Tenant Storage Done Right: A Building Owner’s Guide to Saris Stowaway Lockers

Every multifamily project reaches the same quiet moment. The units are laid out, the amenity spaces are spoken for, and then someone looks at the leftover square footage in the basement, the parking level, or the corner off the bike room and asks the obvious question: what do we do with this space?

For a long time the default answer was “nothing” — or a few plywood cages thrown up as an afterthought. But residents have changed. They arrive with seasonal gear, luggage, sports equipment, holiday bins, and the overflow that never quite fits in a modern apartment. Give them a secure place to put it, and you solve a daily frustration. Ignore it, and that same overflow ends up in hallways, on balconies, and eventually in a complaint to the property manager.

That’s the gap Stowaway Lockers are built to close. They’re the new Saris Infrastructure tenant storage line, and they turn underused square footage into organized, secure, rentable storage that residents actually want.

What are tenant storage lockers?

Tenant storage lockers are secure, individual storage compartments installed in the common areas of a residential or mixed-use building — typically a basement, parking garage, or dedicated storage room — that give each resident a lockable space for belongings they can’t keep in their unit. In multifamily buildings they can serve two roles at once: a welcome amenity for residents, and a potential source of recurring rental income for owners. Saris’ Stowaway Lockers provide a new option for this space, engineered for security, visibility, and fast installation.

Meet the Stowaway Locker

Stowaway Lockers are built from 10-gauge welded wire mesh with tight 2″ x 2″ openings, framed in 1.25″ x 1.25″ angle iron with welded joints. The result is a storage locker that feels solid and permanent without the drawbacks of a solid-wall unit.

Every frame ships with integrated threaded nuts in the frame, so assembly and installation are quick and predictable in the field. Frames include anchoring points for wall or floor mounting, come standard in a black powder coat finish, and include a padlock hasp on every door so residents can secure their space with their own lock. They’re made in the USA and backed by a 1-year warranty.

Why wire mesh beats solid lockers

The mesh construction isn’t a cost-cutting choice — it’s a design advantage, and it’s the reason wire lockers have become the standard for modern storage rooms:

• Security you can see through. Open mesh means residents and staff can see what’s inside a locker at a glance, which deters theft and makes it obvious when something’s amiss. Belongings stay visible, not hidden behind a solid door.
• Airflow, light, and fire-code friendliness. Because the panels are open, they don’t block airflow, light, or the coverage of overhead sprinkler and fire-suppression systems the way solid enclosures can. That’s a meaningful advantage in storage rooms where code compliance matters — always confirm requirements with your local authority having jurisdiction.
• Durability without bulk. Welded 10-gauge steel stands up to daily resident use and the occasional bump from a cart or bike, while the powder-coat finish resists corrosion in below-grade and garage environments.

Specifications and configurations

Stowaway Lockers are modular, which is what makes them adapt to real rooms instead of forcing the room to adapt to them.

Spec	Detail
Mesh	10-gauge welded wire, 2″ x 2″ openings
Frame	1.25″ x 1.25″ angle iron, welded
Panel widths & depths	36″, 48″, and 60″ (mix and match)
Standard height	90″
Finish	Black powder coat
Locking	Padlock hasp included on every door
Mounting	Anchoring points for wall or floor
Anchors	Concrete wall/floor anchor #28879 (sold separately)
Origin	Made in the USA
Warranty	1 year

Because the panels come in 36″, 48″, and 60″ widths and depths, you can build lockers in a range of footprints and line them up to match the space you have — long single runs along a wall, back-to-back rows down the middle of a room, or a compact cluster in a leftover corner. The modular approach also lets installers work around obstructions like columns, ducts, conduit, and plumbing without redesigning the whole layout.

How tenant storage pays for itself

For owners and developers, tenant storage is one of the few amenities that generates revenue rather than just costs. Storage lockers can be rented to residents on a monthly basis, and in many buildings the rental income recovers the installed cost within the first year or two — after which the space keeps earning.

