ODOT 51817 |  WUTC 61561
DOT 1080376  |  MC 448995

7 Reasons Why Self-Storage Is a Really Bad Idea

According to The Self Storage Association, there are roughly 49,000 storage facilities in the U.S. alone. Self storage has consistently been the fastest growing area of the commercial real estate industry, representing $22 billion in annual U.S. revenues in 2011. But why? Why are Americans so willing to saddle themselves with material albatrosses that sap their monthly income? Have we become such a nomadic and unsettled people that our consumerism can only keep up with our lifestyles through acres of augmented storage? I’ll leave that up to the social and cultural critics to decide.

If you’re considering entering the fray and renting a storage unit, or if you’re rethinking the value you get out of your current storage arrangement, let me offer a few arguments against these businesses that dot our landscape. Here are seven reasons why renting a self-storage unit is a bad idea. (See also: The Tyranny of Stuff)