Rule Of Law: Scott Zucker Sets The Bar For Self-Storage

In 1990, attorney Scott Zucker gave a client an answer most in the profession try to avoid: “I have no idea.”

 

The client, a new self-storage developer, wanted to know how to operate the facility and what legal rules applied. Although he didn’t know, Zucker wasn’t about to let him down. “I’ll find out for you,” he quickly added.

 

He went digging. What he found pulled him into an industry that was still taking shape, and one that would eventually shape his career, turning him into one of self-storage’s most prominent legal voices.

 

Zucker began practicing law in 1987; it takes many people by surprise. “They’ll say I look a lot younger than I am,” he says with a laugh. “I appreciate that, but I’ve been at this for almost 40 years.”

 

Now a partner at Atlanta, Ga.-based Weissmann Zucker Euster + Oblinger, P.C., he started as an associate at a mid-size firm after graduating from the George Washington University Law School. He was quickly recognized for his abilities, and after years of learning under seasoned mentors, rose to partner. “I was primarily a construction lawyer, handling projects that ranged from manufacturing facilities to power plants,” says Zucker. It was solid work, but for him, it lacked the spark of something new. “The clients were already established, and the industries already had their lawyers.”

 

Self-storage, however, was different. So, when that client came calling in 1990, Zucker was intrigued. He was also surprised to find laws governing how self-storage facilities operated. “It was such a nascent industry, I couldn’t believe our legislature bothered to create laws for it back then, but they did.”

 

The more he pored over self-storage law, the more he realized the sector was still in need of framing. Few attorneys were focusing on it, and fewer were writing or speaking about it. He wound up writing an article outlining the legal considerations unique to self-storage. It was published in a national trade magazine, and it didn’t go unnoticed. “I was invited to speak at a storage conference in Chicago,” recalls Zucker. “I felt like such a big shot as a young associate letting the firm know that I got the invitation.”

There were about 400 people in attendance, but he could feel the growth momentum from the people he met. “I could tell something was happening. There was something in the air. Of course, today there’s upwards of 4,000 people at these conferences with vendors and operators.”

Around that same time, Zucker’s entrepreneurial instincts were stirring. After more than a decade at his original firm, he decided to make his move. “I reached out to my colleague David Weissmann,” says Zucker. “I knew I couldn’t do it alone, and I believe that a partnership in any business is important. It’s more fun to work with other people. You get to suffer together.”

 

 

Armed with their newfound knowledge and the dream of being their own bosses, the duo started their own firm focusing on commercial development and construction, with Zucker focusing on the self-storage industry. Although he was moving on, he carried forward what he learned from his previous mentors. “One of my partners once said to me, ‘Scott, there’s a big difference between having cases and having clients. You can have cases, but that’s not how you build a business. You have to build clients.’”

 

Those insightful words would guide him as he built his self-storage relationships, focusing not just on law but on people.

 

Zucker acknowledges that specializing in a narrow field felt risky at first, and over the next few years, he heard his share of “you’re crazy if you think this will work” comments. He always believed the opposite was true. “There are a lot of great lawyers doing general litigation or real estate work, but when you dig into an industry and truly understand the laws, the precedents, and the best practices, people seek you out.”

 

Today, of course, the self-storage industry is much larger than many of the naysayers ever expected it to be. Zucker counts off a few big names. “Put McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Taco Bell together and they still equal fewer locations than self-storage facilities in this country,” he says. “Once you start looking, you see self-storage facilities everywhere. Getting into the business back then was a gamble, but it paid off. The self-storage industry grew from a relatively fledgling real estate sector to one of the most successful real estate sectors right now.”

 

One defining moment for self-storage was COVID-19. While he recognizes the tragedy of the pandemic, when it comes to the benefits for the self-storage industry, there is no denying the data. “The occupancy levels for self-storage during that time skyrocketed.”

 

Zucker recalls conversations about self-storage oversupply in 2019 and early 2020, and how that discussion was curbed just two months into the pandemic. “People had to stay at home, make room for their offices, their families, their gear. It made a lot of folks understand that they can put their stuff somewhere else other than a spare room, garage, or basement. That realization hasn’t waned.”

 

Building Relationships

One aspect of self-storage that still keeps Zucker busy is the fact that every state has its own independent self-storage law. While there have been attempts to create a model law, that has yet to come to fruition. This creates a lot of confusion for multi-state operators who need to run their business differently based on geography. “They would need counseling about following the laws of each state, and then it blossomed from regulatory compliance into other areas,” says Zucker. “For example, managing employees under the law and understanding marketing compliance issues. Fast forward 20 years, and now we deal with data breach issues, cyber liability, and AI. There’s just a wide breadth of legal issues that come up within this business.”

 

This patchwork of regulations, and the complexity that comes with them, has helped expand Zucker’s reach well beyond Georgia. “We’re dealing with state legislative issues as well as federal regulations that affect operations,” he says. “That’s why I speak globally on issues that impact the industry from a legal perspective.” That’s an understatement; Zucker has now been a speaker at over 500 conferences, roundtables, webinars, podcasts, and presentations on various self-storage issues.

 

As his clients grew, so did the need for guidance across multiple jurisdictions. But Zucker is the first to acknowledge that he doesn’t know everything. Instead, he knows where to find the answers. “If an issue comes up, I know who to call and where to get the information my clients need.”

That’s because, over the past three decades, Zucker assembled a national network of attorneys across the country with whom he collaborates and refers matters. “One lesson I learned early is to form relationships with lawyers in other states,” says Zucker. “If a client is growing, they’re going to cross state lines. You need trusted resources who understand those local laws.”

