Before the spring semester comes to an end and students head off to study abroad or move home for the summer, your self-storage facility should be ready. Appealing to college students is one way to boost your sales and number of renters for your facility. College students often don’t want to pack their belongings in a car or suitcase to bring home between semesters or leave items around roommates when they are not around. Convenient storage units can provide protection and flexibility for students if you play your cards right. Here are some tips to help your storage facility appeal to local college students.
Make Renting Easy And Convenient
College students often want ease and convenience, or don’t have the time to jump through hoops. One of the easiest ways to help your storage facility appeal to students is to offer easy rental options. Booking units online, making payments online, or shortening the in-person rental experience will make it easier for students to make a split decision. Many young adults want to avoid making phone calls or scheduling appointments with a real person. Offering online options will set you apart from other traditional storage facilities.
Advertise Strategically
Advertising is important for any business, but especially for storage facilities. Putting up flyers, setting up social media ads, or offering special deals are all great strategies, but to appeal to college students, you may need some more dedication. Storage facilities should put up flyers around the local campuses, especially near the end of semesters or before the summer months. Make sure to use words like “store before study abroad” or “start the next semester on the right foot” to cater to the thoughts they are likely having already. Facilities may also advertise student deals, the smaller-sized units, or shared options.
Offer Smaller Units
Students living on their own won’t have an excessive amount of belongings, so renting a 10×10 or 10×15-sized unit may deter them from renting. Advertise your small units or block out some of the units from other renters who don’t confirm that they are students. If your facility doesn’t have smaller units, you can appeal to students by allowing two renters to split a larger unit. Roommates, siblings, or friends can benefit from splitting a large unit, while a facility will benefit from having these larger units filled and paid for.
Sharing a unit can get tricky for facility owners and renters alike. It can be a huge risk to allow renters to split the payments and the space, especially if they don’t know each other. Before deciding to do this, make sure you have an iron-clad contract or a clause that states the renters must know each other or be a part of the same apartment complex. Protect yourself and your business before jumping into a new business strategy.
Flexible Lease Terms
With a college student’s schedule and their ever-changing life situations, flexible lease terms can be appealing. Month-to-month leases can appeal to college students, especially during the short period between semesters. Storage facilities can offer month-to-month options to also lower the risk of missed payments or bad renters from taking over some of your popular units. If month-to-month options are not feasible for your facility, you can offer 3-month leases or 6-month leases, instead of a contract for a full year. If you want your facility to attract more college students, offer special leases or limited-time discounts.
Offer Student Discounts
Offering the first month free or for a lower amount can really appeal to broke college students. These discounts can bring in more renters, which results in more money in the long run for your facility. These discounts can be offered for a small amount of time to create more urgency for students to utilize your facility. Make sure to focus your advertising on these discounts and make them prominent on your social media, website, and signage around the area. Switch up your discounts around the changing of the seasons to catch students between semesters.
Self-Storage Units In Salt Lake City
700 Block Storage has a range of storage sizes on varying levels to appeal to all different types of renters. We know that Salt Lake is one of the hubs for college students, which is why our units are easily accessible, affordable, and clean. Our modern facility offers the latest security and technology needed to protect your belongings. Whether you are a student, young professional, or family, storage units can help keep you organized. Check out our current deals at the top of our website and start renting your unit today!
