Store as much as you like for as long as you like
Store as much as you like for as long as you like
We spend a lot of time on this blog talking about all the great uses for self-storage. From leftover Christmas stock to that old antique credenza you don’t know what to do with, storage units are great for keeping things out of the way and very safe. But did you know that there are some things you can’t store in your self-storage unit? Items that could cause problems in your unit, in other units, or even be dangerous to store? If you want to find out what you shouldn’t be storing in your self-storage unit, read on!
The reasoning behind this should be pretty obvious, but just in case, we’ll explain. Sometimes you will not visit your storage unit for days, weeks, months or even years. So the last thing you want when you do open it up again is to find everything covered with mould, with flies buzzing around. Perishable goods don’t do well in storage, so most storage units will ban them outright. If you’re running a retail business and some of your stock is perishable, they may insist on it being properly packaged and protected.
Unsurprisingly, animals don’t do well in storage units. Yet we keep seeing stories out there of people leaving their pets to live in storage units. So we would like to take this opportunity to reinforce the fact that animals of any kind should not be kept in self storage units! This goes for birds, fish, mammals or reptiles. If it has a pulse, you shouldn’t store it.
To follow on from the above point – people aren’t allowed to live in self-storage units either. We know a few TV shows have shown people living in storage units when they are ‘down on their luck’ – but in reality this just doesn’t happen, and people aren’t allowed to use a self-storage unit as a permanent or temporary residence. Nor should you keep people in a unit against their will, alive or dead (it has happened).
Most storage units will have a rule against storing anything flammable or combustible in their units. This is mainly due to their tendency to, you know, catch fire. This includes things like gas, paint, petrol, oil or cleaning solvents. They all post a risk not only to the things in your unit, but to everyone else’s units and the entire facility. If you’re unsure about whether you can store something, ask yourself if it’s flammable. If it is, you probably can’t.
These items have to be stored in a secure location where unauthorised people (anyone without a firearm certificate) can’t get to them. This isn’t a personal choice by storage units – it’s actually outlined in the Firearms Rules 1998. The rules recommend that all firearms, explosives, weapons and ammo are stored in a secure gun cabinet or container, and can be assessed by a police officer at any time. Unfortunately, a storage unit doesn’t meet any of those requirements – plus the items could be potentially dangerous for other users and the facility.
In this section you’ll find chemicals, radioactive materials or biological agents. All of these are strictly prohibited substances, and there are only a certain number of designated sites where you can store them. Unfortunately, self-storage sites aren’t on that list. Not to mention the fact that these chemicals are considered very dangerous, so shouldn’t really be kept alongside someone’s spare sofa and cherished memories of their grandma. A few examples of this type of material include toxic waste, asbestos, propane tanks, kerosene and acids.
This one is pretty simple – if you don’t legally own the item, then you can’t store it in a self-storage facility. And you shouldn’t really be storing it personally either! This can include illegal items or goods, like counterfeit products, smuggled items like tobacco, illicit alcohols or drugs, unlicensed medicines or unsafe materials. If it’s illegal, it can’t be stored.
And that’s it! We hope that this article has been useful in showing you what you can’t store in a self-storage unit, as well as what you can. Of course each storage centre is different, and will have different restrictions on what can and can’t be stored. If you want to find out more about the Blue Box restrictions, all you have to do is get in touch with the team today.