Self Storage Frequently Asked Questions

Start with a list of what you plan to store, including the dimensions of larger furniture or equipment. Our Storage Unit Size Guide provides illustrations and household estimates to help you compare.

How you pack matters, too. Shelving, stacking, and disassembling furniture can save space. If you want room to reach belongings during your stay, allow space for an aisle.

If you’re between sizes, consider how you’ll use the unit. A smaller unit may work if you pack tightly and rarely visit; a larger unit may be more practical if you regularly retrieve belongings or want room between stacks. Tell us what you’re storing—we can help you compare suitable units.

It depends on what you’re storing, its sensitivity to heat and cold, and the length of your stay. Temperature control helps limit excessive heat and cold that could damage temperature-sensitive belongings.

Temperature-controlled storage is available at our Prescott location. Call us to discuss the conditions maintained and whether it suits your belongings. Irreplaceable, extremely rare, and difficult-to-appraise property is not permitted, even in a temperature-controlled unit.

An authorized vehicle or boat may be stored inside a suitable regular storage unit if it fits. Check the overall dimensions, including door clearance, trailer tongue, and any equipment extending beyond the vehicle or boat. The storage door must close completely.

Contact the facility before reserving so we can discuss fit and the applicable storage requirements.

Advertised unit sizes are approximate. The usable layout, doorway, and clearances can affect how an item fits.

If you are storing a vehicle, boat, large furniture, or something with tight clearances, confirm the actual dimensions before reserving. Allow enough room for the storage door to close completely.

Yes. We want to be a helpful resource for people who use storage, whether or not they rent from us.

If we’re fully rented in the size you need, or your preferred location doesn’t offer a feature you’re looking for—such as temperature-controlled storage in Oakdale—we’ll help you explore alternatives. That may mean another Stephen’s location or recommending another storage provider. We want you to find storage that fits your needs.

A reservation with us really does reserve a unit. During the agreed reservation period, we hold your unit for you. We won’t rent it to another customer who arrives before you. Your reservation secures storage space, not simply an advertised price.

Your reservation payment is applied toward your first month’s rent. If you change your mind and cancel, the reservation payment is not refundable because we have performed the agreed service of holding the space for you and keeping it unavailable to other customers.

For a unit with a future availability date, availability depends on the current customer moving out as scheduled. We explain that qualification because another customer’s plans can occasionally change.

We’ll call you to arrange an appointment at the facility. You’ll meet with us to complete the rental paperwork and identification verification, then move in according to your agreed start date.

If you need to change your plans or appointment, contact us promptly.

You can reserve online, but we complete your rental with you in person. We consider in-person identification verification a security feature. We want to know who is renting and receiving access to our facilities.

Meeting personally also gives us time to explain the rental, answer your questions, and help you get started. Feedback from our existing customers has overwhelmingly supported this approach.

Yes. We can arrange an appointment to complete your paperwork before your planned move-in date.

However, completing paperwork early does not extend the reservation period. We can hold a unit for a maximum of 10 days from the date it becomes available or the date you reserve it, whichever is later.

If you need storage farther in the future, contact us to discuss availability and timing.

Not necessarily—a low rate can be a good deal. The important question is what you’ll pay throughout your stay, including what happens after any introductory offer ends.

Before reserving, ask:

• Is this the regular monthly rate or a temporary discount?
• How long does the discount last, and what will I pay afterward?
• Is there a minimum stay or an automatic-payment requirement?
• Are there administrative fees, required purchases, or other charges?
• How soon could the rental rate change, and how much notice would I receive?

At Stephen’s Self-Storage, we don’t play rate games. Our move-in specials are temporary discounts off the regular rental rate. We explain the regular rate, the discount period, and the offer’s requirements and charges before you rent, so you understand what to expect when the special ends.

Our goal is fair, competitive pricing and good value throughout your stay. We take rate changes seriously and consider them carefully. Over time, an adjustment may become appropriate as comparable local storage rates change.

We don’t play rate games by attracting you with a low move-in rate and then imposing steep increases shortly afterward. Our move-in specials are clearly explained temporary discounts, with the regular rate disclosed before you rent.

