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Self storage facilities are businesses composed of real estate or personal property cargo transit containers divided into self storage spaces that are rented to rental space tenants on a monthly basis.
The term "self storage" is short for "self-service storage", and is also known as "mini storage" or "mini warehouse" (archaic). Self storage facilities lease space to individuals, usually storing household goods, or to small businesses, usually storing excess inventory or archived records. The rented spaces, known as "units", are secured by the tenant's own lock and key. Facility operators do not have casual access to the contents of the space unlike a professional warehouseman. A self storage operator never takes possession, care, custody or control of the contents of the storage rental space unless a lein is imposed as provided in self storage laws for non-payment of rent. Self storage facility operators usually provide computer-controlled access to rental space areas and many use security cameras.
About 50,000 Self Storage facilities have been developed in the United States on industrial and commercial land parcels, usually on three- to seven-acre properties. More recently, in many metropolitan cities where competition among storage companies is fierce, better parcels of land near residential and commercial areas are being converted into self-storage. Moving trucks and vans may be also be available for rent when the facility includes a truck rental franchise. A few storage facilities allow the use of a truck for free or even send a truck to your nearby home or business as a move-in promotion.
Self storage businesses lease a variety of unit sizes to residential and business customer/tenants. Popular unit sizes include 10x5 (10 feet wide by 5 feet deep) which is about the size of a large walk-in closet, 10x10 (the size of a child's bedroom), 10x20 (one-car garage), 15x20 and 20x20 (two-car garage). The storage units are typically windowless, walled with corrugated metal, and lockable by the renter. Chain-link fencing or wire mesh may function as a more secure ceiling than a suspended ceiling. Each unit is usually accessed by opening a roll-up metal door, which is usually about the same size as a one-car garage door. A controlled access facility may employ security guards, surveillance cameras, individual unit door alarms and some means of electronic gate access such as a keypad or prox card. A few facilities even use biometric thumbprint or hand scanners to ensure that access is granted only to those that rent.
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