People may rent a storage unit for their items when they have limited storage space in their own homes. Whether it is short-term storage or long-term storage, you should be aware that your items could potentially get damaged for various reasons. When it happens, it’s likely that the storage unit tenant would be the responsible person for the damages. However, if the tenant has renter insurance in place, the damages would be covered by the insurance company. Here are ways you can protect the stored items and make sure you get the most out of your storage unit.

Ways Your Items Can Get Damaged in a Storage Unit

There are many ways that the items in your storage unit may get damaged. You should be aware of these and know what to do if it happens to you. Here are a few:

Water damage

Water damage in your storage unit can be caused by water main breaks, leaks, malfunctioning sprinkler system etc. If the self-storage agency does not keep up with their utilities and equipment, you could experience water damage to your items.

Weather and disaster-related issues

Whether it is a flood, a fire, or another natural disaster, your whole unit could be wiped out and everything in it completely destroyed.

Theft and vandalism

Your storage unit may be robbed or vandalized by someone. As storage units are usually located outside of towns, they are a target for robbers and vandals.

Animal infestation

Storage units are prone to animal infestations. When you store furniture and appliances that have a lot of nooks and crannies, you run the risk of having rats, raccoons, and other rodents settle there. This means that animals can leave major damage to your items by chewing them up and leaving droppings everywhere.

What to Do When Storing Your Items in a Storage Unit

If you plan to keep your items in a storage unit, there are some things you should do to protect your items. Here are a few:

Insure your items

You are always offered extra insurance that you can purchase when renting a storage unit. Most people opt out of it as they think that their renters insurance will cover any damage if it occurs. However, even though renters insurance covers many issues, it does not cover all of them. For example, many renters insurance companies do cover fire but they do not cover water damage. This means that if there is a septic issue or broken water pipes, your items will not be covered. Another thing to think about is that most storage unit insurance caps the total value of items stored in the unit. This means that you may experience an issue if the value of your items exceeds the insurance or if the insurance covered is subpar. So if you have a furniture piece that costs $2,000 and it gets moldy, your insurance may only cover some of the cost.

Be aware of all of the items stated in your insurance contract

You should read what is stated in your insurance contract so that you are aware of what is covered. Many people are surprised on how little is actually covered by this insurance. Do not wait for your items to get damaged to read the insurance agreement. Read the insurance contract fully and ask any questions or go over issues on the spot with the storage rental company. If you notice that the insurance does not cover the value of the items you are storing, you should consider getting additional insurance.

Make sure to get rental insurance for your storage unit

When you purchase rental insurance from the storage rental company, make sure to cover the total value of your items. You may have some cost upfront, but it will give you peace of mind. If there is an issue, you can file a claim with your insurance, and they will investigate it and pay you the value of your items. If the items you plan to store are valuable, the storage unit insurance will protect you when other policies don’t.

Don’t store items that are priceless

Make sure that you do not store any sentimental items, family heirlooms, or any items that mean a lot to you and cannot be replaced. Even though purchasing an insurance policy when you store your items will protect them or get them replaced, you may lose your memories and a sense of familial pride. Keep in mind that anytime you rent a storage unit, you are running the risk of damage. Make sure you do not let the storage unit ruin your mother’s wedding dress or your grandfather’s clock. Those items should be stored safely with you.

Check on your items periodically

If you have your items stored in a storage unit, make sure you check on them periodically. You should always make sure that the property is structurally sound. Also, if you think that there might be leak or you notice suspicious cracks or indentations, make sure you take action right away.

Have you experienced water damage at your home or business? Whether the water damage was caused by flooding, broken pipes, leaks or sewage backups, it is important to react right away and get it remediated. Call a professional that offers water damage restoration to homes and businesses in. The extensive water mitigation experience will give you peace of mind as the professionals will remove all excess water from your property, dry and clean the affected areas, and fully restore it back to its original state.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.