![]() So...You've moved out of your storage unit last week and received a bill in the mail or in your e-mail. Your confused and maybe angry right? By the time you make the call to us you may have calmed down a little bit, but you still want answers. "Where did these new charges come from?" As a storage manager, it’s very rare for me to have to send someone a bill after they move out, but it does happen. Why? Well, for the same reasons that you might send someone a bill after they move out of a house or apartment: they left behind a mess or broke something. Most recently this happened when the tenant had spilled some sort of oil on the floor of the unit. The tenant noticed during the move out process and came to tell us about it. Because she was upfront about the damage, we tried to keep the cost of repairs to a bare minimum. In fact, we found that we could simply clean up the oil spill using oil-absorbing kitty litter and replace one section of the floor. Total cost to the tenant $20. But we could have charged her more and might have if she had not been so forthcoming about what happened. According to the terms of the contract, we can charge a cleaning fee per hour when necessary. Unfortunately, the things people leave behind in storage units can be downright disgusting, and we don't want to handle it just as much as you don't. What we more commonly have to charge after move out is a lock removal fee. Why? We don’t keep keys to your storage unit, so when you move out, you need to remove the lock before we can rent the space again. If you leave the lock on, you either have to keep paying for the space or pay a lock-removal fee. Again, this isn’t a fee we like to charge. We’ll call you and ask you take the lock off, usually giving you a couple days to come back and do so. But if you leave the lock on indefinitely, ignore our calls or promise to come remove the lock and then don’t do it, you’ll get a charge. Generally speaking, avoiding extra charges is as easy as reading your lease and paying attention to it. Are you required to give notice? Yes, 10 days, as stated in your lease. Just shoot us an email or give us a call. Take the lock off and make sure you let the manager know you moved out. Please please please clean the unit. It doesn’t need to be spotless, but if you leave behind, furniture, trash, or just random stuff, expect to be charged that cleaning fee anywhere from $50+ depending on the amount of things left behind. If you broke something, tell the manager. Chances are it’s something minor and easy to fix. If we know about it, we’ll be much more understanding and probably just charge you for the supplies. If you hide it, lie about it or try to sneak out without telling us, we’ll charge you for the repair supplies and the time it takes our maintenance crew to fix it. Avoid This Altogether You can avoid post move out fees by simply being a good storage unit tenant and paying attention to your lease. Happy storing!
4 Comments
10/6/2022 04:17:31 pm
I like that you said that you should be aware of the lock removal fee to prevent misunderstandings with the services. Yesterday, my cousin told me that he was looking for a self-storage that he will use as a storage for his clothing business products. He asked if I had any idea what would be the best option for him. I wanted to thank you for your explanation about the importance of consulting a self-storage rental service. I'll be sure to tell him that it will be much better if he consults one.
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1/11/2023 09:29:22 pm
I like that you said that you should properly manage your self-storage to have a clean production. The other day, my associate told me he was looking for a self-storage that he would use as storage for his clothing business products. He asked if I had opinions on the best option to consider. I love your explanation about the importance of consulting a self-storage service. I'll tell him it will be much better if he consults one.
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1/30/2023 11:48:56 am
Thanks so much for explaining why people sometimes get post move-out charges and how it's just like moving out of a rented house. My sister recently downsized in house and she needs a place to store her extra items until she has room for them again. We've been looking into finding a self-storage rental nearby her new place and we'll have to sure she doesn't store anything that can make a big mess, like you mentioned, to avoid an extra bill.
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2/24/2023 05:18:45 am
I liked how this post shared that paying attention to your lease can help avoid extra charges. My friend wants to have his own storage. I should advise him to look for a personal storage facility that offers quality units.
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AuthorWellborn Self Storage Archives
January 2022
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