Storage Move-In Deals: What "First Month Free" Is Worth
76% of the 16,453 priced storage units we track carry a move-in offer. The offer changes what the first months cost, so the advertised rate alone does not tell you which unit is cheaper to rent. This guide prices every common offer on the same unit.
The most common move-in offers
Each row is an offer exactly as the operator words it and the number of units that carry it today. To make the offers comparable, each one is priced on the same example: a 10x10 at $82/mo, the national median online rate for that size. Without an offer, a year of that unit costs $984.
| Offer | Operator | Units | First-year rent | Saving | Stay to get it all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40% Off & First Month Free | CubeSmart | 3,301 | Terms on operator site | No data | No data |
| Halloween Sale | Public Storage | 2,749 | Terms on operator site | No data | No data |
| First Month Free | Extra Space | 2,485 | $902 | $82 (8.3%) | 1 month |
| 2nd Month Free | Extra Space | 1,710 | $902 | $82 (8.3%) | 2 months |
| $1 first month rent | Public Storage | 1,131 | $903 | $81 (8.2%) | 1 month |
| 25% OFF & Half Off First Month | CubeSmart | 402 | Terms on operator site | No data | No data |
| 25% OFF | CubeSmart | 183 | Terms on operator site | No data | No data |
| 40% off For 4 Month | Public Storage | 118 | $853 | $131 (13.3%) | 4 months |
| 50% Off First 3 Months | CubeSmart | 92 | $861 | $123 (12.5%) | 3 months |
| 40% Off & Half Off First Month | CubeSmart | 84 | Terms on operator site | No data | No data |
| 40% Off & Second Month Free | CubeSmart | 70 | Terms on operator site | No data | No data |
| 25% Off | CubeSmart | 64 | Terms on operator site | No data | No data |
An offer that does not say how long its discount lasts, such as a plain percentage off, is not priced here. We would have to guess the duration, and the operator's own page states it.
A free month is worth less than it sounds
A free first month and a free second month both save one month of rent - about 8% of a year. A $1 first month saves the same, minus a dollar. The difference between them is timing. A free second month only pays out if you are still renting in month two, so a renter who needs a unit for four weeks gets nothing from it.
Offers that discount several months can save more. On the $82/mo example, “first month free” brings a year's rent to $902. “50% off the first 4 months” brings it to $820 - but only if you stay all four months. Leave after one month and the free month was worth $82; the half-off offer, $41.
How to compare two units with different offers
- Estimate how many months you will need the unit. If you are unsure, price a longer stay too.
- For each unit, add up the rent for those months under its offer, at that unit's own rate - not the example rate above.
- Compare the totals, not the first-month prices.
- Before you book, ask what the monthly rent will be once the offer ends and whether the rental agreement allows it to change. The rates on this site are rent only; ask about any one-time or monthly fees too.
What the offer does not tell you
An offer describes the first months. It does not describe the rent after them. The rates we collect are what a new customer is charged to book today; we do not see what existing customers pay, so this site cannot tell you how rent changes after move-in. The rental agreement can.
Not every operator uses offers. U-Haul publishes one standing rate with no move-in offer, so its rates are not introductory rates and should not be compared as if they were. See how each operator prices a unit for the offer share and walk-in gap of each one.
Questions
Is "first month free" a good storage deal?
It saves one month of rent. On a 10x10 at the national median online rate of $82/mo, that is $82 over a first year, or about 8% of the year's rent. An offer that discounts several months, such as 50% off the first four, saves twice as much if you stay at least four months.
Why are online storage prices so low?
Most of them are introductory rates. 76% of the priced units we track carry a move-in offer, and three of the four operators we collect from attach one to nearly every unit. The rate on the page is what you pay while the offer runs; the operator's rental agreement sets what happens after it.
How do I compare two storage move-in offers?
Add up the rent for the months you expect to stay under each offer, at each unit's own rate, and compare the totals. Comparing only the first month's price favors a $1 first month over a longer discount that saves more.