If we change your regular rental rate, we provide advance written notice as required by your rental agreement.

ACH autopay uses your checking account’s routing and account numbers. To receive the ACH price, you must enroll in ACH automatic payments and remain enrolled.

Automatic payment by credit or debit card is different from ACH and does not qualify for the ACH discount. If you discontinue ACH autopay, that discount ends.

Our regular rental agreements are month to month. Certain move-in specials require a minimum stay; our currently advertised move-in specials require six months.

A move-in special is a temporary discount off the regular rental rate. The discount lasts for the period shown for your selected unit. After that period ends, you pay the regular monthly price shown for your selected offer: the Standard Price without ACH autopay, or the ACH Price while you remain enrolled.

Before you rent, we explain the discount period, ongoing rate, and offer requirements. If you leave before completing a required minimum stay, the offer terms may require repayment of discounts received. Review the current terms on your location’s rates page before reserving.

Visit our Payments page and select the facility where you rent. Each button opens that facility’s payment login.

If you have not previously provided your email address, follow the instructions on that page so we can add it to your account. Contact your facility if you need help.

Rent is due on your monthly rental anniversary date. For example, if your rental anniversary is the 15th, your monthly payment is due on the 15th. Your rental agreement identifies your payment schedule. Your paid-through date is the day before your next payment is due.

We do not send monthly bills. You are responsible for making your payment by its due date. Automatic payments can help you stay current. Contact your facility if you have questions about your balance, due date, or payment arrangements.

Late payments can result in fees and may eventually affect access to your unit, as explained in your rental agreement and the requirements applicable to your facility.

If you are having trouble paying, read how to discuss a payment problem with us.

Contact us early and keep us informed. Staying in contact and following through on agreed arrangements goes a long way toward helping us work with you to get your account current.

We don’t want to auction anyone’s belongings. We would much rather resolve an overdue balance with the customer, but rent and other amounts owed still need to be paid. Tell us what is happening and discuss a realistic plan with us. Any payment arrangement must be agreed with your facility.

Contact your facility promptly to arrange an accepted replacement payment. A returned-payment charge may apply, and the payment problem can affect your access.

After resolving the payment, confirm with us that your account and gate access have been updated before making a trip to the facility.

Notify your facility promptly whenever your contact information changes. Provide changes in writing using the facility’s approved process, or through an approved electronic account system where available. We may verify that the request is authorized.

Keeping your information current helps us reach you about your rental. Updating a contact person’s information does not automatically authorize that person to access your unit.

Yes. Rent continues while you rent the space, regardless of how often you visit or whether you currently have belongings inside.

Simply emptying the unit or no longer using it does not end your rental. You must provide the required signed, written move-out notice and complete the move-out requirements.

Yes. Customers have access seven days a week during their assigned gate-access schedule. Gate-access hours are separate from office hours, so the office does not need to be open for you to visit your unit.

Please contact your facility for the access schedule that applies to your rental.

If your schedule creates a particular need, discuss it with us before renting. Access outside normal hours requires individual approval and is not automatically available to every customer.

Please obtain approval before arriving outside your assigned schedule.

Yes. Calling ahead helps ensure someone is available to assist you, particularly when you need to complete paperwork or view a unit.

Our staff assist customers at both Hastings and Prescott, so someone may be at the other facility during part of the published office hours. Location pages provide current office hours and contact information.

Call your facility so we can check the problem and your account’s access status. Leave a message if we cannot answer immediately.

Do not follow another vehicle through the gate or assume another customer’s code is appropriate to use. Contact us for assistance with your own access.

All three Stephen’s Self-Storage facilities have perimeter fencing, controlled gate access, and security cameras recording the premises 24/7. Gate access is limited to assigned access schedules.

Camera recording is different from live monitoring; someone is not continuously watching the cameras. These measures help support facility security, but they cannot guarantee against theft, damage, or other loss. Keep your unit properly locked and your access credentials secure.

Yes. After the plow comes through, we clear snow and ice from unit doorways to help keep your storage space accessible throughout the winter.

