There’s no telling when the items in your storage unit will have survived certain weather conditions in one piece. Bankrate.com’s Jay McDonald tells the story of someone who found out the hard way:
When IT program manager Dan Renfroe moved to Washington, D.C., he stored his furniture and other belongings in a ground-floor self-storage unit in the nation’s capital until he could find an apartment.
It was an unfortunate decision.
“D.C. had a heavy summer rain storm, and the storm drains backed up,” he recalls. “I ended up with over an inch of water in my unit. My mattress functioned as a giant sponge, and a number of other articles were damaged as well. It was a soggy mess.”
Fortunately, Renfroe had taken his insurance agent’s advice and kept his renters policy in force during the move. “I was able to recover from that with the help of my insurance,” he says.
People living in New York City may have had episodes as scary as Renfroe’s. The City That Never Sleeps has a wonderful atmosphere that it may seem too easy for you to forget the stuff you put under lock and key – all while being in a rent-stabilized apartment – and you may also rue the day they get damaged or stolen. There are ways to, at least, save something in case the unthinkable does happen, with companies running storage in NYC like Gibraltar Self Storage standing by to help.
A self-storage firm allows clients to carry their insurance in booking a unit. Insurance Information Institute vice-president Loretta Worters said that self-storage clients need to call their insurer first for existing options in their policy, such as “off-premises property protection for theft and damage from fires and other disasters.” However, most policies don’t usually include mold and mildew, or certain natural incidences that are brought about by poor maintenance of the unit, Worters stressed.
Insurance will always be a tenant responsibility, although the tenant is free to ask if the provider does carry insurance options. According to Self-Storage Association board member Jim Dinardo, a limit may be placed. Although most storage managers are aware that renters store contents worth more than, say, $5,000, they want it recorded in writing that the latter can only recover the maximum amount of $5,000.
NYC self storage companies offer a variety of rental options that will fit most of your storage needs. However, it is your responsibility to pack everything securely and inspect their condition from time to time.
(From: Insurance for your stuff placed in storage, Bankrate.com)