If you had to pick one main problem that occurs frequently, what would it be?

[shellyfl]

I was just wondering what issues arise with running your storage unit? If you had to pick one main one, what would it be?

[lady5563]

Tenants do not bother to read the lease and understand at the minimum of what their responsibilities are!
Such as the due date and why access will be denied at 1 day late!

[BusyProperties]

I agree with lady5563 and those that think you need to hold their hand.....let them know when rent charges, let them know before the late fee posts, go remove the overlock when they say as opposed to when their lease says you will, contact them weekly once it goes into lien status our late fee posts 10 days after the rent charges, people will wait until day 8 to put a check in the mail & then get angry when the late fee posts....send it sooner

[SBAZ]

GATES! I ALWAYS SAY... THE GATES WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME, I guess as I cant control that part of it. I used to be able to fix the old operators but now they have so many flashing lights etc inside, It is over my head... I don't touch anything and wait.... (and I guess that doesn't happen often.... but it does happen....)

[NCstorageguru]

Tenants abandoning contents in storage. In the past 6 months, I've had about 6 units leave one of two big items (an oven, beds, desks) in their units for us to dispose of.

[KrisinCali]

WEED WEEDS WEEDS. Thank you very much.

[USMCvet]

Tenants abandoning contents in storage. In the past 6 months, I've had about 6 units leave one of two big items (an oven, beds, desks) in their units for us to dispose of.

100% this. I tell tenants no less than 4 times during the move in process that no items are to be left in unit after they move out or they will be subject to clean up fees (ours are $25/ item). We have an addendum on our rental agreement that if you allow you CC info to be stored in our system, we are allowed to process cleanup fees. This has lead to multiple "complaints" on $100+ charges. They normally change their tone when i send them photos of the units.

[NCstorageguru]

100% this. I tell tenants no less than 4 times during the move in process that no items are to be left in unit after they move out or they will be subject to clean up fees (ours are $25/ item). We have an addendum on our rental agreement that if you allow you CC info to be stored in our system, we are allowed to process cleanup fees. This has lead to multiple "complaints" on $100+ charges. They normally change their tone when i send them photos of the units.

Me likey your addendum! I'm using it.

[RandyL]

Reading of the rental agreement is a great one, so is weeds. So I will pick a different one, Crack Heads (this term should encompass anyone high on any form of drug) Had a guy recently sweeping my driveway in the middle of a rain storm at 4am. Had another one write a curse on the wall near his unit to protect it. Had another one with a curious George monkey that I say he was choking, but he may have been drying it out, I prefer my version for comedic purposes.

[helenatim]

garbage outside units

[Steve_hajewski]

I WISH weeds were my biggest problem. My eternal purgatory is people who can't remember a a gate code.

I categorize my phone calls into three types:
- I want to buy your facility (I get more of these calls than I do anything else)
- I'm at your gate and my code doesn't work (Me: Doesn't work or you forgot your code again? Hint: The system is working fine 99% of the time)
- I would like to rent a unit

Also, It's rare that someone hits the gate trying to tailgate in (which tends to put it in an error state holding open), but when it happens, without fail it will happen when I am traveling. Every. Dang. Time. And then every tenant that visits for the next 24 will call or text to tell me said gate is open.

[stoplock1]

Reading the full rental agreement is definitely one of them! Ours is only 1 page and people could be signing their life away and not even know it! I try and make sure to highlight the biggest things they need to know by telling them when going over the lease, but most of the time it seems as though they aren't even listening.
I think if I only had to choose one problem it would be people thinking that I am obligated to call to remind them to pay for their unit on time. It says in the application that no statement will be sent and that it is their responsibility to remember to pay and to pay on time. The previous manager set a precedent for these tenants, so I have been weaning them off of what they were previously used to.

[sailorsmom3]

Mine is not updating their information. I try to email you a reminder notice before you go late, I try to call you before you go late, I mail you a late notice and it gets returned. Now 2 months have gone by. You stop by and want in your unit. I say " your past due", you say " I'm on auto pay. I say it's not going through.... Point is if I don't have update info I can't let you know - I'm charging you for the garbage you left, you left your lock on wrong, I saw you on camera at gate and your using wrong code!

[RMRSS]

I WISH weeds were my biggest problem. My eternal purgatory is people who can't remember a a gate code.

I categorize my phone calls into three types:
- I want to buy your facility (I get more of these calls than I do anything else)
- I'm at your gate and my code doesn't work (Me: Doesn't work or you forgot your code again? Hint: The system is working fine 99% of the time)
- I would like to rent a unit

Also, It's rare that someone hits the gate trying to tailgate in (which tends to put it in an error state holding open), but when it happens, without fail it will happen when I am traveling. Every. Dang. Time. And then every tenant that visits for the next 24 will call or text to tell me said gate is open.

One that has baffled me through the years are tenants who can't see our exit keypad. It's literally right across from the gate (about 30 feet away) at the corner of the building on a bright white pole with three bright yellow bollards surrounding it. A few weeks ago a lady called me after hours to say she was stuck inside. I explained to her about 5 times where the keypad was and she still claimed she couldn't see it. Incredible.

[SimplySpace]

Also, It's rare that someone hits the gate trying to tailgate in (which tends to put it in an error state holding open), but when it happens, without fail it will happen when I am traveling. Every. Dang. Time. And then every tenant that visits for the next 24 will call or text to tell me said gate is open.

So much this! I swear we have some sort of gate malfunction afterhours when I'm out of town.