Congratulations! You’ve deciding to store your items in a self storage unit. One thing you may not know are the many dos and don’ts of storing. We have come up with this quick reference of self storage tips to help protect your items, the tenants in the neighboring units, and the whole storage property.
The Dos and Don’ts of Self Storage
Do: Get a Great Lock
When storing your items, you want to make sure you know what the property allows you to store. For instance, we recommend that you use a strong, sturdy lock for your unit, such as a disc lock. Your lock should be one that can withstand rain, ice, sun, and heat over a long period of time. You want one that bolt cutters cannot cut through. Disc locks were designed specifically for the storage industry, meaning they stand the test of time and will not rust, and cannot be cut with bolt cutters like a standard padlock or combination lock. By using the recommended disc lock, it helps bring more protection to your storage unit.
Do: ALWAYS Use Your Gate Code
We give every tenant an individualized gate access code to use when entering and exiting the property. This is to protect you. If we ever need to look back at the video in the instance when something nefarious happens on the property, we can easily see in our gate access logs who was on the premises during that time. We can see what time they entered and what time they left. With our properties being fully fenced with the electronic gate, you can only gain access by having a code, which keeps out anyone who shouldn’t be on the property
Don’t: Speed
When driving on the property, pay attention to other tenants on the grounds. Do not speed, and obey our 5 MPH speed limit at all times. If you see anything questionable happening, be sure to notify the property manager immediately. If there is an emergency, simply call 911 for emergency services. This is a big “don’t” on this list of Do’s and Don’ts of Self Storage.
Don’t: Leave Children Unsupervised
Don’t let your children run around the property while you’re in your storage unit. A vehicle may make a turn down an aisle around a corner and not see the child if they are playing in the drive aisle. We don’t want anything bad happening such as someone being hit by a car on the property. You also want to make sure your children are not being loud and disruptive to other customers, or in their way.
Don’t: Store Anything Flammable or Explosive
Please do not store flammable items, firearms, or explosives in your storage unit. Doing so is in violation of your rental agreement, and is also potentially very dangerous. This poses a risk to you, your items, other customers, the building, and the entire property. It is also against our policies to store anything illegal, such as drugs. In these cases, the police will be called and it becomes a legal matter out of our control.
Don’t: Store Perishables
You are also not permitted to store anything perishable, such as food or pet food. While you may think it’s ok since you only plan to store it for a short period, creatures have a great sense of smell and will squeeze in to get that food that you have stored. And then they will keep coming back looking for more – even after you have removed it. We take extra measures to protect our property from unwanted pests with regular treatments from professional vendors, but we need your help by following this rule to keep those efforts effective. This is a big “don’t” on this list of Do’s and Don’ts of Self Storage.
Do: Keep Contact Info Up To Date
Always make sure the property manager has your updated contact information. Once you sign the rental agreement, you might move or change your phone number, and not think how important it is to update your storage company. If we need to get in touch with you for any reason, we need your current contact details. There is correspondence, sometimes related to legal situations such as theft on the property or if your auction has gone into the lien status, that we send out via mail and email, and oftentimes also call you in regards to. If we do not have your correct information, we cannot notify you of important issues such as these. You also want to make sure we have a reliable alternate contact on file in case we cannot reach you.
Recap: Do’s and Don’ts of Self Storage
There are many more self storage tips that need to be considered. If you are unsure of what is permitted in your storage unit and what is not allowed, simply talk with your property manager and ask questions. Our team is a great resource with a lot of knowledge within the storage industry that you can take advantage of at any time. And if you are ready to maximize your space at home and start using storage, you can rent a storage unit online 24/7 and get moving.
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Originally posted 11/28/19; Updated 8/4/21