There’s a retention story too. Limited storage is one of the most common reasons residents outgrow an apartment and move on. On-site storage removes that pressure, and in a competitive leasing market, a well-run storage program is a concrete reason for a prospective resident to choose your building over the one down the street.

Designing the storage room

A great storage room follows the same principles as a great bike room: efficient use of floor area, easy day-to-day access, and durable, secure construction. A few things worth planning for early:

• Aisle space. Leave enough clearance for residents to open a full-height locker door and move items in and out comfortably, especially near the ends of long runs.
• Layout to the space. Use the mix of 36″, 48″, and 60″ panels to fill the room efficiently rather than leaving awkward gaps.
• Access and lighting. Position lockers so the open mesh takes advantage of existing lighting, and keep high-traffic paths clear.

If you’d rather not solve this on a blank floor plan, the Saris team offers complimentary layout and design support — space planning, code-compliance guidance, and specification assistance — for tenant storage and bike rooms alike.

Pairing tenant storage with a bike room

Tenant storage and bike storage almost always end up in the same conversation, because they compete for the same square footage and serve the same residents. Planning them together is how you get the most out of a level.

If you’re outfitting a bike room alongside your storage lockers, the same modular, space-first thinking applies. The Stretch Rack delivers the highest-density parking of any indoor option; the Stack Rack adds lift-assist for easy upper-tier loading; the Vertical Bike Rack turns wall space into parking; and the Bike Trac is purpose-built for the leftover wall geometry that storage rooms tend to have. You can browse the full range on the bike parking and storage collection.

For deeper planning help, our Bike Room Design Guide for multifamily buildings and the Bike Trac designer’s guide both cover layout and space-efficiency strategies that carry straight over to storage rooms. CAD files, spec sheets, and other documentation are available in the Documents & Design Files library.

Getting started

Adding tenant storage doesn’t have to be complicated. Tell us the room dimensions and how many lockers you’re targeting, and our team will come back with layout options and a specification you can build from.

• Request a quote when you’re ready to price a configuration.
• Talk to our team to walk through a floor plan together.

Give your residents a place for everything — and turn leftover square footage into one of your building’s most reliable amenities.

Frequently asked questions

What are Stowaway Lockers made of?

Stowaway Lockers are built from 10-gauge welded wire mesh with 2″ x 2″ openings, framed in welded 1.25″ x 1.25″ angle iron, and finished in a black powder coat. They’re made in the USA and carry a 1-year warranty.

What sizes do tenant storage lockers come in?

Stowaway panels come in 36″, 48″, and 60″ widths and depths, with a standard height of 90″. Because the system is modular, you can combine panel sizes to build lockers that fit your room.

Are wire mesh lockers secure?

Yes. Each door includes a padlock hasp so residents can secure their locker with their own padlock, and the welded 10-gauge steel construction resists tampering. The open mesh design also improves security by keeping stored items visible, which deters theft.

Why choose wire mesh instead of solid lockers?

Wire mesh keeps belongings visible, allows airflow and light, and doesn’t obstruct overhead sprinkler and fire-suppression coverage the way solid enclosures can — all while providing durable, lockable storage. Confirm specific fire-code requirements with your local authority having jurisdiction.

How are Stowaway Lockers installed?

Frames include integrated threaded nuts for quick assembly and anchoring points for wall or floor mounting. For concrete walls or floors, use anchor #28879 (sold separately). Saris offers free layout and design support to plan your installation.

Can tenant storage lockers generate revenue?

Yes. Building owners commonly rent lockers to residents on a monthly basis. The rental income often recovers the installed cost within the first year or two, and on-site storage also supports resident retention.

Can I combine tenant storage with a bike room?

Absolutely — they’re frequently planned together. Saris offers both tenant storage and a full range of indoor bike storage, and the team can design a combined layout. Request complimentary design support to get started.