Self storage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Self storage facilities are businesses composed of real estate or personal property cargo transit containers divided into self storage spaces that are rented to rental space tenants on a monthly basis.
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[edit] Description
Self storage businesses rent a variety of rental space sizes to residential and business customer/tenants. The rental spaces are typically secured by the tenant's own lock and key. Facility operators do not have casual access to the contents of the space unlike a professional warehouseman. No bailment is created in self storage. A self storage operator never takes possession, care, custody or control of the contents of the storage rental space unless a lein is impossed as provided in self storage laws for non payment of rent. Self storage facility operators usually provide computer controlled access to rental space areas and many use security cameras.
[edit] Self storage today
Nearly 50,000 Self Storage Facilities have been developed in USA on industrial and commercial land parcels of 2-10 acres or as existing buildings converted to the self storage use. The facilities will have the term "self-storage" or the older term 'mini-storage" in the name and often use a catch words such as "lock," "key" "private" "public," etc. More recently, in many metropolitan cities where competition among storage companies is fierce, better parcels of land near residential and commercial areas are being converted into self-storage. Moving trucks and vans may be also be available for rent when the facility includes a truck rental franchise. A few storage facilities allow the use of a truck for free or even send a truck to your nearby home or business as a move-in promotion.
The storage units or rooms are typically windowless, walled with a corrugated metal, and lockable by the renter. Chain-link fencing or wire mesh may function as a more secure ceiling than a suspended ceiling. Units are different sized, from one half closets to enough space to store all the contents of multi-story house. Larger unit generally have roll up type garage doors. A controlled access facility may employ security guards, surveillance cameras, individual unit door alarms and some means of electronic gate access such a keypad, prox card. Some facilities even use biometric thumbprint or hand scanners to ensure that access is granted only to those that rent.
In rural areas most facilities contain multiple single story buildings with units that open to the outside. In suburban areas most facilities contain one or multiple 1-3 story buildings using passenger & freight elevators or a materials lift to move the goods to the upper floors. Ground floor unit access is still direct to the outside. Urban areas self storage facilities are often converted multistory warehouses. Loading docks are used on the ground floor and complimentary rolling carts or moving dollies are used by the customers to access freight elevators that take them to the floor their unit is on. Urban self storage facilities might contain only a few floors in a much larger buildings, There are successful self storage businesses cohabitating with light manufacturing, office tenants and even a public school[citation needed].
Customers are generally allowed to store any non-hazardous, non-toxic, non-perishable material in the facility: personal items, furniture, motorcycles, overstocked retail wares, etc. Industry surveys indicate that 44% of clients are moving, 34% don't have enough space currently, and 15% of clients are people with business needs[citation needed]. Customers are prohibited from sleeping, or otherwise living in the room.
If the customer fails to pay the rent, a lien is placed on the customers goods and they are sold at auction. The Storage facility lien rights are codified in most States. The customer is still responsible for any rent and fees due if the auction does not clear their balance.{{i.e California Self-Service Storage Facility Act, Business & Professions code Sec 21700 et seq.}}
National & State trade assciations were formed in the mid 70's. www.selfstorage.org is the official web site of the Self Storage Association.
[edit] Self storage worldwide
According to a report (1st June 2006) by Mintel Consulting and in collaboration with the Self Storage Association of the United Kingdom space available for rental in the USA is approximately 1.6 billion rentable square feet, against 22 million rentable square feet in Australasia and around 20 million in the United Kingdom. The report also states that there are around 41000 facilities in the USA, 1000 in Austalasia and around 600 in the United Kingdom.
[edit] Portable storage
Portable storage companies supply storage containers for use in storage and moving residential goods. Portable storage containers and company delivery trucks are personal property not "real estate" property, the definition of self storage facilities in state self storage facility acts. Storage containers are delivered to customers residence and the customer loads and packs their own container which is delivered to a central warehouse for later customer access.
[edit] Climate-controlled storage and cold storage
Some facilities are climate controlled to allow storage of fine wines, furs, antiques and prescription drugs. A cold storage facility provides rooms with very low temperature suitable for the storage of perishable items like meat and vegetables. Many of these are left over from the days when most freight was shipped via railroad; with the advent of refrigerated trucking, door-to-door cold transportation became common.
[edit] As part of another business
Less formal public storage might be a found in locker rooms, cloak rooms, left luggage areas, train stations, amusement parks (especially water parks), and airports. It is of note though that since 9/11, storage in these small kiosks is no longer allowed at American airports, per federal law. There may be an attendant or an automated vending machine to collect the fee and control access, or it may simply require dropping a few coins into a slot to allow a key to be removed locking a compartment. At a swimming pool or sauna the key will be attached to a wrist or ankle strap. This type of storage is typically not related to a self-storage business. Storage such as these are provided as an ancillary service provided as part of another business.
