Student-run startup makes a difference in community

r Neiybor, a Utah-based startup, has been coined the “Airbnb of Storage” and is making a huge difference in the community by offering affordable storage to all. They are receiving national attention, disrupting a huge industry and are bringing significant value to Utahans.

Neiybor.com is an online marketplace that connects people with extra space to those in need of storage. Launched in December, it offers storage 50 percent cheaper than traditional self-storage and provides Utah homeowners a way to turn their unused space into extra monthly income. This service gives anyone who is moving, traveling, remodeling or just going through a transition in life a way to obtain cheap storage with the rigid contracts and outrageous prices.

Although Neiybor is a new startup, it has grown quickly and has received national attention. In fact, tomorrow one of the co-founders will be presenting Neiybor in Brooklyn, New York, alongside the head of Amazon’s Alexa, the CEO of Foursquare, and other business leaders as one of five new businesses for the nation to keep an eye on as they disrupt huge industries in the coming years. Neiybor is changing the way we view storage.

“Forty-seven percent of Americans cannot afford a $400 emergency,” says Preston Alder, a senior at Brigham Young University, co-founder of Neiybor, “We are trying to help them by building an online community where people can rent out their underutilized space and earn a supplemental income. We’re also trying to provide renters — especially transient student populations — with more affordable and convenient storage options in their own neighborhood. Because of the high demand for self-storage units, storage facilities charge arbitrarily high prices, often accompanied by rigid rental agreements. Neiybor is changing this.”

So far Neiybor has been able to assist students find affordable storage so they can return home for the summer, newlyweds protect their belongings as they transition from apartments, and whole families as they remodel or move house. They are dedicated to providing a simple, safe and secure alternative to traditional storage facilities that don’t break the bank for families.

The goal is to provide affordable, safe storage for all while making a positive impact on the community.