Organizing Your Life

Can You Live In A Personal Storage Unit?

by Leon Richards

Rent is expensive in major cities, and the space you get is almost non-existent. It's easy to see why some would choose alternative living spaces. Some might even view personal storage units as the perfect replacement for their home. 

Personal storage units are affordable, have free utilities, and you don't need to worry about neighbors. It's the ideal living situation for most people. However, this doesn't mean that you can or should live in your personal storage unit. Here are reasons why you shouldn't.

It's Illegal to Live in a Personal Storage Unit

Although you have rented the storage unit, it doesn't mean you can live in it. As the name suggests, it's a storage unit, not a living unit. According to most local and federal housing laws, it's illegal to live in a storage unit. 

Leasing such a unit doesn't give you the right to live in the storage facility. Don't watch a YouTube video of someone living in a storage unit and think you can replicate the same. If you do, your storage facility will evict you, and if you decline, they'll call the police. Keep in mind that storage facilities have security systems and personnel to check the units for inhabitants. 

Storage Units Don't Have Proper Living Conditions 

Personal storage units are designed to hold belongings and not live in. This means that they're not fitted with proper ventilation, running water, toilets, bathrooms, and fire protection measures. If you decide to live in your storage unit, you'll not have access to the same quality of living conditions you'd in a residential unit. 

Also, if you cook in the unit or use heaters to stay warm, you might start a fire that can burn down the unit or facility. Living in a personal storage unit is a fire hazard, and the units lack proper ventilation. It will be hard to breathe, and using kerosene heaters could be a recipe for disaster.

Storage Units Lock from the Outside

Unlike the typical home that locks from both sides, a personal storage unit will lock from outside. You can't lock from inside unless you add modifications to your unit, which is against the terms of your lease agreement. If you opt to leave it unlocked, the facility personnel will notice and lock it. 

If something happens while you're locked in the storage unit, you'll have no way out. Therefore, once you rent a storage unit, use it only for storage purposes. It's unsafe and illegal to live in a personal storage unit. 

To learn more about storage units, visit a site like http://www.atozstorage.net.

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