U-Haul offering help to college students told to go home due to coronavirus concerns

Devoun Cetoute
·2 min read

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As the novel coronavirus forces colleges and universities to move classes online, close campuses and extend spring break, students fear being homeless or not having a place for all their things if they move back home.

U-Haul, the moving and storage company, is hoping to lift some of those coronavirus fears off students by offering 30 days of free self-storage to people forced off campus.

All public universities in Florida were directed to move to in-person classes to online versions immediately. Students from universities that have already returned from spring break are being told to return home for at least two weeks. Universities on spring break or going on spring break are ordered to tell students not to return to campus for at least two weeks following the end of spring break.

U-Haul locations in Miami-Dade confirmed the promotion and said that college IDs aren’t required, but still suggested. Students would still have to buy a lock and insure the storage unit as is customary when renting from the company. The rental would begin on the day a contract is signed and the promotion, at the moment, doesn’t have a set end date. It would likely end once COVID-19 cases fall.

U-Haul storage centers, not private dealers, will be offering the service, U-Haul’s customer service told the Miami Herald.

In an email one U-Haul customer received, the company said, “Many colleges and universities are taking precautions to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) by temporarily closing campus or ending terms early and sending students home. .... We are standing by and ready to help.”

In addition to free self-storage, U-Haul is also offering several special rates for truck and trailer rentals. The minimum age to rent a truck is 18 with a valid driver’s license.

There may be limited availability, so U-Haul encourages students to act quickly. Visit U-Haul’s website to find a nearby location.