• September 29, 2023

self storage towing

19 Sep, 2023

Self Storage Legal: To Tow or Not to tow?

The issue of towing at self-storage facilities must be broken down into two very separate areas. The first concerns a tenant who has a lease to store their property (a car, boat, trailer, or recreational vehicle) but has defaulted on its rent. The second...

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15 Aug, 2023

Should On-Site Managers Have Dogs On Their Properties?

I have to start out by saying….I love dogs! I can’t remember a time in my life that I didn’t have a dog and I understand the beauty and companionship that dog owners feel about their pets. So, I can understand when facility managers bring their pets to...

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10 Aug, 2023

What Privacy Exists in a Self Storage Unit?

Much has been discussed recently about the growth of technology to manage the shift towards “unmanned” facilities or “contactless” self-storage. Certainly, operators are heavily invested in offering their customers a safe and secure experience while...

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29 Jun, 2023

Understanding the Need for Cyber Insurance | MSM

A manager of a facility accidentally clicks on a malware link embedded in a fraudulent e-mail (phishing); a third-party hacker penetrates the company’s data network (ransomware); an employee sends funds to pay an invoice that appears to come from an...

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23 Jan, 2023

Care Requirements: What Are The Duties Of A Tenant At A Self-Storage Facility? 

Self-storage rental agreements are very clear that owners and operators do not assume bailment for the property being stored by their tenants at the storage facility and do not assume any “care, custody, or control” over the stored property located in...

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20 Dec, 2022

Liability Issues Involving Mold

Mold is a naturally occurring condition arising from moisture. In self-storage, that moisture can arise from a defect in the ventilation of the constructed space, but it could also arise from an unknown leak or even a tenant moving property into a...

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29 Nov, 2022

Rights And Obligations: New Consumer Privacy Laws Impact Businesses

The passing of consumer privacy laws by state legislatures, which establish new consumer privacy rights and new business obligations for companies in the United States, will be a major focus for the foreseeable future. No segment of the consumer facing...

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30 Aug, 2022

Cuts And Conditions: Tax Plans For 2022

With the self-storage operation’s 2021 taxes finished or postponed until later, it’s time to think about the new ballgame that is the 2022 tax bill. The controversial Build Better Act bill may or may not emerge in whole or in part to foil any planned...

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23 Aug, 2022

Family Business Trusts: Protecting Valuable Assets From Outside Threats

James runs a rapidly growing family business. Things are going great now, but he worries about the future. If he should suddenly become incapacitated, who will run the enterprise for the benefit of his wife and children, none of whom has yet mastered...

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19 Jul, 2022

Take A Safe Route: Mapping Out The Lien Sale Process For Titled Property

Selling personal property from a self-storage unit is one thing, but what happens when there is titled property, such as motorcycles, trailers, boats, vehicles, RVs, and other recreational vehicles either in a unit without your knowledge or stored as...

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21 Jun, 2022

Legitimate Lien Sales: Special Units Need Special Auctions 

Unlike what you see in reality TV shows, most abandoned units stored at self-storage facilities are not filled to the brim with gold bullion and the rhinestone cape Elvis wore before he became Fat Elvis (although we have sold a gold-suited Elvis...

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21 Jun, 2022

Drowning In Debt: What Do I Do If My Tenant Files Bankruptcy?

It is crucial that a self-storage owner takes all the appropriate steps when advised that a tenant is bankrupt. Handling this matter properly will ensure that the owner is not in violation of bankruptcy law and can proceed in his/her efforts to collect...

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5 Apr, 2022

Crucial Provisions: Settling Tenant Disputes In The Age Of Social Media

A self-storage facility, like all businesses, is subject to the risk of dissatisfied customers. Unfortunately, with the use of social media, the megaphone for that dissatisfaction can be widespread. Therefore, if a dispute does arise with a customer and...

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29 Sep, 2021

Rental Rate Pressures During COVID-19

Unfortunately, as we sit here today, the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. As a result, issues that many self-storage operators had thought were resolved, including concerns over restrictions on their rental rate increases, remain. As self-storage...

