Residence at Dino's Storage

Wow!!! I thought I had heard just about everything!!!! I know that the homeless population is all over the United States right now and getting worse with the economy being the way it is. When I came in to check my messages this weekend I found out that one of my tenants was using his drive up storage space as a residence!

Now I realize that it has four walls and is out of the wind, but the storage garages at Dino's Storage are not residences and it is against Dino's policies for anyone to stay in their storage unit. Hopefully we don't have to deal with this problem again!

Storage FAQ's

The majority of the customers we serve have never used storage before. Here is a quick and simple guide to five of our most frequently asked questions. To view a complete list of our Common FAQ’s, visit our FAQ page.

1) What is climate control and do I need it?
Answer: Climate control definitions can vary, so be sure to ask who you rent from what they call climate control. Sometimes it is strictly heated, sometimes it includes air conditioning. At Dino’s, we heat and cool but also run dehumidifiers where necessary to keep the humidity at levels that will not promote mold growth. While we cannot guarantee the temperature or humidity level, we do our best to maintain them so your items remain in the condition you left them in.

2) How do I best utilize the space I’m paying for?
Answer: I find most customers over-estimate the amount of space they need. If you pack your items well, you can save a lot of space, therefore saving time and money. Use the same size boxes, label them specifically (not just by room, but itemized) and try to box most of your items. Items that aren’t boxed will be awkward and hard to stack. Storing shelves or bookcases? Use them to hold those unboxed, odd-ball shaped items. Storing a dresser? Keep the clothes folded in the drawers and put the screws and bolts from the unassembled furniture in a baggy inside also. Don’t forget to label the baggy!

3) What kind of lock should I buy? Can I just bring one from home?
Answer: You bet you can bring one from home. But if you don’t have one, you can sure buy one from us. We sell pad locks and disc locks. No lock is thief-proof, but Disc locks are the most secure type in the storage world and very reasonably priced. We strive to be at or below our competitors prices and you save yourself a shopping trip by grabbing one off our shelf.

4) When can I move in?

Answer: Just sign on the dotted line and the space is yours!

5) Why should I buy a mattress or sofa cover?
Answer: Even in a climate control unit, dust can accumulate. Mold particles can spread through the air. Bugs and little creatures can make their way inside a building and into your unit. Mattresses and couches are expensive to replace. Spend the extra few dollars to save yourself hundreds!

Dino's Storage Payments

Most people know how to pay their storage bill and don't ever have an issue with payments. But there are others who either do not put their unit number on their check/money order, or they have someone else send it in and don't include their name on the payment. This is how errors happen in the payment process. You would not believe how many John Smiths I have in my system. Without a unit number on your payment, I have no idea which John Smith that payment belongs to. When situations like this happen I can sometimes look at the address on the payment and narrow it down that way, but this doesn't always work. Sometimes I get money order payments with no name, address or unit number at all.

In cases like the ones that I speak about above the customer ends up getting locked out of their unit and getting late fees, when in all actuality they did pay on time. It is very easy for me to change the payment and add it to the correct account but it would make it even easier on you and me if the error didn't happen in the first place.

Please remember to always put your unit number on your payment! If you are not sure of your unit number, you can always call your property manager and they would be happy to give you that information, as it would save them time in the long run as well.

True Climate Control Self Storage

Summer is finally here! Every time I step outside and think about complaining about the heat and humidity, I remind myself that I can safely drive my car through town to get to work. I can walk across the driveway without spreading salt first. I can accomplish my daily tasks without much extra effort. In winter, that is often not the case.


These dramatic changes in weather (115 degree heat indices vs -30 degree windchill) take a toll on your items in storage. The more seasonal changes you endure, the more effect there is. At Dino’s Storage, we want our potential and current customers to know we expect and prepare for the varying weather conditions of the Midwest by building our buildings with those conditions in mind. Climate control is not the same everywhere. It can be heat only, air conditioning only, temperature control, humidity control, or all of the above like we provide in our Climate Controlled buildings. We monitor our humidity levels and use our air conditioners and dehumidifiers to get the results we want and our customers need.


We believe in climate control storage so much that we have added it to almost every single site we own and we are building new facilities with 95%-100% of the units climate controlled. Our newest site, 2725 2nd Ave in Des Moines, was featured as the January 2011 Facility of the Month by Trachte Building Systems.

If you will rent storage through the summer or longer than two seasons period, opt to spend the extra few dollars to preserve your items in their current state. These items specifically should be kept in climate control units:
* Electronics
* Antiques
* Wood/leather furniture
* Oil paintings
* Appliances
* Photographs
* Important documents

Remember: No matter where you rent from, ask the manager how they define Climate Control. If you are in a humid part of the country, you will want to be sure they fight humidity or you may as well keep your things in non-climate space.