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Around 21,570 students study at Teesside University, and every June most of their tenancy agreements end weeks or months before September’s contracts begin. That gap is the whole story of student storage in Middlesbrough. A town’s worth of belongings needs somewhere to live for a summer.
You can see that town-within-a-town on a map. The dark cluster wrapped around the university campus is where student households concentrate, and it’s exactly the area that empties every June:
The numbers behind this map
| Borough | Schoolchildren & full-time students | Residents |
|---|---|---|
| Stockton-on-Tees | 37,305 | 196,589 |
| Middlesbrough | 32,587 | 143,909 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 23,365 | 136,529 |
When do you actually need student storage?
Three moments in the academic year, in order of how often they catch people out:
The summer gap. House tenancies around the university typically end in June or early July; next year’s usually start in September. Unless you fancy three trips up the A19 with a full car, everything (bedding, books, kitchen kit, the bike) needs a home for roughly three months. (Check your own dates against the current Teesside University academic calendar; they shift a little each year.)
Between houses. Moving from halls to a house, or between houses? A mismatch of even a week means a short-stay unit beats begging floor space from friends.
The long trip home. International students and placement-year students face the same problem for longer, six months or more. That changes what’s worth storing versus shipping or selling.
What size does a student room need?
Less than you think. A standard student room (bed linen boxed, clothes in cases, books, kitchen share, a bike) fits in the smallest units with room to spare:
| Unit | Roughly the size of | Per month (inc. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 ft Container | Small Garage / Large Shed | £90.00 |
| 20 ft Container | Size of a Single Garage | £118.80 |
| 90 sq ft Internal (First Floor) | One Bedroom Apartment | £130.00 |
| 90 sq ft Internal | Small Garage / Large Shed | £140.00 |
| 96 sq ft Internal | Two Bedroom Flat | £150.00 |
| 108 sq ft Internal | Single Garage | £160.00 |
| 135 sq ft Internal (First Floor) | Large single garage or 7 tonne lorry; contents of a large 2-bed or small 3-bed house | £160.00 |
| 135 sq ft Internal | Large single garage or 7 tonne lorry; contents of a large 2-bed or small 3-bed house | £160.00 |
iBOXED Redcar price list, checked 2026-10-02; see current availability on the Redcar units page.
The honest recommendation for most students: don’t rent a unit alone. One 10ft container takes two to three rooms’ worth, and £90 a month split three ways is less than a takeaway each.
Summer storage, step by step
- Confirm your tenancy end date and book online early. June units go fast, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before move-in.
- Purge first. The rule of a student summer: if it wasn’t used all year, it isn’t coming back in September. Charity-shop it now, not in the September rush.
- Box heavy small, light big (books in small boxes, duvets in big ones), and label by owner if you’re sharing.
- First-out at the front. September you will thank June you for putting the kettle and bedding by the door.
- Check insurance. Some home policies cover a student’s stored belongings. Otherwise add cover for what it would cost to replace, not what you paid.
Going home overseas?
Longer storage windows change the maths in your favour. Monthly rates on a shared unit are much cheaper than shipping, and far cheaper than replacing everything next year.
Store documents flat and dry. Photograph everything as you pack it, and leave a UK contact who can get to the unit if something’s needed mid-summer.
Where we are
Our Ingleby Barwick site on Low Lane is the handiest for Middlesbrough: a straightforward drive from campus via the A19/A174, with 24/7 CCTV and both container and indoor options. Book online, and if your plans change you can cancel free up to 24 hours before move-in.
