Most people searching for “mini storage near me” have already decided they don’t need a garage-sized unit. They have a spare bedroom’s worth of stuff, a seasonal hobby that’s taken over the closet, or a business that’s outgrown the back office. What they don’t know is how small “small” can go — or how little it costs.
Here’s the practical version.
What counts as mini storage
“Mini storage” isn’t an official size class. In practice it means anything from a 5×5 up to about a 5×10 — units that hold the contents of a room or two, not a whole house.
5×5 (25 sq ft) — Roughly a hall closet. Holds about 15–20 boxes, a bike, a set of golf clubs, a chest of drawers, or a few pieces of small furniture. If you’re storing college dorm contents over the summer or clearing out one room, this is usually enough.
5×6 (30 sq ft) — Half a step up. Same closet footprint with room for a mattress set standing on edge.
5×10 (50 sq ft) — About the size of a walk-in closet or a large garden shed. Holds a one-bedroom apartment’s worth of furniture: mattress, dresser, sofa, dining set, and 20-some boxes. This is the most-rented small unit in our portfolio by a wide margin.
5×12 (60 sq ft) — Same width, deeper. Useful when you have long items — kayaks, ladders, trim lumber — that won’t fit crossways in a 5×10.
The rule of thumb people find most useful: a 5×10 holds a one-bedroom apartment. A 5×5 holds one room of it.
What a mini unit actually costs
Small units are the cheapest way to buy square footage in self storage, and the gap is bigger than most people assume. Here’s what our small units start at across a sample of Arborstone locations:
| Location | Size | Starting web rate |
|---|---|---|
| Shawnee, OK | 5×10 | $19/mo |
| Elgin, OK | 5×10 | $20/mo |
| Nash, TX | 5×10 | $20/mo |
| Moore, OK | 5×5 | $14/mo |
| Choctaw, OK | 5×10 | $26/mo |
| Bixby, OK | 5×5 | $13/mo |
| Bixby, OK | 5×10 | $38/mo |
| Broken Arrow, OK | 5×6 | $19/mo |
| Broken Arrow, OK | 5×10 | $30/mo |
| Tulsa (Southern Hills) | 5×10 | $32/mo |
| Tulsa (41st St) | 5×5 | $60/mo |
| Stillwater, OK | 5×10 | $37/mo |
| Clayton, OK | 5×10 | $36/mo |
Rates vary by market — a small unit in Stillwater sits in a college town with tight supply, while Shawnee and Elgin have more room to breathe. Rates shown are current online rates and reflect availability at the time of publishing.
Six things people actually store in a 5×10
- Seasonal gear. Christmas decorations, patio furniture in winter, snow equipment in summer. A 5×10 handles the full rotation.
- Student stuff between semesters. Especially relevant in Stillwater — a dorm room fits comfortably in a 5×5, and two students can split a 5×10.
- Inventory for a small business. Etsy sellers, contractors, and event vendors use small units as a low-cost warehouse. Cheaper than a commercial lease by an order of magnitude.
- The overflow from a home renovation. Furniture from two rooms usually fits in a 5×10, and it keeps drywall dust off the good couch.
- Estate contents during probate. When a house has to be cleared before it’s sold, a small unit buys time to sort through things properly.
- Documents and records. Businesses with retention requirements often need a place that isn’t the office closet.
How to know if you should size up
A 5×10 is the right call until one of these is true:
- You have appliances. A washer, dryer, and refrigerator eat a 5×10 almost by themselves. Go to a 10×10.
- You need to walk in. If you’ll be pulling items in and out weekly, you want an aisle. A 5×10 packed to the door means unloading half of it to reach the back.
- You’re storing a full two-bedroom or larger. That’s a 10×10 minimum, more likely a 10×15.
- You have anything over ten feet long. Ladders, canoes, and lumber need depth a 5×10 doesn’t have.
Guessing high costs you $10–20 a month. Guessing low costs you a second trip and a unit transfer. When it’s close, size up.
Mini storage locations
Arborstone operates small units across Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. A few of the markets where we have small-unit availability right now:
Oklahoma — Shawnee, Choctaw, Elgin, Moore, Bixby, Broken Arrow, Tulsa (41st St and Southern Hills), Stillwater, Nash, Clayton, Okmulgee
Texas — Van, Longview, Fairfield, Lake Fork, Quitman
Arkansas — Jefferson, Mabelvale, Redfield
Every location is drive-up accessible with gated entry and 24/7 access for tenants. Availability on small units moves fast — they’re the first sizes to fill in most markets.
Frequently asked
How small does a storage unit get?
Our smallest is a 5×5, about 25 square feet. It’s roughly the size of a hall closet and holds 15–20 boxes plus a few small pieces of furniture.
Is mini storage cheaper than a full-size unit?
Yes, substantially. Small units at Arborstone start under $20/month in several markets, compared to $80–150 for a 10×20.
Can I rent a mini storage unit month to month?
Yes. All Arborstone units are month-to-month with no long-term contract.
What’s the difference between mini storage and self storage?
Nothing, functionally. “Mini storage” is an older term for the same thing — it just usually implies the smaller unit sizes.
Do you have climate-controlled mini storage?
At select locations. Climate control matters most for electronics, wood furniture, photographs, and anything with adhesive. Check the individual location page for availability.
Ready to find a small unit near you? Browse locations or reserve online in a few minutes.