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What Is Not Allowed in Storage Units?

Posted: June 24, 2022
Customers loading their storage unit with a lamp and boxes.

You’ve decided you need more room to store your items. You’ve decided to rent a storage unit, and you’re preparing to pack your items for your storage unit. But now you’re wondering, are there some things that might not be allowed in storage units that I’m planning on storing? 

What Is Not Allowed in a Storage Unit?

Some of the items on this list are obvious as to why they’re not allowed in storage units. Some items may not be as obvious as to why they’re not allowed. One of the main reasons for storage unit rules is safety.

  • Explosives, combustibles and toxic items 
  • Weapons and ammunition 
  • Radioactive equipment or material 
  • Live animals or live plants 
  • Dead animals or dead plants 
  • Perishable food or pet food 

Explosives, combustibles, and toxic items could not only cause harm to your belongings but as well as other people’s belongings or the storage facility itself. The same goes for radioactive equipment or materials. 

While most people are responsible gun owners, some gun owners might not take all safety precautions to storing guns, which creates a safety hazard. It’s better to safely store guns at home or to see whether a fire range near you offers storage. 

Even climate-controlled storage unit facilities have poor ventilation, which will mean live animals and plants could face serious injury or death. Dead animals or plants can cause horrible odors, which isn’t fun for anyone and will attract pests. 

Perishable food or pet food will spoil, and it’ll attract pets and rodents. Rodents and pets can also chew through items to get to the food. Plus, they’ll hang out in your storage unit and maybe your neighbor’s storage unit, which isn’t great. 

Other Things Not Allowed in Storage

We’ve covered some common and not so common items that aren’t allowed in a storage unit, but here’s another list of items that may follow under the storage unit rules of not being allowed. 

  • Money 
  • Furs 
  • Tires and unregistered, uninsured, or non-operating vehicles 
  • Wet items 
  • Ashes 
  • Smoking in a unit 
  • Living or working out of a unit 
  • Illegal drugs and stolen goods 

You should never leave large amounts of money in a storage unit — whether it’s your money or stolen money. You need to store furs in specific climate conditions to avoid molting at higher temperatures, so make sure you know your storage unit rules. Tires and unregistered, uninsured, or non-operating vehicles aren’t allowed in the storage units because tire fires are difficult to put out, and vehicles are a safety hazard. 

Damp items should never go into a storage unit. All items should be dry before going into a storage item because damp items will attract mold and pests. Just like living or dead animals, some storage units won’t allow ashes as well. 

Some storage units may not allow smoking in the storage units or on the property or only have designated smoking areas. Cigarette butts that aren’t disposed of properly pose a fire hazard. Most storage unit businesses have storage unit rules about not allowing people to work or live out of their storage unit with the main reason being for safety. 

It goes without saying you should never have illegal drugs or stolen goods, and you shouldn’t put them in storage units. Storage unit management might call the authorities if they suspect illegal activity.

How Does Moving Help® Fit in?

Moving Help can assist customers by having Service Providers help them pack their belongings. Service Providers can make sure the customers don’t have any belongings that break storage unit rules during the packing stage. If a customer pays for enough time and more services, a Service Provider also can help load and unload a customer’s belongings as well.  

Get It Right the First Time Around

No one likes to do the same task twice because it wasn’t done correctly the first time. Let a Moving Help Service Provider assist you with making sure you don’t accidentally pack an item not allowed in a storage unit.