I would add ask about pest control. I've stored my items a couple of times and the companies that I used all had inspections once a month and/or some sort of building wide pest prevention program.

Find out the hours it's easily open as well. So many places are 24 hours a day, but occasionally some are not! I had a friend who was locked in a storage facility because the employee didn't see her when he left, and she had to get police help to get out because the storage company was impossible to reach on the phone after hours.

It's also a sketchy business to begin with. A friend (yes, really a friend, not me) moved into a studio apartment while waiting for a condo to be finished by a builder and put the things he couldn't fit into the studio into storage. He had the payments set up automatically through his debit card. When that card expired and he was issued a new one, the auto payments were stopped and all of his possessions were sold off. After 2 missed payments. Granted, it was technically his fault, but they didn't notify him when his payments were stopped. That story, as well as that truly awful and exploitative cable TV program about people bidding on storage unit contents, makes me really dislike the whole industry.
I'm surprised given the usual tenor of this site that the first question you asked wasn't Do I need the things I am putting in storage? The other caveat, obviously, is to be extremely careful about how the payments are being made. My friend lost, among other things, his comic book collection, a canoe, an aquarium, and a car. Yes, a car.
Sorry for the rant but the self-storage business is in the same category as used car lots, pawn shops and payday loan companies. They make most of their money off of either people in unfortunate circumstances or people who have things they just really don't need. Not to mention they're a blight on any landscape.

I moved to a place on the coast and rented a small storage unit inland. Since I was only intending to keep it a few months, I went with the cheapest, an outdoor unit. After only a few weeks, I discovered that water had somehow gotten into the unit, resulting in mildew damage. The only remedy I got from the storage company was a refund of one month's rent.

Years ago, my father rented a outdoor storage unit for stuff that didn't fit in our family-of-four-in-a-two-bedroom apartment. We had closet space for the clothes on our backs, and everything else went into storage: photo albums, cherished baby clothes, furniture my brother and I would eventually inherit, you name it. He paid $35 a month for YEARS. When I got my own place after college, we went in to clean it out so I could outfit my new pad. Mice had eaten through everything, there were nests in the loveseat, there were feces in everything. My mom was devastated. My dad paid all that money only to throw everything out.

I've had a problem with moisture in non-climate controlled storage units as well. I stuffed a full apartment's worth of furniture and stuff into a storage unit one summer between college semesters. Tropical Storm Allison came through and sat on my city, about 1/4 of a inch of water seeped into the unit and ruined several boxes of boxes and nearly destroyed a couch (Oxyclean to the rescue). I used climate controlled storage every summer in college after that without issues, although paid a bit more.

We used storage units twice while moving. Most recently when we stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment between selling our old house and waiting for the completion of the house we were having built. An advantage for those in a similar situation is free use of a moving truck at both ends of the rental period. (Sort of like getting at least one month free, when compared to U-Haul, plus more convenient.)

I do agree to only store things you expect to need in the next few months, and which would cost more to replace than the rental. But don't store treasures, either. (If you must, store them with family or friends, and use a rental unit only as a last resort.)

I actually don't have an issue with storage units selling off the belongings left in them, although I do think they owe the renter notification first. People do die, divorce, or leave town and default on the rentals, and rental is how the owners make a living. They can't be expected to just keep the stuff around in case the owner finally makes an appearance, any more than a landlord could. But, as I said, they owe the renter advance notice, ideally a phone call AND a letter.

My parents had mice eat through their headboard while in storage in AZ, and my cousin had stuff flooded in storage in MN; she moved it to a barn on the family farm where the critters finished it off so she's going to be starting over in a lot of ways now that she's back in a house. We've used storage, but only for 9 months, and were lucky to not have problems. Better to get rid of stuff than pay to store it, is my belief now.

I had a horrendous experience once. I was out of the country and unreachable for four months. I paid in advance and left a new contact address and phone number just before I left. Somehow they managed to: 1) think for some reason that I owed them money when I didn't; and 2) fail to update my contact information. It was only by sheer accident that I found out they were trying to reach me at the wrong address. Then, when I tried to stop them from selling my things, they would not admit that I paid them even though I sent them copies of my receipt three different times. Whenever I called I reached the same person who would hang up on me. It was a nightmare. I almost lost everything I owned in the world.