 

The arrangement requires trust and mutual respect. “You have to be willing to work together for the same client and not worry about someone stealing business,” Zucker says. “It’s a real team effort to build a national practice. I have also been so lucky to work with some amazing lawyers and paralegals along the way. My Weissmann/Zucker team of Ashley Oblinger, Kitty Canupp, and Traci Pierce has been a foundation of incredible support for my practice and how we serve our clients.”

 

Working with the Self Storage Association (SSA), Zucker, along with former SSA General Counsel Carlos Kaslow, also helped develop a legal hotline that provides operators with quick information on statutes, compliance questions, and best practices. Rather than searching online for answers, SSA members can access industry-specific resources from professionals who understand the regulatory landscape.

 

He and Kaslow also supported the creation of standardized forms and compliance documents, including tenant notices, lease language, and lien foreclosure materials, bringing essential tools together in one place for operators. One particularly unique outgrowth involved ADA compliance. As accessibility requirements evolved, Zucker assisted in developing retrofit solutions to help facilities meet federal standards.

 

For Zucker, these efforts reflect a broader philosophy. “Law touches everything in this business,” he says. “Once you understand the industry, you become a resource. It’s about helping operators solve problems, not just billing by the hour.”

In 2015, Zucker broadened the scope of his work further, launching a mediation service as an alternative for businesses seeking resolution rather than escalation. The philosophy mirrors the same client-first approach that built his legal practice: solve problems, preserve relationships, and keep businesses moving forward. “After years of litigation in landlord-tenant and vendor disputes, I’d begun to question whether courtroom battles were always the best path,” he says. “Litigation is expensive, time-consuming, and inefficient, while mediation allows people to participate in the resolution and often reach a solution faster and at lower cost.”

 

Will Zucker extend his mediation techniques beyond Georgia? “You don’t need a bar license to be a mediator, so effectively I could mediate around the country, but my focus for the mediation practice is to be closer to home. I still travel a lot as it is, and I’ve got a grandchild now. So, the closer I can be to home to manage my work, the better.”

 

Now And Later

 Being self-storage focused for nearly 40 years, Zucker has seen a lot of changes. The biggest difference today is technology. “When I started, facilities were still ‘first-generation’ properties, primarily all single-story drive-ups,” Zucker says, noting the limited gate access controls, conventional locking systems, manual management documents, and on-site lien auctions. “It has been incredible to see the innovations that have occurred in our industry and the evolution of laws that have been created to support them,” he says, mentioning the way email has taken over certified letters, Bluetooth or digital locks have replaced conventional locks, and how lien sales are now being conducted online instead of on site. “I have been involved with helping change laws to keep pace with it all. It’s been exciting to watch an industry evolve to meet its market.”

 

When asked what the biggest legal mistake owners make most often these days, he’s quick to answer. “Lack of full communication with tenants. It starts with the misstep of not getting their tenants to sign their leases and continues when there are problems at the facility. It is really important for operators to maintain transparency of incidents happening at their facility, communicating those issues to their tenants and acting responsibly when they happen.”

Zucker acknowledges that no one is perfect, and that mistakes can happen, but reiterates that it’s imperative that owners communicate the problem, whether it’s an infestation, water leak, or mechanical failure. “Don’t ignore or not communicate the issue to your customers,” he says. “When trust falters, litigation often follows.”

 

Looking ahead, what should operators prepare for in the next few years? More laws, says Zucker. “What we are seeing now is a backlash against landlords and rental businesses in general,” he explains. “There is pressure about transparency of prices and how rates are adjusted. We are seeing legislation requiring significant disclosures to rental customers to avoid any risk of deceptive practices.”

 

Zucker says owners and operators need to be prepared to follow any new laws, including potential business licensing, and incorporate these requirements into their business practices. Otherwise, they risk class action lawsuits or governmental enforcement actions. “Self-storage has always been a regulated industry and structured to follow their state laws about facility operations,” he says. “But now those same operators need to watch and follow federal laws that might apply to their businesses and even local municipal laws that may impact how operators conduct their business going forward.”

 

 

 

Lasting Legacy
Years after building a law practice and becoming one of the industry’s most recognized legal voices, Zucker’s motivations still trace back to something far more personal. He lost both of his parents by his mid-30, and it left a void. As he married and began raising his own children, he wanted to ensure his family would never feel that same absence.

 

“I began writing down my values, stories, and life lessons, organizing them into personal reflections,” he says. “First it was 40 things about turning 40, then 50 things about turning 50, and more recently 60 things about turning 60. The writings are about marriage, faith, courage, integrity, and the everyday philosophies that shape a life. I also wrote about fun topics like baseball, hiking, painting, and golf—the hobbies I enjoy.”

When he shared the work with his rabbi, he learned he had created what is known as an ethical will, a document meant to pass along wisdom and values to future generations. What began as a private exercise evolved into a broader message that he now shares through community talks and TEDx presentations. And in many ways, the instinct to document his values mirrors the way he’s approached the self-storage industry. Over three decades, Zucker hasn’t just advised operators on statutes and compliance; he’s helped create structure where there was once uncertainty, building frameworks that will guide the next generation long after he steps away from daily practice.

 

“Our legal culture pushes billable hours and constant work, which is important, but there’s more to life than that. You have to find the balance.” Zucker’s wife once joked that if he didn’t find that balance, his tombstone might read: Here lies a self-storage lawyer. He laughs, then pauses. “I’m proud of that title, but husband, father, grandfather, and friend are the ones that really count.”