Naval Support Activity Orlando (NSA Orlando) is part of the city’s Central Florida Research Park, and is adjacent to the University of Central Florida (UCF). The research park also includes educational organizations, government buildings, and private companies in technology research.
The base has 120 active-duty military members, 2,200 civil service workers, plus 350 military family members and 3,200 joint service reserves. This article explores their self-storage needs.
How a Position at Naval Support Activity Orlando Affects Your Storage Needs
Here is some great news! Orlando has 148 facilities and a much lower population than you might expect, around 260,000. That means there are about 81,400 self-storage units, and explains why prices are much lower than in many other cities. For instance, you should have little trouble finding a 5’x5’ for less than $30, a 5’x10’ for around $65, or a 10’x10’ for around $100.
There are four major things to consider when finding the right unit: price, distance, climate control, and how often you’ll go to the unit. Ideally, you’ll find one with low prices near your new home. However, if you know you won’t be going to the unit often, and you have a car, you may save $20 or more per month by renting a unit a few miles away.
Before your move to Orlando, write a list of what you’ll bring with you. That way, you can decide what will go into storage and what will go into your new accommodations. This will help you figure out the right size for your storage unit.
You will almost certainly need climate control in Orlando! Summer daytime temperatures get into the 90s, winters the 70s, and there is frequent humidity. A climate-controlled unit will protect your belongings from mildew and worse.
First, you’ll be happy to know that weather in the Mile High City is mild. Winter days average about 37 F, summer days, 70 F, with a semi-arid, continental climate. Denver is one of the
lowest humidity cities in the U.S. For you, that means that you probably will not need climate controlled storage.
If You’re Deployed
When you’re in the military, either active duty or a reservist, you know there’s a possibility of getting deployed. Fortunately,
Florida’s lien law protects a deployed military member’s storage unit from unfairly going to auction, per the
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
We recommend setting up automatic payments before your deployment. However, many facilities will allow you to handle your account online from anywhere in the world, and often, family members will pay the monthly bill.
Storing Guns
Gun storage can be a touchy subject and many self-storage facilities will not allow it. If you have recreational firearms and need a place to keep them either when you’ve been deployed or simply because you don’t want them in your home, ask various facilities if they allow it before you pick a rental. Of course, if you live on base, chances are you can register your firearms there and store them according to protocol.
The article
Storing Your Firearms: Safe Options for Gun Storage on the Storage Front website will provide you with plenty of helpful tips. Keep in mind though that while some facilities do allow gun storage, almost none allow the storage of ammunition.