I don't know if there's a lesson in this or not - it was probably just my misfortune to be dealing with a lunatic. But I would think long and hard about where to store anything that I cared about.

My best advice is to figure out the cost of the unit for the duration you will have it. If your contents are less than the cost of the price to store it, you should find a more economical way to store stuff. It might make you think twice.

Time of year is also important. My husband and I wanted to downgrade to smaller unit thinking it would be cheaper, but no. The smaller one was more expensive because 1) it was a more desirable size and 2) it was the end of May....when college kids are looking to store their stuff over the summer between apartments. And we live in San Francisco, which is NOT a college town. So they change the prices based on supply and demand. So I would get quotes on a few sizes that could work, it may surprise you.

If you don't even need climate control for your storage, does the stuff actually need to be stored? Is it that valuable? All you have to do is look at Craigslist to see how generally worthless storage units are. People store things they think they want to keep, promptly forget about them for years, then decide to sell the items for pennies on Craigslist.

One of my best friends moved across the country, but had very recently purchased a mattress set. So she decided to store the mattress. So she stored a stupid mattress for two years. That's the dumbest waste of money I've ever heard.

The ONLY way I'd think my stuff is worth storing versus selling is (a) if it's an heirloom I absolutely cannot squeeze into my current abode, which would be pretty unlikely (b) if I'm moving temporarily out of the state or country but plan to return.

If you're a student and live in a college town (hello, College Station, Texas), some apartments will let you store stuff in the apartment over the summer for a reduced rate, since they probably won't be able to lease the apartment anyway.

I have to agree with a lot of what has been said. I actually worked for a storage unit company for a few months.

Rules and policies vary by company. Be sure you actually READ your rental agreement, and any other rules/policies/papers they give you/have you sign. Insist on copies of everything you've read and signed, and get a receipt for each payment - don't just rely on your check. Everyone makes mistakes occasionally, which is more often the case than dishonesty.

You can purchase an insurance policy from the storage company, or extend your homeowners insurance to cover the items. I don't know if you can extend your renters insurance. The storage company should tell you right up front that they are not responsible for loss or damage of your items, if you're using a "you store it and lock it" facility. I don't know the policies for places that move and store for you (example: PODS)

A number of people lived out of the area, and we had notes on some who wished to have a receipt mailed to them after we processed their payment. I even had people who were local that mailed their payment and wanted a receipt mailed back.

Each contract had the name, mailing address and phone number(s) of the person renting, and we requested an alternate name and phone number. At the place I worked, if we had not received payment by the end of day on the 1st of the month, that person was locked out of the facility until they came in and paid. A very large part of my day was spent calling people - sometimes the same person day after day - to "remind" them that their payment was due. A note was made on their account of who I spoke to, and what I was told, or whether I left a message, or the phone just rang, or I had gotten a disconnect message. After a week or so of not speaking to the renter, I started calling the alternate, asking them to have the renter call. Notices were mailed to the address on file; the third and all subsequent notices were "return receipt requested". We did make every effort possible to contact the renter before putting the notice of auction in the newspaper.

They had one auction while I was there, and it was heartbreaking to see some of the things that got auctioned off; when we opened some of the units, I could see baby items, boxes labeled "photo albums", etc - stuff that someone had cherished at some point.

There are a lot of reasons someone might need to store their things - just be sure you have a good reason, and take some common sense precautions.

First and foremost, consider that if you need a storage unit then you most likely have too much stuff. Let it go!!!!

If you can just let go, my recommendation is to ALWAYS to get a "second floor" unit. Years ago, my storage unit (along with others) was flooded during a bad rain storm. The company didn't call customers until the water receeded and they had "cleaned up" any trace of remaining water/debris. I didn't lose too much but it was still a very stressful time.

I understand all the helpful comments about not storing things you don't really need in the first place, but sometimes there truly is a need for rented storage. My husband and I sold our house 3 months ago and moved in with our in-laws while we search for a new one. The majority of our furniture and house 'stuff' was put into a climate controlled storage unit and thankfully my in-laws let us take over their basement to store the really precious stuff (china, crystal, photos, etc).

