The contract which you sign when you rent a storage unit is designed to protect both the operator and the tenant. Many storage facilities use a state association contract that is balanced and created to be fair to both tenant and operator. It is still important for you to read the contract.

There are two important concepts that you should understand about your self storage contract. First, when you put items in storage and you put a lock on it and you have the only key, it becomes your responsibility. In legal terms, you have care, custody, and control and the storage facility does not. The second key concept is about what happens when a tenant does not pay his or her rent. If a storage facility had no way to handle abandoned units, they eventually would have fewer and fewer units to rent and would go out of business. State laws have provided very specific guidelines for selling abandoned items, usually at a public auction. Each state’s laws are different, but there are always significant ways that the storage operator must attempt to notify the tenant before the unit goes to auction.

Other important clauses in the contract include how many days of grace you have before you’re charged a late fee, how much the late fee will be and any lockout or over lock fees you might be charged. If there is a deposit, or if rent is prorated when you move out, find out exactly what you have to do in order to get your money back. Usually this involves notification and cleaning out the unit. Most self storage contracts are month to month but be certain that is what you are agreeing to. As with any contract, be aware that anything in writing usually supersedes anything that the manager has told you verbally. Now for a legal note of our own. We are not attorneys. The forgoing discussion of self storage contracts is intended to be a general discussion and is not intended to be legal advise.

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Self Storage Tips offers you a lot of tips on how to pack for storage or for long distance moving.   Site Contents gives you an overview of the site and a quick summary of each page.