Can I Sue a Public Storage Facility?

Yes, you can sue a self-service storage facility, but you'll need creativity to win. Self-storage facilities have rental agreements that limit their liability in case of a lawsuit, whether for bodily injury or property damage. But, you may be able to pursue a legal claim that isn't barred by the rental agreement if you can show they intentionally lost or destroyed your stored property or were grossly negligent.

Because the language of lease agreements is so one-sided, you will have a tough time beating a self-storage facility in court. Understanding your rights and the fine print in your rental agreement is crucial, and legal advice can help you navigate disputes effectively.

A creative contracts lawyer in your corner is a great asset. An experienced attorney can assess your situation and advise on whether pursuing a lawsuit is your best option.

Self-Storage Facilities Are Booming

There are nearly 50,000 self-storage facilities in the United States self-storage industry. More than 10% of U.S. households rent a storage unit for an average of about $90 per month. They are a popular option if you can't fit all your stuff into your home. They may also be your only option if you lose your home and need a place to store your property.

Some of the largest publicly traded self-storage operators by annual revenue are:

• Public Storage: $3.2 billion (2021)
• Extra Space Storage: $1.6 billion (2021)
• CubeSmart: $707 million (2021)
• Life Storage: $690 million (2021)
• U-Haul (a subsidiary of Amerco): $477 million (self-storage revenue only 2021)

Bad Things Can Happen With My Storage Unit

Suppose you're moving and need to rent a storage space for your antiques, important documents, and family heirlooms. You go to a local self-service storage facility and sign a rental agreement for a heated unit without looking it over. You don't bother getting renters insurance, thinking you won't use the unit long enough to justify it. You give them a credit card and let them deduct the fee automatically each month.

Things are going swell until you get an email from the facility saying that your unit may have been affected by a water leak. It turns out your unit and several others got flooded when a pipe inside your unit froze and burst. All of your property was ruined from water damage.

You call a lawyer to learn about your legal options. The first thing they ask you is to see your rental agreement.

Rental Agreement

Your rental agreement will differ depending on the storage facility. Your state's law governs its interpretation. It will contain some, most, or all the provisions discussed below.

But there's one thing common to all rental agreements: A lawyer wrote them for the storage facility. It shouldn't surprise you if your lawyer says your agreement contains many terms that benefit the facility.

Lien

The first is a lien on your property. Most states have statutes called something like the Self-Service Storage Facility Act. Under these statutes, self-storage companies have a lien — a property interest — on the property you store in the unit. If you fail to pay your rent, the storage facility generally has the right to hold and sell your property at a public auction.

Your rental agreement confirms this right granted by state law and spells out what the facility owner can do if you fail to pay rent and it decides to exercise its right to sell your property. Lawyers call this process a lien sale or a foreclosure. A facility owner can keep the proceeds to cover the cost of rent, late fees, storage fees, and the costs of the sale.

But you have been up to date on your monthly rent, so you haven't broken (breached) the terms of the agreement. Your lawyer tells you not to worry about the lien issue for now.

Disclaimer of Warranties

Your agreement may contain a disclaimer of warranties. Most rental agreements contain a provision that says you take the storage unit on an as-is basis and that they make no warranties of any kind relating to the unit. What you see is what you get.

Most rental agreements require you to maintain the unit. If you fail to do so, you can be responsible for the costs of restoring it to its original condition.

Release of liability

Most self-service storage rental agreements contain a release. A release means you give up your right to sue if the conditions of the release are met. Again, the storage facility's lawyers draft the rental agreements, so the release is broad. You generally give up the right to sue for any property damage or personal injury relating to your use and occupancy of the storage unit.

Your lawyer tells you that in your rental agreement, the disclaimer specifically states that the facility is not liable for any damage to your property, period. You tell your friend that's not fair — the pipe wouldn't have frozen if the facility had known that the pipes could freeze and failed to do what they should have to keep that from happening.

Your lawyer tells you to hold that thought for a moment. At this point, they are telling you about the obstacles you face if you decide to sue.