We usually reach doors within a day or two after plowing, although clearing every doorway can take up to a week. Additional snowfall or difficult conditions can delay that work.

Planning to access your unit soon after a snowfall? Let us know ahead of time. When we begin clearing doorways, we can prioritize your unit. This does not mean immediate clearing during or directly after a storm.

Door clearing is currently included at Hastings and Prescott. At Oakdale, a separate charge applies, with an option to opt out and clear your own doorway.

Yes. Weather, maintenance, equipment problems, security concerns, or emergencies can occasionally require temporary access restrictions.

If you have concerns before visiting, contact your facility. Office hours, gate-access schedules, and temporary conditions are separate considerations when planning your trip.

Place items you rarely need toward the back and belongings you expect to use more often near the front. Label boxes clearly, with labels facing outward. If you’ll need access throughout the unit, leave a walking aisle so you can reach things without unpacking everything.

Use sturdy boxes with matching dimensions or totes of the same size so they stack neatly. Put heavier items at the bottom and lighter items above, keeping stacks stable.

Freestanding shelving can help you use vertical space while making individual boxes and belongings easier to reach. If you want room between stacks, account for that when choosing a unit size.

We recommend placing items that can absorb moisture on pallets rather than directly on the concrete floor. Concrete surfaces can develop condensation, and pallets help keep boxes, furniture, and other moisture-sensitive belongings away from direct contact with the floor.

Free pallets are available for use at all three Stephen’s Self-Storage facilities. Ask us about them when arranging your rental.

Yes. Take clear photos of your belongings before and as you place them in storage. Include valuable items, identifying details, and serial numbers where available.

Keep the photos and an inventory somewhere outside your unit. If you ever need to make an insurance claim, these records can help document what you stored and its condition.

Yes. Clean and thoroughly dry belongings before packing them, particularly appliances, outdoor equipment, and anything recently washed or exposed to rain.

Avoid sealing damp items inside boxes, totes, or coverings. Follow the manufacturer’s storage instructions for appliances and other equipment, and use pallets for belongings that could absorb moisture from direct contact with concrete.

Yes. We recommend visiting periodically to check your lock, belongings, and the condition of your space.

A storage facility is self-service, and individual units are not continuously inspected. Checking your unit can help you identify an issue and report it promptly.

Your unit must be locked, but we do not require a particular type of lock as long as it fits the door properly. We recommend a disc-style lock as the most secure option at our facilities. We also sell these locks on site.

Lubricate your lock regularly with a lubricant suitable for locks, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Regular maintenance helps keep the mechanism working smoothly.

Contact your facility for assistance. There is a charge to have a lock cut, so we recommend keeping a spare key in a separate, secure place. Avoid keeping all your keys together where they could be lost at the same time.

Covering your lock with a plastic zip-top bag can help keep moisture out and reduce ice buildup. An alcohol-based lock deicer spray can help thaw a frozen lock; follow the product’s instructions.

Keep your deicer somewhere accessible outside the storage unit so you can reach it when you need it.

The following are not permitted:

• Food.
• Tires that are not mounted on rims.
• Irreplaceable, extremely rare, or difficult-to-appraise property.
• Flammable, combustible, volatile, hazardous, toxic, or corrosive items.
• Items that create noise or use power supplied by the facility.

An exception applies to fuel, batteries, and operating fluids contained in an authorized vehicle, boat, or RV. Fuel must be kept at the lowest practical level, and you must take reasonable precautions against leaks, fire, and other damage.

If you are unsure whether an item is permitted, contact your facility before bringing it into storage. Your rental agreement provides the full storage requirements.

Yes. You may share your space and allow trusted people to access it, but anyone you authorize must be listed under “Those allowed access to” on your rental agreement.

Access credentials must come from you. Keep them secure, and make sure authorized users do not share them with others. You remain responsible for the people you allow into the facility and for their actions.

Listing someone for access does not make them a renter or give them independent authority over your account. Likewise, naming someone as an alternate contact does not automatically authorize access.

You may not sublet or transfer your rental, or give another person independent possession or control of the space. Contact your facility if you need to update your authorized-access list.

