People rent storage unit if they want to store inherited property afte death (9%), store a relative’s property whose housing situation was disrupted (11%), or for/due to a natural disaster (3%). The average storage unit renter is on the young side (28% are Millennial), married and college-educated. They mostly store things in the unit of the self storage providers that they don’t have room for at their house.
In 2012, there were 2,741 complaints logged by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) against storage companies in the combined categories of moving and storage companies, portable storage and storage units, and storage referrals which is not high compared to the million population.
Most of the complaints where how the belongings have been contaminated by rodent droppings or damaged from water or mold. Some stated that unexpected charges or difficulty getting in touch with a storage operator was the reason of the complaint.
While storing the things it is necessary to remember that the self-storage industry is largely unregulated on a federal and state level so it makes no sense leaving anything that’s irreplaceable in a storage unit. And get everything in writing including the payment terms, insurance (if any), options such as climate-control, access and rules about termination.
It is important to make a list of all the items to be stored. Best is to take pictures of all the possessions, especially those which one values. Serial numbers, the date of purchase, and other relevant information can be included in this list.
The other thing to always do is get the things insured. If one has a full coverage insurance policy already then one needs to make sure that the coverage also covers the items in the “off-premises”. Renters insurance covering property in a storage unit is the best bet.