The marriage of the internet and entreprenuership has led to a lot of innovation. Against the backdrop of a housing crunch and a steady influx of new people to Seattle, new ideas emerge. If you have kept an eye on the way development has been unfolding storage companies have been creating massive structures to hold all the things people living in cramped quarters no longer can.

Enter PeerStorage which is essentially like the Airbnb for the self-storage industry with an eco-boost. It's an online marketplace where people with unused space on their property such as a garage or storage shed, can rent out their spaces to someone in need of storage. It's also a way of making extra income. Not only that, but PeerStorage has partnered with the National Forest Foundation which is active in planting trees for every new listing and booking through their site to give back to the environment for the land and trees destroyed by self-storage development.

People who list their spaces can make additional daily, weekly, or monthly income just from the space they already have. The benefits for the storage renters would be a notably lower cost and often more convenient storage. If you had an extra vehicle that you wanted to store for the winter but didn’t have an extra parking space to keep it in Seattle, or your closet has been overflowing from the holiday season and you want to store your clothes in an extra closet at your neighbors house.

The demand for storage for storage in the US is very high with occupancy at 91% or higher since the pandemic.

The growth of storage facilities across the nation has been fast by any measure. The number of storage units built last year in the US from 2018-2019 grew by 2,316 total facilities. According to a 2018 Pipeline Report for Self-Storage Development Activity, there were 22 new development projects in the Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma areas alone.

The most popular storage unit size in Washington is a 5 x 10 unit which represents 31% of all units booked. Most people seek storage temporarily while changing residence (38.8%), and storing items they don’t have room for (39.4%). Since home remodels and DIY projects have been popular during 2020, I’m sure there’s been an increase in storage for these events as well.

Peer Storage does background checks on people listing their unused spaces by requesting proof of photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport, email, phone number, selfie photo, and their Paypal/credit card/ or debit card information so we can pay them their money for booked rentals. Also required are a photo ID such as a driver license or passport by our storage renters, as well as request them to list the items they are storing for insurance purposes to make sure they’re items are within their terms and conditions. Since their renters must have self-storage insurance, they are working on partnering with self-storage insurance companies so renters can get the policies they need to protect their stuff. They also request that the space be lockable with a basic lock and key or a digital keypad with the renter having access to unlock the space. Renters may bring their own lock and key if preferred. In terms of  parking spaces, the car owner is responsible for making sure their vehicle is locked through out the rental period.

If you wanted to store an expensive item such as a bike you would be able to choose from listings in locations near your residence, theoretically in your neighborhood or nearby neighborhoods. You would be able to experience the convenience of accessing your bike when you need it, without having to drive to a storage unit that’s only accessible certain hours such as 9 am – 6 pm.

You would also be able to store at a lower cost compared to conventional storage solutions. Peer Storage suggests  storage hosts set rental rates at 33% – 50% lower per sq. ft. than the cost of conventional self-storage facilities in the area. Also, with every new booking Peer Storage gives back to the environment by planting two (2) trees through the National Forest Foundation. No other conventional storage facilities gives back to the environment just by booking storage. This is our unique way of providing a better service for our community members, renters, and environment.

Learn more at https://www.peerstorage.co