Moving and self-storage
storage unit
A storage unit is a rented space for keeping personal or business goods. It may be a room, a locker, a container or an outdoor space. Customers fill it, lock it and come back for the goods later. The word covers both fixed units at a facility and portable ones.
Why it matters
Portable storage companies often say "storage unit" for the container they deliver. Self-storage companies use it for a room inside a building or a drive-up space. Sizes, locks, access and price differ, so always ask what exactly you are renting. A common mistake is to pick a size by guess. Measure the goods, or ask the provider for a size guide, and plan for walking space inside. Check the rental terms for rules on what you may store, since provider lists often ban food, fuel and hazardous items. Insurance for contents is a separate topic, so ask the provider and your own insurer.
Read: Portable storage container sizes: What size do you need?
Definition source: census.gov
Related terms
self-storage facility
A self-storage facility is a business that rents secure space where customers store and retrieve their own goods. U.S. industry codes describe it as renting space such as rooms, compartments, lockers, containers or outdoor space. The customer holds the key or code and visits the site to use the space.
mobile storage unit
A mobile storage unit is a storage box built to be moved, delivered and picked up by truck. NPSA describes mobile self-storage containers as units delivered to a customer's location, loaded there and moved on. NPSA says members offer mobile self-storage containers in lengths from 7 feet to 20 feet.
drive-up storage
Drive-up storage is a self-storage unit on the ground level with an outside door, so a customer can park a vehicle next to or in front of it. It works like a small garage. Some sites also offer drive-up units inside a covered building.
portable storage container
A portable storage container is a container made for rent or sale as movable storage. NPSA describes portable storage containers as ISO shipping containers retired from international shipping and offered on the domestic market. In practice the term also covers other portable units.
mobile self-storage
Mobile self-storage is a service where an empty storage unit is delivered to your location. You load it at your own pace, and the company picks it up and moves it to a new place for unloading or to storage. NPSA describes it as removing the hassles of traditional static self-storage facilities.
moving container
A moving container is a portable storage container used to move a household. PODS describes portable storage containers as large, secure, usually weather-resistant boxes that can be moved from place to place. The customer loads the container, and the company carries it to a storage center or a new home.
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