Public Storage in Stockton California

Public Storage

Public storage is also a term for self storage" which is short for mini storage, mini warehouse, also known as self service storage. These facilities lease storage space to people, normally for storing household items, or for a small businesses to store excess inventory or record archives. These rented spaces, called "units", are protected by the tenant's personal lock and key. Storage facility operators are not provided any access to the unit contents which is unlike a professional warehouse. A self storage company in no way obtains control, custody, care or possession of the rental storage unit contents unless they are enforcing a lien as provided by self storage regulations for the failure to pay rent. Most all facility operators provide access controlled by a computer to rental space facilities and most use security cameras.

Self storage today

The U.S. self storage industry generates more than $20 billion in revenues each year.

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 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 (1.5 m) 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.

In rural and suburban areas most facilities contain multiple single-story buildings with mostly drive-up units having natural ventilation, but which are not climate-controlled. These buildings are referred to as "traditional". Climate-controlled interior units are becoming more popular in suburban areas. In urban areas many facilities have multi-story buildings using elevators or freight lifts to move the goods to the upper floors. These facilities are often climate-controlled since they have mostly, if not all, interior units. Warehouses or grocery stores are sometimes converted into self storage facilities. Loading docks are sometimes provided on the ground floor. Also, complimentary rolling carts or moving dollies are sometimes provided to help the customers carry items to their units. Urban self storage facilities might contain only a few floors in a much larger building; there are successful self storage businesses cohabitating with light manufacturing, office tenants and even a public school.

One in ten U.S. households now rent a self storage unit. The growing demand for self storage in the U.S. is created by people moving (some 40 million Americans move each year), and by various lifestyle transitions, such as marriage, divorce, retirement, a death in the family, etc.

Customers are generally allowed to store any non-hazardous, non-toxic, non-perishable material in the facility: personal items, furniture, motorcycles, overstocked retail wares, etc. Customers are prohibited from sleeping or otherwise living in the room. If the customer fails to pay the rent, a lien is placed on the customer's goods and they are sold at auction. The storage facility lien rights are codified in most states. The customer is still responsible for any rent and fees due if the auction does not clear their balance. (i.e. California Self-Service Storage Facility Act, Business & Professions code Sec 21700 et seq.) v Many national and state trade associations were formed in the mid 1970s.

Self storage worldwide

According to a report (1 June 2006) by Mintel Consulting and in collaboration with the Self Storage Association of the United Kingdom space available for rental in the USA is approximately 1.6 billion rentable square feet, against 22 million rentable square feet in Australia and around 20 million in the United Kingdom. The report also states that there are around 41,000 facilities in the USA, 1,000 in Australia and around 600 in the United Kingdom. In recent years, the self storage market has grown considerably with the UK now the largest and most established in Europe. Market penetration, however, is still somewhat lower than in the US and Australia, and the UK Self Storage Association anticipates the market to grow with a compound annual growth rate of 10%-15% going forward. With social factors (for instance, high divorce rates), and other pressures such as increased workforce mobility and the growth of the home improvement market playing a part, it is easy to see why many more customers might be calling upon the services of storage facilities in the near future. Storage facilities offer a flexible, secure and cost effective solution when the homeowner wishes to create a little extra space in the home. Or perhaps when furniture needs to be stored between house moves or during decorating. Another frequent customer is the student looking to store belongings in between terms. The bigger more reputable storage companies will also tend to offer a whole range of useful items such as packaging, removal boxes and bubble wrap or van hire, to provide an all-round solution to all household, business and student storage needs.

Climate-controlled storage and cold storage

A cold storage facility provides rooms with very low temperature suitable for the storage of perishable items like meat and vegetables. Many of these are left over from the days when most freight was shipped via railroad; with the advent of refrigerated trucking, door-to-door cold transportation became common.

Storage auctions

As part of another business

Stockton self storage