Non-Climate-Controlled Self Storage – What It Is, When, Why And How To Use It

Self storage is an increasingly popular service throughout the country – about 38% of Americans declare that they have used self storage or plan to rent a unit in the future. From moving or downsizing to simply not having enough space at home for all your belongings to renting for business purposes, self storage is a versatile and affordable service that helps you safely store items you don’t use on a daily basis.

There are two major types of self storage: climate-controlled self storage, where the facility regulates the temperature and humidity, and non-climate-controlled self storage. Whereas many items require a specific temperature to stay in pristine condition, other items don’t, and that’s when you can simply resort to non-climate-controlled storage.

What is non-climate-controlled self storage?

Non-climate-controlled self storage is the most popular, widely available and affordable type of self storage. As its name implies, we are talking about storage units without climate-control features. In other words, the temperature inside the storage unit will likely be the same as the temperature outside. This makes non-climate-controlled storage units less suitable for the long-term storage of some categories of belongings, such as collectibles, antiques, artwork and other delicate and expensive possessions. However, you can safely store many other types of items — from clothing and furniture to tools and sports equipment.

Why use non-climate-controlled self storage?

Non-climate-controlled self storage is widely available. You won’t have any issues finding such a unit in most cities and towns in the country. Also, non-climate-controlled self storage is the most affordable type of storage: the national average rate for a 10’x10’ non-climate-controlled unit hovers around $130 per month, while a climate-controlled unit of the same size costs almost $150 per month.

Depending on where you live, the costs for non-climate-controlled self storage can be higher or lower than the national average. But generally, this type of unit is less expensive than the climate-controlled ones — unsurprisingly, since it involves lower expenses for the storage facilities.

For example, a non-climate-controlled 10’x10’ self storage unit in Dallas rents for $113 per month, while a climate-controlled one costs almost $20 more per month. A non-climate-controlled 10’x10’ self storage unit in Philadelphia, at $121 per month, is more expensive compared to Dallas. However, the local price difference between non-climate-controlled and climate-controlled units is almost the same — around $20 more per month. In other cities, the price difference between the two self storage options might differ up or down. But virtually everywhere, non-climate-controlled self storage is less expensive.

Check out the average rates for non-climate-controlled self storage in the county’s top 100 biggest cities:

Non-Climate-Controlled Self Storage Rates in Top 100 Cities by Population

What can you store in a non-climate-controlled self storage unit?

You can store a wide variety of belongings in this type of unit – basically, everything that is not particularly fragile and doesn’t require special storage conditions. Here are the main categories of items you can safely store in a non-climate-controlled unit:

• Furniture

Regular furniture, including mattresses, does well in a non-climate-controlled storage unit. The only caveat is in regard to antique pieces, which are delicate, more precious and generally require climate-controlled units, particularly for long-term storage. Apart from that, you can definitely store your furniture in a non-CC unit. Just make sure it’s well-ventilated: raise the furniture on pallets and leave space between the unit’s walls and the furniture — and between individual furniture pieces — to avoid issues with mold and mildew.

• Appliances

Most appliances don’t require a special environment while in storage, so you can keep them in a non-climate-controlled unit. It’s important, though, that you clean and prepare appliances properly before moving them into a storage unit.

• Clothing

Whether you’re storing your out-of-season clothing or holding onto baby and child items for the future, you can put them in a non-climate-controlled unit. It’s important, though, that all the pieces are clean and dry and that you pack them in sturdy, lidded boxes or in vacuum bags.

• Outdoor furniture and other backyard items

Instead of leaving your outdoor furniture and other backyard items like playhouses, trampolines, decorations and pots outside during the winter, it’s better to put them in self storage – and a non-climate-controlled unit will do. The unit will still protect the items from snow and rain, and you’ll be able to enjoy them for years to come.

• Various tools

From power tools to gardening tools, lawnmowers, snow blowers and so on, you can keep all that in a non-climate-controlled self storage unit, seeing as you use them mostly seasonally or during home improvement projects and such. This way, you can declutter your garage so you can use it comfortably for its main purpose of parking your car.

• Cars and other vehicles

You might own a second car that you don’t use regularly or other vehicles like ATVs, snowmobiles, bikes or even small boats. You can keep such possessions safe in a non-climate-controlled self storage unit during periods when you don’t use them.

Non-climate-controlled self storage is a reliable, affordable and widely available type of self storage that can help you keep most of your belongings safe for both the short and long term.