Student Storage Space at Columbia and Barnard
Storage Buddy
Affordable, Convenient, Student-Powered Self-Storage
Find secure summer storage near campus, or earn while you're away at your internship.
Built For Students At
How It Works
Three simple steps to get started
Sign up
With your .edu email
Find or list
Spaces near campus
Book & store
Pay via Stripe
Sign Up
Create your account with your .edu email and join a verified, students-only network. Every user is confirmed, so you can trust who you're storing with.
Find or List Your Space
Browse listings near your campus, set your preferences, and chat directly with hosts to find the right space for your needs, just like booking on Airbnb.
Book & Store
Booking is easy and secure. Submit a request, and hosts can accept right away, and your booking goes live instantly. We use Stripe to handle payments so the whole process is seamless.
What Makes Storage Buddy Special
Absolute flexibility for renters and hosts
Traditional storage is designed to lock you in. Storage Buddy is designed around how you actually need to store, giving both renters and hosts the tools to choose exactly what works for them.
Flexible Pricing
Pay per space, or per item
Flexible Pricing
Pay per space, or per item
Only pay for what you use — a few bags or a whole room.
Your Space, Your Rules
Shared or private
Your Space, Your Rules
Shared or private
Pick shared (cheaper) or private (sole access). Both work for both sides.
Accessibility
Set your access schedule
Accessibility
Set your access schedule
Daily, weekly, monthly, or by arrangement — agreed up-front.
Pro-Rata Billing
Only pay for days you use
Pro-Rata Billing
Only pay for days you use
No monthly minimums. 3 months 10 days = 3 months 10 days.
Community Trust
.edu verified students only
Community Trust
.edu verified students only
Every account confirmed by .edu email. Money stays in the community.
Pay for a space, or pay per item. Your choice
Need to store a few bags over summer? Choose per-item pricing and only pay for what you're actually storing. Have a full room of furniture? Rent a defined space at a flat monthly rate. No more paying for space you don't use.
Per Item
Pay per bag or box
Per Space
Rent a defined area
Shared spaces or private, it's up to you
Shared spaces let renters get a more affordable price while hosts maximise the use of their space across multiple renters. For those who want a more premium experience, private enclosed spaces give you sole access to a dedicated area. Both options work for both sides.
Shared Space
Lower cost, higher utilisation
Private Space
Exclusive, enclosed access
Define what works for you
Most renters don't need constant access to their stuff, so why should hosts always be on call? Set access terms that fit your life: daily, weekly, monthly, or by arrangement.
Renters pick the schedule that suits them. Why pay for a 24-hour concierge when you don't need one?
Set your access schedule
Daily
Access any day
Weekly
Set available days
Monthly
Once per month
By Arrangement
Schedule in-app
Hosts set the terms. Renters pick what fits. Everyone wins.
Only pay for the days you actually use
Need storage for 3 months and 10 days? You pay for exactly 3 months and 10 days, not a day more. No monthly lock-ins, no paying for full cycles you don't need. This level of fairness simply doesn't exist on other platforms, because they're built to extract, not to serve.
Example
Month 1
$100
Month 2
$100
Month 3
$100
10 Days
$34
Example based on $100/month. Final 10 days charged pro-rata.
A student-only community you can actually trust
Trust is everything to us. That's why we've built a students-only environment, where every account is verified through an .edu email. No randoms, no scammers, just fellow students.
And because every dollar flows directly between students, we keep money inside our community, not in the pockets of corporations.
.edu verified
Every single user
Renter
Host
Student → student. Money stays in the community.
How We Compare
See how Storage Buddy stacks up against the alternatives
RecommendedStorage Buddy | Traditional Self-Storage | Concierge Storage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Rent space or store items with verified neighbours nearby | Rent a locked unit at a commercial storage facility | A company collects, warehouses, and returns your items |
| Price | Up to 50% cheaper No middlemen or commercial overheads | Expensive High fixed costs from commercial leases | Most expensive Pickup, labour, and warehousing all added to your bill |
| Pricing flexibility | Pro-rata billing Pay only for the exact days you use | Monthly minimum Locked into full billing cycles | Variable Often monthly with early exit fees |
| Convenience | Nearby in the city Store with neighbours close to home, coordinate via the app | Out-of-the-way Typically on industrial estates outside city centres | Least flexible Items held at a warehouse, retrieval must be booked in advance |
| Item access | Same-day Message your host and collect when it suits you both | Same-day Go directly to your unit during opening hours | Scheduled only Typically 24–72 hours notice required |
| Community | Keeps money local Earnings go directly to hosts in your community | Corporate profits Revenue flows to shareholders | Corporate profits Revenue flows to shareholders |
| Sustainability | Low impact Uses existing homes, no new construction required | High impact Requires purpose-built commercial buildings | High impact Large warehouses plus vehicle fleets for collection |
StorageBuddyBest | Self-storage | Concierge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Cheapest | Pricey | Priciest |
| Flexibility | Pro-rata | Monthly | Variable |
| Location | Nearby | Out of way | Warehouse |
| Item access | Same-day | Same-day | Booked |
| Community | Local | Corporate | Corporate |
| Sustainability | Low | High | High |