Renting in Dublin and Running Out of Space?

TL;DR

• Dublin rentals don’t come with an attic, a shed, or a garage. Self storage is the practical substitute most renters don’t know they’re missing
• A small unit starts from €8 a week, which is a fraction of the rent difference between a one-bed and a two-bed in Dublin
• Rolling month-to-month contracts mean you’re not locked in. If your situation changes, you give notice and you’re done
• The most common uses are furniture from a previous place, belongings brought back from abroad, seasonal gear, and home office overflow
• Getting the size right from the start is the only real trick. The Storage World size estimator takes two minutes and tells you exactly what you need

What Every Tenant Should Know About Self Storage

Dublin is a great city to live in. It is also, if you are renting, a city where space is a constant negotiation.

The one-bed in Ranelagh. The two-bed in Rathmines shared with a flatmate. The apartment in Phibsborough that looked bigger in the photos. These are fine places to live, but they were not designed with anywhere to put things. No attic, no shed, no garage, no under-stairs cupboard worth mentioning. Just the rooms themselves, and whatever you can fit into them.

If you have accumulated furniture from a previous place, things you moved back from abroad, belongings that do not quite fit the life you are living right now but are not ready to let go of, you already know what the spare room or the corner of the bedroom looks like. And it is not a relaxing sight.

Self storage is the straightforward answer to this, and it suits renters particularly well. Here is why, and what you need to know before you book.

Why Self Storage Works Especially Well for Renters

Most of the traditional arguments for self storage assume you have somewhere to temporarily put things while you decide what to do with them. An attic. A garage. A family home with a bit of room. Renters in Dublin often have none of these.

What self storage gives you is the equivalent of that attic or garage, accessible and secure, without needing to own property to have it. You can store the furniture from a previous place while you figure out your longer-term plans. You can keep the belongings you brought back from a year abroad without cramming them into an already full flat. You can clear the spare room so it is actually usable again, rather than a holding zone for everything that does not have a home.

The other thing that suits renters specifically is the rolling month-to-month contract. You are not committing to a year or more of storage. You pay month by month, and when your situation changes, whether that means moving to a bigger place, buying somewhere, or simply deciding to clear things out properly, you give notice and you are done. It fits the flexibility that renting already requires.

Storage World has personal storage units available at Dublin City Centre on the South Circular Road, Sandyford in south Dublin, and Ballysimon Road in Limerick. Units are accessible seven days a week, with 24-hour access available, so you are not working around anyone else’s schedule.

What Dublin Renters Typically Use Storage For

Furniture from a previous place

This is one of the most common situations. You moved from a house to a flat, or from a two-bed to a one-bed, and the furniture from the old place does not fit the new one. Getting rid of good furniture because you are temporarily in a smaller space is a decision a lot of people regret. A storage unit holds it until the situation changes.

Things brought back from living abroad

A year in Australia, two years in Canada, six months in London. You came back with more than you left with, and the flat you moved into does not have room for all of it. Storage gives it somewhere to go while you work out what stays and what goes.

A second set of belongings after a relationship ends

Nobody talks about this one much, but it comes up regularly. Moving out of a shared place in a hurry, or dealing with a large amount of belongings while you find somewhere new, is exactly the kind of situation where a short-term storage unit is genuinely useful.

Seasonal gear

Bikes, surfboards, skis, camping equipment, golf clubs. All the things that are not needed most of the year but are too expensive or too much of a hassle to replace when you do need them. A small storage unit keeps them out of the flat and in one place.

A home office overflow

Working from home in a Dublin rental often means the sitting room has become the office as well. If the desk, the monitor, the filing and the rest of it are taking over the living space, off-site storage for the things that do not need to be at hand every day is a practical solution.

How to Work Out What Size You Need

For most renters, a small or medium unit covers the situation. A small unit (roughly 9 to 25 sq ft) is the right choice for seasonal gear, boxes of belongings, or a few pieces of smaller furniture. A medium unit (roughly 35 to 75 sq ft) handles the contents of a room or two, including larger furniture pieces.

The self storage sizes available at Storage World are explained on the size estimator page. It will give you a recommendation based on what you are actually planning to store, which takes the guesswork out of it. If you are trying to find self storage unit sizes with specific dimensions, the estimator page is the best place to start.

If you are not sure whether a small or medium unit suits you better, the team at any of the three Storage World locations will talk you through it. They do this every day and are well used to the question.

How Much Does It Cost?

Personal storage in Dublin does not have to be expensive, particularly if you get the size right from the start. Small units at Storage World start from €8 per week. Medium units vary by size and location.

The most straightforward way to get an accurate figure for your situation is the quick quote tool. It takes about two minutes and gives you a real price based on the unit size and location you are looking at.

Promotional offers, including up to 50% off your first rental period, are available at certain times. Worth checking at our pricing page before you book.

A Word on Access and Security

One of the things that puts people off self storage is the idea of not being able to get at their belongings easily. At Storage World, units are accessible seven days a week. The facilities are monitored with CCTV, individually alarmed units, and secure access control. Your belongings are not going anywhere without you.

Full details on access and security are available on our website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is self storage worth it if I am just renting in Dublin?

For a lot of Dublin renters, yes. The combination of small living spaces, no attic or garage, and the flexibility of month-to-month contracts makes self storage a practical option rather than a luxury. Whether it makes sense depends on what you are storing and how long you need to store it, but for anyone dealing with more belongings than their flat can comfortably hold, it is worth a look.

How do I know if I am storing too much stuff?

The question to ask is whether the storage cost is less than the cost of a bigger flat. If you are paying for a unit long-term because you genuinely have more belongings than your living situation can hold, that may be fine. If you are storing things you have not touched in two years and do not particularly miss, that is a different conversation.

Can I keep things in a storage unit indefinitely while I rent?

Yes. There is no maximum rental period at Storage World. Month-to-month contracts continue for as long as you need them to.

What is the difference between a 25 sq ft and a 50 sq ft unit for a renter?

A 25 sq ft unit is roughly the size of a large wardrobe. It suits boxes, seasonal gear, and smaller items. A 50 sq ft unit is closer to a small garden shed, with room for furniture as well as boxes. If you are storing the contents of a full room including a bed or sofa, 50 sq ft is the more realistic starting point. The self storage sizes page describes each size with practical examples.

Is it cheaper to get storage than try to find a bigger apartment in Dublin?

For most people, yes, considerably. The cost of a storage unit is a fraction of the rent difference between a one-bed and a two-bed in Dublin. If the main reason you are looking for a bigger place is space for belongings rather than needing an extra room to live in, self storage is almost always the more affordable option.

Running out of room? Get a quick quote for personal storage in Dublin. No commitment, real prices in two minutes.