Indemnification

Next is indemnification. Most rental agreements contain a provision that says that if the storage facility gets sued for any reason associated with your use and occupancy of the unit, you agree to pay for their legal costs, any judgments against them, and (often) their attorney's fees. This is an indemnification provision.

You weren't storing anyone else's property in your unit, and no one got injured, so you don't see how this provision comes into play in your situation. Your lawyer tells you that you are probably right unless the storage facility takes the position that, as part of your responsibility to care for the unit, you should have ensured you set the thermostat high enough to prevent the pipe from freezing. Theoretically, they could argue that you have to indemnify (pay) them if the renters of the other flooded units, who would be creditors, sue them.

Limitation on Recovery

That's not all. Most rental agreements contain a limitation on any potential recovery. For example, a rental agreement could say that in the event of any dispute with the storage facility, the most you can recover in any lawsuit is a particular dollar amount.

Your lawyer says your rental agreement specifically limits your recovery to $5,000. That would put you in small claims court.

Unfortunately, your family heirlooms, let alone the antiques, were worth a lot more than that. This is getting discouraging.

Insurance requirement

Your lawyer asks you if you had any insurance on the unit. Most rental agreements specify that the storage facility does not maintain any insurance on your unit and that you must pay for it if you want insurance. Some agreements force you to get renters insurance on the unit.

Your friend wants to know if you have renter's insurance because your agreement states that the storage facility doesn't and is your responsibility. If you have insurance, they say you must notify your insurance company of your potential claim immediately.

Unfortunately, you didn't get insurance. You didn't think you would need the unit long enough to justify it.

Arbitration

Although your agreement doesn't contain an arbitration provision, your friend says many rental contracts do. Arbitration is a legal process for resolving disputes out of court. You and the other side submit evidence and arguments to a neutral third party, who decides your dispute. Many believe arbitration is less expensive and more efficient than going to court.

Arbitration is a mixed bag. You lose the right to have a jury of your peers decide your dispute, and if you disagree with the arbitrator's decision, you generally cannot appeal it. Thankfully, you don't have to deal with this challenge because your rental agreement doesn't contain an arbitration provision.

Potential Legal Claims

Right about now, you are feeling pretty queasy. There's nothing you can do to get your property back, and now your lawyer is telling you that you can't even hold the storage facility responsible for your losses.

Your lawyer tells you that you shouldn't give up all hope. You may have little luck with a breach of contract suit. But, there are at least two legal claims you can still bring against the facility.

Conversion

The first is for conversion. Conversion happens when someone misuses or damages your items without your consent. They "convert" your personal property to their own use.

Conversion is what's called an intentional tort. You rejoice when your lawyer tells you that you can't disclaim responsibility in a contract for intentional torts. This means that despite the language in the rental agreement, you could still sue the facility for the conversion of your damaged antiques, documents, and heirlooms. You would still face an uphill battle because of other language in the rental agreement, but a conversion claim could help you overcome the disclaimer hurdle.

Gross Negligence

The second claim you may be able to bring is for gross negligence. Negligence is generally the failure to use reasonable care under the circumstances. Gross negligence differs depending on the state in which you live, but you can generally think of it as a willful or conscious indifference to the risks associated with conduct that causes harm.

Again, you can't disclaim responsibility in a contract for gross negligence. You still have to deal with the other limitations of the rental agreement, but gross negligence could also get you past the disclaimers.

If You Want to Sue a Storage Facility, Speak With a Lawyer

You feel great relief when your lawyer tells you your lawsuit may have a chance. You won't get the property back, but you may recover some of your losses. Besides, you feel the storage facility caused the burst pipe and should have to pay for the damage, no matter what the rental agreement might say.

Keep in mind that the above is a hypothetical situation. Whether you have a legal claim with a chance of success will depend on the rental agreement, how your property got damaged, and other unique aspects of your situation.

Rental agreements strongly favor self-service storage facilities. So, if you believe a storage facility caused your property's loss or damage, you should consult an experienced contracts attorney. You may also want to speak to a personal injury attorney who could offer legal help with conversion and gross negligence claims. Your lawyers can tell you about your potential claim and give you some perspective on whether legal action is worth the hassle.