This is why we still take deposits on our units. $30 for a large unit and $15 for a small unit. If you give us notice by the 20th of any month, you get your deposit back, if not, then you lose.

I make a point of telling each of my tenants when they move in that I DO NOT prorate move-outs. If you go one day into a month, you owe me for the whole month. (I'm not that hard about it, but when I tell them like that they seem to remember it more) They also initial on the contract that that is the policy. If someone comes in on the 4th to tell me they're moving out on the 10th, usually I will work with them and if it isn't a unit size in high demand I'll just keep their deposit and call it square. They are typically VERY happy I wasn't a hard @$$ with them and they leave happy and come back the next time they need storage.

I can get deposits all day long with no problem, since my competitors are all charging one time fees to move in. I'm advertising in the middle of the phone book, so by the time the customer calls me they're well aware of the one-time fee scam, and they're thrilled to give me a refundable deposit.