Understanding Liability in Self Storage

Nothing in life is guaranteed. So true in the storage world. Storage facilities can build fences, install gates, require key pad access, build state of the art facilities, and sometimes things just go wrong. Air conditioners break down. The gate freezes open in the winter. Someone cuts a hold in the fence. An outside unit door is frozen to the ground from melting snow. Elevators get stuck with people in them. Cameras stop recording. We never guarantee the safety, security, or condition of anything because we live in a world with sinful people. We are working with machines and computers. In the Pyramid game, this category would be called Things That Break. 99% of the time, everything goes smoothly, but when we are educating our new customers about our self-storage processes, it’s our job to make sure they understand that nothing is guaranteed. There’s no refund when an extra amenity is malfunctioning. Customers are paying for the storage of their goods, not the bonus extras.

Our lease states we aren’t liable for theft, damage, vandalism, dirt, etc. The next sentence is NOT, “unless our gate is broken” or “as long as the plow comes immediately after the blizzard”. If you are going to rent a storage unit ANYWHERE, remember you are responsible for your items and we are responsible for ours. You won’t find a storage facility that accepts liability.

If you don’t have insurance, we offer insurance through Bader Company, a company who specializes in storage insurance at very reasonable rates. Flooding has been a big issue in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa for the last two months. Storage insurance through Bader does not cover flood damage. Always check with your personal home owner’s or renters insurance agent to be sure your policy covers stored items off-premise and that they are covered at the same rate as the items on-premise.