Service taps communities’ unused storage space

For homeowners who can't afford to use self storage services, Roost is a peer-to-peer platform that lets them find and rent storage space from others in their neighborhood.

In financially unstable times, more people are looking to take advantage of the sharing economy to save money on goods and services they only use occasionally. We recently wrote about Canada’s Kitchen Library, which gives consumers low-cost access to otherwise expensive cooking equipment. For homeowners who can’t afford to use self storage services, there’s now Roost, a peer-to-peer platform that lets them find and rent storage space from others in their neighborhood.

The service provides a marketplace for homeowners to advertise any extra space they have at their property, connecting them to local residents in need of storage. Through the Roost web app, user can search by size and storage type, as well as check profile information, ratings and reviews. With Roost Guarantee, items have basic insurance but the company recommends that users check with homeowners or insure their goods. In the future, the company is also planning to include background checks using SterlingBackcheck. Space can be rented at a minimum payment of USD 5 a day, of which Roost takes 15 percent of the transaction.

Watch the video below to learn more about Roost:

Roost helps neighborhoods open up private space for community purposes, enabling residents to take advantage of cheaper storage facilities close to home, as well as meet their neighbors. Although these types of businesses must be careful to ensure that shared assets are insured against damage, are there other commodities that could be pooled to benefit the community?