Tips for signing a storage rental agreement

There comes a time in everybody’s life when you just have too many things in your house. This is the perfect time to think about storing these items. There are probably many storage Virginia options in your city so make sure to check them out. Find what you need and call them to book your storage unit. But, this may be a thing you have never done in your life. If it is your first time renting a storage unit, then you need to know about the contract and what it contains. So, we have compiled an article just for you and filled it with tips for signing a storage rental agreement. So, without any further ado, let’s dive in!

What is a storage rental agreement?

A storage rental agreement is a contract both parties have to sign in order to proceed with the renting of a Baltimore storage unit. It is of paramount importance that you read the rental agreement carefully before you sign. This is a sure way to avoid any confrontation with your storage facility owner. It is best to be safe than sorry, so do not sign anything before reading it carefully. It only takes a couple of minutes to read and memorize everything so that both parties involved experience a pleasurable exchange.

he storage rental agreement should contain payment information, terms of agreement, purpose, and contact information. Furthermore, the contact information should contain the address of the storage facility, the number of your unit, the phone number of your storage facility owner and caretaker, and your phone number. In addition, your contract should contain a time and date of the beginning, and when it is due to expire. You can prolong the contract if you want, of course.

Payment for your storage unit

This is maybe the most important bureaucratic part of your storage rental agreement. You want to know how much does the service cost, and how are you going to pay for it. Another thing you should be aware of is that renting a storage unit will surely demand a security deposit from you. This is used as insurance that you are not planning to cause any damage to the unit itself. You will get it back when your contract expires, so do not worry about that.

The contract should also state what would happen if you failed to pay your monthly rent. Most storage facilities will give you some time until you can repay that but this does not mean that you should gamble with this. You do not want your storage unit to end up on one of those storage auctions shows on the History channel. If you actually get in a situation in which you could lose your storage unit, your storage facility will promptly let you know some time ahead via mail, or email.

Taking care of your unit

The storage rental agreement will also contain information about taking care of your unit. The first part will deal with what type of items can you put inside. This part is definitely not about your household items, such as dishes, stacks of books, or packed picture frames. It is all about the flammable and toxic materials. You should not put anything that can put the storage unit and facility in danger. If there is a fire or an explosion, it will probably do more damage than just destroying your set of plates.

In addition, toxic materials can attract pests and vermin, and that can spread to other storage units as well, so make sure not to sign the rental agreement and look for alternative storage ideas if you were planning on putting stuff like that inside. You also have to keep the storage unit clean. So, make sure to do an occasional check-up and see the state of your unit. Do not let it fall into disarray because you may have to deal with vermin, or even worse, an angry storage facility owner.

Notifying your storage facility about any changes

This mostly concerns the change of address, phone number, etc. The storage rental agreement will most likely have a part in which it explains how to properly deal with such situations. If it does not, make sure to talk to your storage facility owner before signing the contract. If they can add such information to the contract, it will go a long way to a positive relationship.

The contract should also contain information about your departure from the storage unit. So, when the contract expires, you need to know what you are able and what you are not able to do when transporting your goods out of the unit. It should also contain information about leaving your unit before the contract expires.

Storage facility owner’s rights

The storage rental agreement must also have the information regarding your storage facility owner’s rights. For example, he must be able to enter the storage unit if something breaks down. If you have a climate-controlled storage unit, there is a chance that it will break down. This is when the owner can enter the storage unit in order to fix it. In addition, the contract should also contain when the owner can block you from entering your unit. If you, for example, did not pay rent for two months, he has the right to block you from entering.

What more does a storage rental agreement have?

These were the most important parts of your storage rental agreement. In addition to these, the contract should contain the pledge of personal property, exemption from liability, and breach. The first one means that if you do not pay, the owner has the right to hold your stuff and sell it. The second one concerns the state of your belongings. If they get damaged the storage facility is not responsible for it. Breach is when you violate any part of the storage rental agreement. Information about consequences to this should also be in your agreement and by signing it you agree to these terms.