Your Storage Unit Search: Questions to Ask
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November 16th, 2015
Welcome to part three of our storage unit search series! Today’s blog post comes from Ryan O’Neill, Property Manager of the Extra Attic Self-Storage in North Raleigh. With his experience in the self-storage business, Ryan has gained significant insights into how to choose the best storage unit for you. Today, he discusses the questions you should ask when shopping for a storage unit. Take it away, Ryan!
Asking the Right Questions
It is extremely important to know the right questions to ask when shopping for a storage unit. In my time at Extra Attic I have learned a lot about our customers and the general knowledge the common customer has about storage. Most potential customers expect me to inform them of every bit of information they need to know in renting a storage unit without asking and others only want to know the price, sizes or current specials. I am extremely happy to help anyone with every detail in renting a unit, but this may not be true for all self-storage companies. Most companies are happy just giving you the price and size with no other information because what they do not want to mention are the fees and mandatory “extras” the company requires.
Are There Any Hidden Fees?
One of the fees you will find at almost every facility is an administration fee. Usually this fee is a onetime fee added to the first month’s rent. This fee will vary in cost from company to company. Always ask if there are any additional fees. Extra Attic is extremely fair with this process and the company was built on a platform of honesty and making sure the customer knows everything upfront with no surprises. Extra Attic has a onetime $10 administration fee and this is the only fee you will ever see from Extra Attic unless you are late on your rent. This is the same at every Extra Attic storage facility.
How Often Do You Raise the Rental Rate?
A question you must always ask is how often do you raise the rental rate? This is important because every company out there has a different policy for this. Some companies increase the rate every 6 months. This increase could be anywhere from 5% to 20% or more. Extra Attic, on the other hand, guarantees the rental rate on the lease for one full year. This means no increase for an entire year even though the lease is only month-to-month.
What is the Length of Term of the Lease?
Speaking of leases, not all but most storage facilities today are month-to-month. This is the final question you need to be sure to ask. What is the length of term of the lease?
Please come back next month for our fourth and final chapter in this series, where I will be touching on the importance of fully understanding “Specials.”
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