So it's May, time to go home. And the only luggage allowed on the flight is a duffel bag.

For little more than $100, everything that does not fit in the duffel bag can be securely stored for the summer.

This sounds tempting, but storage managers caution that many students are unaware of the responsibility involved in renting a storage space.

"A lot of kids go in with other kids to save money, but they should make sure they know who they will share a unit with," said Rick Toumey, manager for American Self Storage at 510 W. Limberlost Drive.

If three students rent together and one is late with a payment, all three students will be penalized, perhaps by losing their possessions, said Norma Smith, manager for A-Alvernon Mini-Storage at 1625 S. Alvernon Way.

Smith said, "One person should be responsible for the rent, it just cuts down on miscommunication." If rent is not paid, storage businesses have a legal right to sell everything in the unit, Smith said.

Possessions of all types are stowed at mini storages, from blenders to waterbeds to a favorite stuffed animal.

Mandee Eckersley, psychology junior, rented a 10-by-10-foot unit last summer with seven friends.

"We had so much junk piled into that thing. It was amazing," she said.

Andrew Rogers, junior in deaf studies, said his father had an unpleasant experience when he rented a unit from a storage facility to store some boxes.

"When he came back there were these huge rats crawling around the place and there were dead ones in the boxes. There were spider webs and bugs all over the place. It was kind of frightening."

The storage facility, which is in Tucson, was notified and has since taken care of the problem, Rogers said.

One thing students say is a drawback about rental is the price.

"I thought it was a little expensive for what we got - we paid $100 each for the summer. It was a pretty good size, but the price was a little outrageous," said Carolyn Licker, biology sophomore.

The most popular rentals are 5-by-10-foot units, which can cost $35 to $45 a month.

By paying for the entire summer at once, people who are sharing can avoid confusion, Toumey said.

"If people prepay their lease in advance, we tack on a few weeks at the end of the deal so that they have extra time," said Bruce McDaniel, vice president of operations for National Self Storage, which has 11 locations in Tucson.

"National Self Storage was very nice. They accommodated us very well. Our contract was up and they gave us a few extra days to move out," said Justin Weigold, physiology sophomore.

Storage facilities in Tucson expect students looking for units around the first of May. However, rental managers recommend that students reserve or rent units as soon as possible.

"I usually run out of rentals but take reservations if I have a supply and it's not too far ahead," Smith said.

Students looking for storage should also consider whether they want to rent a climate-controlled unit.

Tucson's summer temperatures can pose a threat to sensitive electronic equipment, which means that if you store your compact discs in a non-climate-controlled unit, you may come back to a mush of melted plastic.

"We have a swamp cooler

through the summer which keeps our units pretty cool, and our units are dust free. Temperatures in an uncontrolled climate can reach up to 200 degrees," said Toumey of American Self Storage, which offers climate control.

But Smith, of A-Alvernon Mini-Storage, said, "It's cold in the winter and warm in the summer - that's as climate controlled as we get."

Weigold, who rented a non-climate-controlled unit, said, "They warned us in advance that they couldn't be liable if anything was damaged by the heat. We put electric stuff in at our own risk and figured it was going to be in the shade anyway."

Weigold stored his television and stereo without damage.

Insurance is offered in case of theft or damage.

"We always make insurance available to the renters, but actual occurrences when they need it are very rare," McDaniel said.

Smith said that she enjoys working with college students and find they are courteous and responsible with payments.

"I try to work with the renters to make sure they don't lose their possessions from the legal action we take if they don't pay," she said.

She said she has never had to take legal action against a college student.

"I try to treat each one like my child," Smith said.