What can’t I store in a storage unit?

Whether you’re looking to clean out your apartment a bit, are in the relocation process, expanding a business, or maybe find yourself needing to quickly move out, you may find yourself needing to place a lot of stuff in a storage unit in a moment’s notice.

Whenever you’re doing something for the first time or are operating in a hurry, it can be easy to overlook some simple rules or perhaps try to cut some corners. And while the policy of, “better to ask forgiveness than beg permission,” is recommended when you find a plate of chocolate chip cookies, here are 4 common things you can’t place in a storage unit and why you shouldn’t store them.

1. Food and drink

Even if it’s in preparation for doomsday, you simply cannot store food in a storage facility. The biggest reason being that this will attract bug, rodents, and other pests that will likely both impact and damage your contents and storage unit and potentially wreck the surrounding units as well. It’s common sense to take care of your stuff, it’s common decency to do your part to take care of your neighbor’s stuff.

2. Any vegetation

This one should be a no-brainer, but plants cannot go into a storage unit for one simple reason: plants need sunlight and water to grow, both of which cannot be accessed within a storage unit. Furthermore, and much like food, should these plants die and rot, it can attract unwanted pests—see point no. 1 as to why we can’t have pests in a storage unit.

Should you be relocating and need your house or office plants stored somewhere, perhaps ask a friend or family member can “plant-sit” for you during your move. This also applies for pets or anything living really.

3. Gasoline and other hazardous items

Remember this rule, as it has already been alluded to: self storage is a mix common sense and common decency, and this should be quite apparent when it comes to storing a container of gasoline or other hazardous materials.

Any flammable materials would only take one spark and your unit—and all its neighbors—will literally and figuratively go up in smoke. This is one item that is guaranteed to be strictly and unquestionably forbidden in any and all storage units. In case you’re curious about something non-gasoline, this list of materials includes: chemicals, aerosols, acid, propane, oils, paint thinners, cleaner, pesticides, hand sanitizers, liquor, fireworks, and more.

4. Wet materials

While some storage facilities make allowances for liquids, such as wine storage, in most situations you should avoid storing anything that is wet. In the majority of cases, this will cause rapid mold and bacteria growth in your storage unit, which can cause a slew of issues that include damage to paper and fabrics to odors that could attract unwanted guests to your storage unit (again, see point No. 1.)

Sometimes you have to make a quick move, and it’s hard to make the best decision without all the information. Thankfully, now you do know a few key things that you can’t place in a storage unit.