Storage units are for storing belongings. They cannot be used as a residence, sleeping space, office, or workshop.

You may store permitted business inventory, records, supplies, or equipment, but that does not make the unit a place to operate your business or perform work. Discuss your intended use with us before renting if you are unsure.

Freestanding shelving can help organize your belongings and make better use of vertical space.

Do not drill into, attach fixtures to, damage, or otherwise alter the unit. Contact your facility before making any proposed changes. You are responsible for damage beyond normal wear and tear.

An engine may be operated only as necessary to move an authorized vehicle into or out of the unit, with the storage door fully open and without allowing exhaust or carbon monoxide to accumulate.

Do not idle an engine in the unit or run it for maintenance, charging, heating, or other purposes.

The facility does not insure your stored belongings. All our rental agreements strongly encourage insurance, but we do not require you to purchase a policy. If you choose not to carry coverage, you bear the risk of an uninsured loss.

Check whether an existing policy covers belongings in storage, including its limits and exclusions. Keep photographs and an inventory outside the unit to help document your belongings if you ever need to make a claim. Your rental agreement also contains restrictions on the total value of property stored.

We require a signed, written move-out notice received at least 14 full days before your paid-through date. Your paid-through date is the last day covered by your rent—the day before your next payment is due.

You can submit your signed notice:

• By email as a clear photo or PDF attachment.
• In person at our office or through the office drop box.
• By postal mail.

If mailing your notice, allow enough time for delivery. Notice is received when it reaches us, rather than when it is mailed.

You do not have to use our form. Your own signed notice must clearly identify you, your unit, and your intended move-out date, and reach us by the deadline. The move-out requirements in your rental agreement and on our notice form still apply. Contact your facility if you need a form.

Advance notice helps us plan upcoming availability and find another customer for the space once it is fully emptied. We apply the notice requirement consistently, so please plan ahead and submit your signed notice on time.

Yes. You can put a move-out date earlier than your paid-through date on your notice. Please choose a date you can commit to: you are expected to fully vacate by the date listed on your notice, even if you have paid through a later date. We may arrange another customer’s reservation based on the date you provide.

Our rental agreement is month to month, and we do not offer a daily rate. Rent is not prorated, and unused days are not refunded or credited. Plan your move around your paid-through date and submit your signed notice by the required deadline.

Contact your facility immediately. The sooner you let us know, the better the chance we can accommodate a change, although we cannot guarantee an extension.

If another customer has already reserved your unit, you are still expected to vacate by the date on your notice. Staying beyond that date may result in additional charges beyond normal rent, as explained in your rental agreement.

Please confirm any change with us before assuming you can stay longer.

Remove all belongings, trash, and your lock, and leave the unit swept clean. Follow the move-out requirements in your rental agreement and on our notice form.

Your unit has not been fully surrendered if belongings, trash, or your lock remain after your move-out date. Your notice can expire, and a new signed notice may be required. Continued rent and additional charges can apply under your rental agreement.

A cleaning charge can apply if the unit is not swept. Emptying the unit does not replace the signed, written notice requirement.

U-Haul truck and trailer rentals are available through our Oakdale and Cottage Grove / Hastings locations. Our Prescott location does not offer U-Haul rentals.

Contact Oakdale or Hastings to discuss equipment availability and pickup arrangements.

Yes. You can contact our Oakdale or Hastings location about a U-Haul rental whether or not you rent storage from us. Equipment availability and U-Haul’s rental requirements apply.

Ask about our 10% truck rental discount with an eligible new storage rental at Oakdale or Hastings. The offer is based on availability and is for a storage move-in only.

The discount applies to the base rental rate and mileage charges only. It does not apply to additional charges, and some storage specials cannot be combined with this discount. Confirm eligibility with us before booking.

Confirm your equipment, pickup location, pickup time, and return arrangements before moving day. Bring your valid driver’s license and confirm the identification and payment requirements for your rental.

Return the truck by the date and time on your contract, with the fuel level required by that contract. If you need more time or plan to return after office hours, contact the rental location for instructions.