Rent to Own.
No Traditional Credit Check.
Own a Wind & Water Tight container over 12, 24, 36, or 48 months through our rent-to-own shipping containers program, sometimes called lease to own or rent to buy. Fixed monthly payments, delivery included in your quote, and when the last payment clears the container is yours.
Four steps to a container on your property
Get your quote from Steel Box Direct
Tell us your size and delivery zip. You get one all-in delivered number, and you tell us you want the rent-to-own option. No obligation at this point.
Fill out the rent to own conex application
There's no traditional credit check, each application is reviewed by an independent program administrator (not by Steel Box Direct) and the final decision is theirs.
You get an answer either way
Every application gets a decision. Whether it's approved or not, we contact you with the outcome and your next step.
After approval, delivery
Once your application is approved, delivery works like any other order and we'll coordinate with you on delivery. Almost all deliveries take about two weeks, and we'll give you an honest window before you commit.
Four terms. One destination: you own it.
The shortest term: own the container in a year.
Two years: the middle path most buyers picture first.
Three years of smaller steps toward the same steel box.
The longest term the program offers, with the most room to spread out the payoff.
Every term · no traditional credit check · subject to third-party approval
What you put down to start
$99 applies to standard containers delivered within 150 miles of the depot your container ships from; 20% down beyond that.
My Container Rental, the independent third party that administers the program, sets that down payment on rent-to-own agreements from September 1, 2026 forward. It replaces the percentage down payment the program asked for before that date, so a quote you were given earlier may show the old figure.
The 150 miles is measured from the depot your container ships from, not from our office. Containers move out of depots all over the country, so being a long way from Ohio does not by itself put you in the higher tier. Give us your delivery ZIP and we will tell you which depot serves it.
Modified and specialty units, the side openers and the container offices, stay at 20% down whatever the distance. Steel Box Direct sells one thing, standard Wind & Water Tight containers, so nothing in our catalog sits in that tier.
Rent-to-own vs. buying outright vs. self-storage
| Compare | ProgramRent-to-own | PurchaseBuy outright | RentalMonthly self-storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership at the end | Yes: finish your term and the container is yours | Yes: yours on day one | No: you never own the unit |
| Upfront cost | Lowest to start, spread across your term | One payment up front | Low to start, but it never ends |
| Credit requirement | No traditional credit check, application reviewed by an independent third party | None: pay in full | Varies by facility |
| If you stop paying | You don't keep the container; your agreement with the independent program administrator sets the terms | Nothing to stop: you already own it | You move out and keep nothing |
| End state | A Wind & Water Tight container on your property, with the Lifetime Leak Warranty | Same container, same warranty, just paid all at once | An ongoing bill and an empty unit to hand back |
Deciding between renting and owning at all, rather than between two ways to own? The rent vs buy calculator totals a rental over the months you need it and shows what renting would have cost by then.
Rent-to-own, answered straight
What's the difference between renting and rent-to-own?
Steel Box Direct does not rent shipping containers. We sell them, and we offer rent-to-own, where a fixed term of payments ends with you owning the container. Renting is open ended: you pay every month for as long as you keep the container, and when you stop paying, it goes back on a truck and you keep nothing. Rent-to-own has a finish line built into it. Pick 12, 24, 36, or 48 months, complete the term, and the same Wind & Water Tight container with the same Lifetime Leak Warranty is yours. If your need has an end date on it, renting from somebody else may be the better fit, and we list the rental companies we could verify in this region.
Is approval guaranteed?
No. Approval decisions are made by an independent third party that administers the program and the final decision is theirs, independent of Steel Box Direct. There is no traditional credit check, but every application is reviewed, and we can't promise an outcome. What we can promise: we'll get your quote and your application in front of them fast, and keep you posted.
Who is the third party application administrator?
We currently use My Container Rental as the independent third party that administers the rent-to-own program. They review applications, make the approval decisions, and service the rent-to-own agreement. Steel Box Direct handles your quote and your delivery; My Container Rental handles the program itself.
Do my payments build toward ownership?
Yes, that's the point of rent-to-own, the same arrangement you'll also hear called lease to own or rent to buy. Complete your chosen term (12, 24, 36, or 48 months) and the container belongs to you. Unlike self-storage rent, the payments aren't money out the window; they're steps toward owning a steel asset that sits on your property.
What condition are rent-to-own containers?
The same single grade as every container we sell: Wind & Water Tight (used), which means structurally sound and weather-tight, with surface rust that's purely cosmetic. The Lifetime Leak Warranty applies to rent-to-own units just like purchased ones.
How fast is delivery on a rent-to-own container?
For rent-to-own, delivery is scheduled after your application is approved by the independent third party that administers the program. From there it works like any other order: almost all deliveries take about two weeks, and we'll give you an honest window before you commit. Then you'll hear from us at every step until it's on your property.
How much is the down payment on a rent-to-own shipping container?
As of September 1, 2026, My Container Rental sets the rent-to-own down payment at $99 on standard containers delivered within 150 miles of the depot the container ships from. Beyond that distance the down payment is 20%. Modified and specialty units also require 20%, though Steel Box Direct sells only standard containers. Rent-to-own is administered by an independent third party and remains subject to their approval.
Start the process
Get your quote and pick rent-to-own when you do.
Tell us your size and delivery zip and choose the rent-to-own option on the form. We'll get you an all-in delivered number, then point you to the application.