The spare room you keep meaning to do something with. The closet you can't fill. The basement that came with the brownstone and holds nothing but the boiler. In a city where people pay by the square foot for everything, that space is worth more than almost anywhere in the country — and someone a few blocks away needs it right now.
Listing is free. You set your own price, approve every booking, and get paid automatically.
Self-storage in NYC averages around $257 a month for a 10×10 unit — and in Manhattan the same unit runs $225 to $500, with non-climate-controlled space averaging close to $400. New Yorkers pay between $3.64 and $4.29 per square foot for storage, some of the steepest rates in the country. Even a 5×5 locker — the size of a small closet — averages about $82 a month.
And most of it sits in a facility a subway ride away, behind a gate, accessible only in opening hours.
You have space in the building. Down the hall, up the stairs, or in the room at the end of the apartment. It's closer, it's cheaper to offer than a facility charges, and right now it's earning nothing.
You set the price. Come in under the facilities — which is the whole reason someone looks for a space nearby in the first place — and you're still earning on square footage that was sitting empty.
Photos, dimensions, what you're happy to store. Takes about ten minutes.
Every booking request comes to you first. You see who's asking and what they want to store. Decline anything you're not comfortable with, no explanation needed.
Payment runs through Stripe on a schedule. No chasing anyone, no cash, no awkward conversations at the front door.
If you're not sure whether your space qualifies, list it. Renters here are looking for far more ordinary spaces than most hosts assume — a few boxes in a dry corner is exactly what a lot of people need.
Storage demand in New York clusters where apartments are smallest and facilities charge the most. If you're in one of these areas, your spare space is worth more than you'd guess.
No automatic bookings, no strangers appearing unannounced. A request arrives, you look at it, you decide.
Every renter has a verified email address and a completed profile — name, phone, date of birth and address — behind their account. And you still approve or decline every request yourself.
Payments are handled through Stripe. Your payout arrives automatically — you never invoice anyone or handle money at the door.
Your listing shows an approximate location on the map. Your exact address is only shared with a renter after you've approved their booking and payment has gone through.
That's your call — you set your own price. For reference, self-storage facilities in NYC charge around $257 a month for a 10×10 unit, and Manhattan rates run from $225 to $500. Most hosts price below the facilities, since a cheaper space closer to home is the whole reason renters look locally. You can change your price whenever you like.
It depends on your situation, and New York has more constraints than most places, so it's worth checking before you list. If you own, your co-op or condo board's rules may govern what you can do with your unit and any assigned storage. If you rent, your lease — and, for rent-stabilised or rent-controlled apartments, additional rules — may restrict subletting or commercial use of the space. Storing a neighbour's belongings is different from subletting a room to live in, but the paperwork doesn't always draw that line for you. Read your lease or building rules first, and if you're unsure, ask your board, landlord or a lawyer. Storage Buddy can't give legal advice.
People nearby who need space — someone between leases, mid-move, downsizing, or a small business storing seasonal stock. Storage Buddy grew out of university communities, so you'll see plenty of students, though the marketplace is expanding beyond campus. Every renter has a verified email and a completed profile, and you see each request before deciding whether to accept it.
No. You and the renter agree access arrangements between yourselves — some hosts hand over a key or code, others prefer to be there for each visit. You set the terms in your listing.
You control your own availability, including when your listing is bookable and when your rental period ends. For an active booking, talk to your renter — most people are accommodating when given reasonable notice.
Storage Buddy does not currently provide host insurance or a damage guarantee. Renters are responsible for insuring their own belongings, and we recommend telling them so directly in your listing. It's also worth checking whether your homeowner's or renter's policy covers third-party property stored on your premises — many don't by default. We'd rather tell you this plainly than let you find out later.
Listing is free. Storage Buddy takes a service fee from each booking; you see your exact payout before you accept.
Anywhere across the five boroughs, plus nearby New Jersey like Fort Lee. Demand is strongest where apartments are small and storage is expensive — Morningside Heights, Harlem, Washington Heights, Hell's Kitchen and the Upper West Side are clear examples — but hosts list successfully across Brooklyn, Queens and the outer boroughs too. If you have usable space and people nearby need it, it's worth listing.
Listing takes about ten minutes and costs nothing.
List your space