What Rights Do You Have When Renting a Storage Facility?

 

Apartments rarely have the space to store all your belongings hence why millions of people worldwide have storage lockers to house their stuff. A storage facility is a space you rent from a business to store your belongings.

When renting the unit, you will enter into a contractual agreement with the owner or manager of the facility. It is a simple transaction, but complexities do arise when there are disputes with the owner or about the contract, which makes it essential for you to know the rights you possess when renting a storage facility which includes:

 

Storage facility, green storage doors

 

Payments and Fees

The monthly payments for renting the storage facility should be clearly stipulated when you sign the contract. It should also state the acceptable methods of payment to ensure that you make payments on time. If you cannot pay the rent on time, you have the right to keep using the storage facility, but the owner also has a right to charge a late fee.

There will also be other fees, such as a lock-cut fee that applies when you lose your key or when the storage facility owner has to destroy a lock to gain access. No fee or payment outside the contract is legal, and you have the right to dispute it.

 

Use Of Space

The contract should also include details about how a renter can use their unit. Your right will cover all the uses that the agreement allows. The contract should also outline what will happen if you don't abide by the rules in the contract.

If you live in San Antonio, you should find a storage facility with pertinent regulations regarding the use of the storage space. There are plenty of San Antonio self-storage units, and you will definitely find one that suits your needs.

Typically, you can store personal belongings up to and including a vehicle in a storage facility, provided you have the space. Prohibited items usually include toxic or flammable materials such as garbage, nuclear waste or propane gas tanks, etc.

A storage facility may also limit the use of space-based on the value of the goods. It is your right to store items in the manner agreed upon in the contract. Otherwise, you may have to make better use of the space in your apartment since your agreement will be revoked.

 

Insurance

You should know that you have a right to have your belongings protected by insurance when renting a storage facility. Therefore, whenever you sign the contract for a storage facility, you should ensure that they have adequate insurance.

A storage facility should have various types of insurance, including fire insurance, theft insurance, and any other coverage protecting the storage units and their belongings.

In some cases, the facility owner may state that you must insure your belongings. You have the right to select whichever coverage you please in such a case. However, it may be easier to renovate your home and add more space since your home insurance would cover everything.

 

Sale of Belongings

The worst thing that can happen when you rent a storage facility is to have your property sold without your knowledge. Such an action can occur if you fail to pay the rent for 30 days without notice or for more extended periods. You do have the right to receive notification of the rent default and the possibility of selling your belongings. Even though the time may be due and the rent unpaid, you still have the right to take legal action if your property is sold without due notice. You also have the right to ask the owner for your property if you pay all the due rent plus late fees before the sale.

Renting a storage facility to keep your extra belongings may be a good idea, but there are intricacies involved in the process.

As you can see above, you do have rights, and the facility's owner should never force any action. However, you should know that a legal case can go either way, so be careful.