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24 Aug, 2021

Firearms In The Workplace: Creating The Right Company Policy

The question of whether an employer can restrict their employees from bringing guns into the workplace has continued to be a challenging issue around the country, especially as we experience more workplace violence incidents. Like other businesses,...

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6 Aug, 2021

Consumer Privacy Concerns In Self-Storage

One of the bigger issues facing both companies and their customers (and even potential customers) today is the collection, retention, and possible dissemination of information and other data through websites (and apps). The type of information collected...

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10 May, 2021

The Resiliency Of The Self-Storage Industry

Over the last year, through a massive public health crisis and a distressed economy, the self-storage industry has once again shown its resolute strength within the real estate sector. Notwithstanding the pandemic and the resulting business closures and...

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29 Mar, 2021

Before The Hammer: Hits Preparing For Lien Sales And Auctions

Reality television shows such as “Storage Wars” have popularized self-storage auctions. To the average consumer, they’re full of drama, colorful characters, and fun.

However, those in the self-storage industry know preparing for auctions isn’t fun, and...

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4 Feb, 2021

Dealing With The "New Normal" - Enhancing The Lease Termination Rights Of The Operator

At the end of each year, we like to look back and analyze the past year to see what we can do to better help operators, and the past year has been interesting to say the least. Throughout the year, we have heard from operators regarding a wide variety...

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10 Dec, 2020

Marijuana In The Workplace

As of Jan. 1, 2020, there are 11 states (and the District of Columbia) that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Those states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and...

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3 Dec, 2020

The Benefits Of Arbitration To Resolve Tenant Disputes

It is inevitable that disputes will occur between self-storage tenants and facility operators. Those disputes can range from alleged property loss and damage claims to wrongful sale and disposal claims. Fortunately, many of those disputes can be...

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18 Nov, 2020

Firearms In The Workplace: Creating The Right Company Policy

By Scott I. Zucker, Esq.

The question of whether an employer can restrict their employees from bringing guns into the workplace has continued to be a challenging issue around the country, especially as we experience more workplace violence incidents....

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29 Oct, 2020

What Are A Landlord's Obligations To Its Tenants During The COVID-19 Pandemic?

As we move into the fifth month of the pandemic, there remain conflicting signs of our future. Infections are rising, and deaths are mounting while research institutes and pharmaceutical companies race to find a cure through a vaccine. In the interim,...

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23 Sep, 2020

Pandemic Lien Sale Restrictions: Going Forward After Commercial Eviction Bans

The self-storage industry has not gone through the COVID-19 crisis unscathed, especially in regions where moratoriums on lien sales have prevented operators from evicting non-paying tenants to free up those units. The right to conduct lien sales was...

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25 Aug, 2020

Securing Credit Card Information

By J. Ashley Oblinger, Esq.Associate Attorney

Over the last few months, we have all experienced many changes to our daily activities, from sheltering in place to social distancing to general uncertainty. One of the smaller changes that has come from the...

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1 Oct, 2019

The Problems With Deferred Maintenance

Regular maintenance on leased real estate is a topic that affects all property owners and managers. Although budgets are often drafted to consider regular ongoing maintenance obligations, no one, no matter how well a property is doing, wants to carry...

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1 May, 2019

Fair Assessments - How To Appeal Property Taxes

Studies have shown that property taxes are the most hated taxes in America. Why? There might be several reasons, including the question of why we should continually pay taxes on property that we own, how the taxes are assessed, and the fact that...

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20 Mar, 2019

Compliance With The ADA

When Are Repairs To A Facility Not “Readily Achievable”?

Self-storage facilities are “public accommodations” under the Americans with Disabilities Act. As such, facility operators are required to remove barriers to access when it is “readily...

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1 Jan, 2019

E-Sign Lease Agreements

Understanding the Legalities

Starting with the passage of the E-Sign law in 2000 (formally the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act), landlords, including self-storage landlords, were given the opportunity to conduct their leasing...

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1 Nov, 2018

Workplace Drug Abuse

Reducing the Risk of Impaired Workers

Workplace drug abuse can threaten your bottom line in many ways: higher absenteeism, lower productivity, and costly accidents that spark customer lawsuits. Employers are facing a greater risk than ever from a...

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