There are so many ways to use a storage unit, whether it be clearing your home of clutter, freeing up space in your business or keeping your belongings safe and secure between university or college semesters. However, with so many great ways to use a storage unit, there are also a few ways that you shouldn’t be using the space.
Living In
Although the cost of living continues to skyrocket, especially in bigger cities, living in a self storage unit really isn’t an option you should consider. Although cost effective in theory, living in self storage unit does not provide you with access to essential amenities such as electricity, running water, toilets, showers, washing machines and refrigerators, could pose a serious risk to your safety in the event of a fire, and also contravenes most self storage contracts. Although it is perfectly fine to spend time in your storage unit, you certainly shouldn’t make it your primary place of residence.
Keeping Pets
If you find that you can no longer keep your pets at home, whether it be due to a lack of space or changes to your tenancy agreement, a self storage unit shouldn’t be used as a temporary, or long term, pet housing solution. Any pet food or waste contained within the unit may attract pests, posing a risk to the belongings stored by other tenants, while intentionally keeping an animal within a storage unit, much like choosing to live in a storage unit, would go against the contract signed when you moved in.
Operating a Business with Large Numbers of Visiting Customers
One of the great ways a self storage unit can be used is as a place to store business records, excess stock and furniture, and other odds and ends that your business may have. If you are using a storage unit for business purposes, it’s understandable that you may need to visit your unit with colleagues or clients from time to time. However, basing your business within a storage unit and inviting streams of customers each and every day isn’t ideal. With more people accessing the facility, it becomes less secure and the risk of theft increases.
Storing Dangerous Items
As a general rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t keep an item in your own home with complete peace of mind, you probably shouldn’t keep it in a storage unit. Not only can dangerous items pose a risk to you, but they can also place the belongings of others who use the storage facility in harm’s way. While items such as firearms and other weapons may be a clear no-no, some items that you might not consider harmful, such as petrol, paint and other flammable substances, should also not be stored.
Holding Anything Illegal
However they happen to come into your possession, illegal goods of any kind shouldn’t be kept in a self storage unit. Not only is it against the law to have items such as illicit drugs, unregistered firearms, stolen goods and other prohibited objects and substances in your possession, but it is also against your contract to keep them in a self storage unit. If you shouldn’t have it in your own home, you certainly shouldn’t be keeping it in a self storage unit.
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