Even if you don’t have kids still at home, it’s impossible not to recognize back to school season. The stores are crowded with pencils, papers, pens and notebooks. Clothing stores are displaying new trends and hocking dorm essentials. School buses and droves are kids are once again roaming the streets.

It may not seem like a golden opportunity for a self-storage facility, but back to school season can be. Take Stow Away Self-Storage in Harrisonburg, Va. The facility rents parking spaces to James Madison University freshman, who are banned from parking on campus due to space restrictions. According to an article in The Daily-News Record the facility will have 105 spots available to students for $55 a month, or $250 a semester, and even give each student a $50 gas card.

Fortunately, the facility happens to be located along the bus route to the University. “We know that the JMU population is growing,” says Ken Wandless, Stow Away operations manager. “We figure this is going to be something that is needed for the community.”

Even if you’re not located along a university bus route, there are other opportunities to attract student renters. Students tend to move—often. Dorm residents typically shuffle every year, sometimes at the end of every semester depending on the school. Students usually have way more stuff than they have room for in those compact dorm rooms—hence the need for storage. And moms and dads may opt to store Junior’s stuff for a semester or two. Plus, if you offer other services—mailboxes, rental trucks, post office boxes or packing and shipping services—you’ll easily attract students.

Is your facility near a college or university? Do you offer any student discounts? What about end-of-semester specials? Click on the Leave Comment below to share.