We check on our unit regularly and thankfully no problems, so far. We were also able to purchase insurance for the unit thru the rental company since we no longer carry homeowner's insurance. We opted for the maximum coverage amount and in addition to the extra cost of the climate control, it's not cheap, but it gives us some peace of mind.

I've used several storage companies in the NYC area and all have been completely fine, pleasant and up-front to deal with. One was climate-controlled and one was not, but my stuff was equally safe in both. One required you to buy insurance FROM THEM on top of the monthly fee; one did not, and let you take your chances and go uninsured if you wanted.

Everything that I put in there between moves and rental apartments was much appreciated when I got it out--sometimes life happens and you need to have less stuff for a while, but that doesn't mean you no longer want those books from your childhood or furniture you couldn't afford to replace.

I quite enjoyed the friendly staff and chocolate chip cookies at Lockaway Self Storage near the Brooklyn navy yards. They'll also let you use their moving truck for free/a reduced rate if you're moving stuff in for the first time, so inquire about truck availability.

I stored a lot of things from my parents' house after they passed away and I put a big tub of the damp-rid crystals in there also which really helped and checked on it every month or so for the 6 months they were there. Also plan that the storage unit, if outside, will get very dirty and dusty so cover anything well if you need to.

Honestly, after having a storage unit for a couch, table, and some chairs, I have to say: Just sell the stuff. at $50 a month, I had it for 7 months. $350 gone, and I ended up selling the furniture anyways, for a LOT less than that.

My family rented a storage unit for several years when we lived in Montana. We used it for things like Dad's larger tools, seasonal items (Mom worked at a holiday lighting company, so we had lots of decorations), hobby supplies that they didn't have the time/energy/space for back then, and some heirloom items that just wouldn't be safe in a house with rambunctious dogs, cats, and a kid. We never had any major problems that I can recall with our unit (no climate control, and checked on every few months). I think we had one mini-flood after a big storm where water seeped in, but we'd taken precautions so nothing was ruined.

Here are my tips: Get everything that can be water-damaged off the floor. Plastic bins are your friend, even if they don't stack as neatly as cardboard boxes. If you can't go entirely plastic, make a bottom layer with the bins and stack your cardboard on top. For furniture or tools, put some blocks or 2x4s or similar under them to get them off the ground. If you're worried about roof leaks or roof-damaging storms, throw a couple of tarps over the top of your things. If bugs are an issue in your area, consider putting mothballs (I know, they stink) or other bug-repellants in your boxes. If you live in extreme heat or cold areas, be careful with pressurized cans and liquid-filled items - either isolate them in their own (waterproof) box, or if they're replaceable get rid of them and remove the risk entirely. Put irreplaceable and bug-damageable items - photos come to mind - in good zip-lock bags before boxing. And make sure you put heavy items down low and lighter items on top, unless the lighter items are in very sturdy boxes.

Before renting make sure you know the floor plans. We just had a flood in our storage space (due to fire lit by candle while someone was living in their unit!) which was center of floor... no drainage! so much damage... our second space was spared... but had we known about the details and the fact that (1) as mentioned above although we had insurance... once the flood occurred they wouldn't pay up. (2) the fact that there was a sprinkler system, and no drains... we would have possibly looked else where. BUT we still need our storage!!! so just make sure you find out all the details before signing.... accidents happen... and so did this one.

There are only two times I can think of that renting a storage place is worthwhile.

1) You are temporarily moving far away and will be back and need your things.
2) You are having issues selling large expensive items and need to store them in the mean time.

Otherwise it is just a waste of money and effort. If you don't need it where you live, you probably don't need it!

Huh... I find myself potentially needing to store things for a month or so due to not having overlapping leases between apartments... I suppose I'll just go with uhaul and be sure to get someplace heated and not on the ground floor. Perhaps I will even hire a "man with a van" to assist. Cheaper than overlapping leases, at least!

I agree with what other posters have said about thinking long and hard about what you really need to keep before deciding to get a storage space, but we fall squarely in the category of needing a storage unit. We live in a small condo with limited storage so we rent a small storage space a few blocks away where we keep things like camping gear (that we actually use), our vintage Christmas tree, suitcases, spare paint and flooring tiles from our DIY projects around the house, and my bike which doesn't fit in our bike room. I like to keep our condo neat and clutter-free, and there is just no storage for these things in our unit. We love the flexibility of our "extra closet".

