to a smaller living space or decluttering the amount of stuff you keep at your current home are both opportunities to rent a storage unit long-term.
• Business Storage: Organizing your storage unit as an office storage space allows you to keep achieved documents, excess inventory, signage, and office equipment out of the way. Consider climate control, as humidity destroys paper documents.
• Recreational Vehicle Storage: Whether you’re storing a car you’re rebuilding, dirt bikes and ATVs, or your motorcycle, long-term storage lets you arrange your vehicles and tools as you want them.
• Extended Travel: Extended Travel: Whether you’re globetrotting or leaving for a work assignment for an extended period, why pay rent in two places? Keep your belongings secure in a long term self storage unit until you come home.
• Sentimental items, Family Heirlooms, and Collectables: A long-term storage unit is a great place to keep sentimental items you’re not ready to part with while saving space at home. Set up shelves and use plastic storage bins and bubble wrap to keep delicate items safe. And remember, if you’re storing paper items like comic books or baseball cards, consider climate-controlled storage space.

Depending on what you’re storing, amenities like 24-hour access ot security features may help you get the most out of your long term storage facility.

What Is Short-Term Storage?

Short-term storage typically refers to renting a storage unit on a month to month lease. As the end of the month approaches, you either clean out your storage unit and end your agreement, or you pay the monthly prepay rate to keep the unit for the following month.

Short-term storage units are usually priced a bit higher, but you’re under no obligation to keep the unit for more than a month. This is a convenient solution when you need a bit of extra space temporarily if you have family in town if you’re prepping for a move, or to store seasonal items and holiday decorations for a month or two. 

Let’s consider when short-term storage is the more appropriate solution:

• Moving: Short-term storage can keep your packed belongings safe before an upcoming move, allowing you to start prepping early. It’s also a cost-effective storage solution if you’re between places and staying with friends or family.
• Redecorating/Home Renovations: You might need to store your entire furniture collection for a few weeks while the construction crew renovates the primary bedroom, living room, etc. Or maybe you’re painting the walls, and you want to store all your artwork and decorations. Short-term storage is a great way to get stuff out of your way for a month or two.
• Seasonal Storage: Whether it’s Halloween decorations, snowmobiles, and ski gear in the summer or motorcycle and patio furniture in the winter, seasonal storage typically only lasts for a few months.
• College Breaks: Why move all your stuff from your dorm room to your parents’ house in between semesters? Rent a short-term storage unit close to your university and keep your belongings safe until class starts back up.
• Work Trips: If you’re traveling for work for a month or two and living out of a hotel room, it might make more sense to store your stuff in short-term storage until you return.

​​Comparing Costs: Long-Term vs Short-Term Storage 

Cost is the primary consideration when weighing long-term storage vs. short-term storage.

The higher monthly rate of renting storage units short-term might be worth it if you need the unit only for a month or two.

That said, there are storage facilities that offer long-term discounts on contracts as short as 3 months. There are also 6-month leases, so if you’re storage period is longer than 3 months, signing a long-term self storage contract might be the more cost-effective storage solution.

That said, pricing structures vary depending on where you live and the amenities and storage features the storage facility in question provides. We suggest using our storage locator tool to compare storage unit prices near you and find the best deal.

Storage Unit Size Considerations 

Size is an important consideration regardless of whether you’re leaning toward a short-term or long term self-storage solution.

For example, if you’re seeking short term storage for seasonal items, ski gear, a small stack of packed boxes, or a broken-down bed frame, a 5X5 storage unit size might do the trick.

If you’re stashing the contents of a bedroom while it’s being renovated, a 10×15 is a safer bet.

If you’re stashing all your belongings for an extended period while you travel, or if you want to set up an office or workshop, a 109×20-10×25 is probably the right choice.

If you’re storing major appliances and a vehicle plus tools and need space to do some wrenching or maintenance, a 10×30 is the biggest size unit you can get and is appropriate for all your bulkiest items.

We suggest checking out our SelfStorage.com storage unit size guide before you sign a long-term lease.

Making the Right Choice for Your Needs 

1. Do you need a standard storage unit that’s outdoors or an indoor, climate-controlled storage space to keep temperature-sensitive items like electronics and wooden furniture safe?
2. Are you keeping your belongings in storage long-term for multiple seasonal changes and temperature fluctuations? Try climate control.
3. Are you storing your bulkiest items during a renovation? Opt for a ground-level storage space with drive-up access.
4. Storing valuable items and sentimental items? Consider extra security measures like video surveillance for an additional layer of protection.

How SelfStorage.com Can Help You Find Affordable Short Term and Long Term Self-Storage

Not all storage facilities are created equal. Some don’t offer climate control, for example. And the price range can vary greatly between long term vs. short term storage indoors or outdoors. So, how do you find the storage solution you need at your price point?  

Easy. Just enter your zip code into Selfstorage.com’s search tool to find the best deal on short term and long term self storage units near you. 

Selfstorage.com tells you exactly what to expect, granting immediate access to storage facilities of all types. Just enter your zip code, filter the options, and scroll the results until you find exactly what you need.