When I rented a storage space, it was with a chain, and I was required to give an emergency contact-name and number. The person whose info I gave was notified when I was late with a payment. So you know it works if there is a threat of contents being sold off.

Also, I had been warned by a coworker about how thieves will rent a space next to yours and break in through the drywall to get into your space and steal everything. But it never happened at my place.

So I guess you just have to be careful who you rent with.

We used a storage space as an interim holding area while we were looking for a house after moving cross country; we used the space for two months, it was clean and dry and worked out well. I would strongly suggest not thinking about this kind of space as something long term and/or permanent; chances are the stuff you want to store is not really worth the price and it just encourages you to keep stuff you really need to let go. FWIW.

Used a storage space on a high floor climate controlled for all my possesions except my clothes when I first moved to Chicago. I was living with my bf and looking for a place. The first month was free, and I found a great apartment the next month.
My big "uh-oh" moment was when I moved the stuff in there. The clearance said 12'6" but the 12 foot truck the movers arrived in would NOT fit, so we parked on the street and ran the stuff all the way through the parking lot to the entrance. No fun.

I think one important thing to consider (and the moral of many of the stories here) is that you shouldn't just put your stuff in a storage unit and leave it there without checking on it regularly. Just as I check the stored stuff in my garage every month or so to make sure there are no leaks, mildew, pests, you should check in on stuff in a storage unit. That said, the storage units I've used have been way better than garages or basements in terms of climate control and pests.

When we bought our first condo it was smaller than what we'd been renting. We used a storage unit nearby to keep stuff like ski equipment snowshoes in the offseason and to keep a few things we were saving until we got a bigger place. The space was tiny, accessible by ladder and not that expensive. For the three years we had it, I cost maybe $750 dollars total. Even though yes, there was the odd box of stuff we didn't ultimately keep, it was definitely financially worthwhile. I guess that goes to the point of rent no more space than you need.

In this technical day and age, it is a known fact that the plastic we use for monetary transactions have expiration dates. While the "landlord" should have had a way to contact the renter, it always falls to the person whose card it is to notify and update accounts where it is used. Do your homework and make sure you are using a reputable firm with happy customers. That having been said, there are several things in the article and the posts here that make a lot of sense in the buyer beware category. In addition, there are many times where renting storage space just makes sense. For businesses who keep records in hard-copy for years; for off-site storage of important records, electronic or otherwise; for extra furniture or belongings that need to be kept in a controlled environment, or for a short period of time. In my experience, family and friends do not generally like being imposed upon to store someone else's stuff (yes, even yours) for any length of time. I was impressed with the offerings for self storage in Minneapolis when I was looking for space. Just look for a place that meets your needs, not just the cheapest thing out there.

I rented a storage unit and only had it for a few months while living on the Coast of North Carolina. During that time, I have my belongings stored in Kernersville, NC. When I went to retrieve them after just a few months, I found that my mattress was ruined. You could tell that something had leaked from the unit next to mine. The Access Self Storage manager named George was rude to me and would not even come and look at first. He tried to come up with every scenerio other than anything close to reality. All of his therories seemed to make it my fault. Finally, the people in the next storage unit took the manager in and admitted something had leaked and they cleaned it up but did not realize that it leaked into my unit. The facility manager George never apologized to me for basically calling me stupid and telling me if I used my brain I could figure it out. Well, I guess he is the one with on common sense and cannot use his brain. He even said the floor was uneven and you could tell it had to have come from my side. I had them use a leven and guess what? The floor was level. I have no idea how to get the information of the people who ruined my expensive mattress and will now have to turn to an attorney. I will never use a self storage facility again.. Thank you for listening.

My Husband and I rented a storage space for over a year in Rhode Island. Two weeks before we were going take everything out there was a break in- some boys broke into about a dozen units after watching too much storage wars on TV. Luckily I had taken pictures of the items we had stored in the unit, and that helped us to recover the items from the police. Also, buy the more expensive big round padlock- that is harder to break. I agree with the other posters to visit the unit frequently to check on things, and make sure the office has your contact info.