Insurance for Storage Unit?

We stored stuff when moving. The place offered a plan you could purchase to cover storage of our belongings. Also, our home owners insurance covered us. If they are still paying for homeowners insurance, they should talk to their agent.

J.

I think Lloyd's of London will insure just about anything... form singer's voices to space satellites. Have they inquired if their homeowners policy will offer them a temporary rider?

I used to manage a storage facility for several years.

As one poster said, check with their home owner's insurance. They will most likely find they are covered. If not, call around to other storage facilities.
Most of the better ones do not "require" insurance (that would concern me if they do) but most will have brochures available from companies who sell insurance for specifically that purpose.

Also, get a list of the storage facilities they would consider using, then call the police department to find out how many times they have been called to that location in the last year. The police can not tell you the reasons they were called ( and trust me .... there are many reasons that have nothing to do with units being broken into or damaged ) but they can tell you how many times they were called.

Next, make a visit to the facility and inspect the unit you intend to rent. Look for any signs of damage. Do this, preferably, on a sunny day so you can look up and see if there is any daylight coming through pinholes in the roof. look for any signs of water damage or having been broken into.

Ask about security on site.

Once you have rented a unit, SPRAY with a good insecticide. Not all facilities are diligent about this, and can't get into your unit for timely reapplications. That is up to you. Also, put down mouse poison.

Cover the floor with plastic tarps before storing your belongings in the unit. Cover the tops of your belongings with something water proof. I used to recommend plastic picnic table cloths. These have a flannel backing on the underside that won't damage your furniture, but the top side is water proof.

ALL metal storage buildings are going to have SOME moisture issues. Since they are not "climate controlled" (the industry's term for using heating and air in a unit to keep the temperature constant) condensation forms on the floors and ceiling over night. This is worse in the spring and fall. This is why I recommend the floor tarp as well as something over the top of your belongings.

Finally, I must tell you that anything you have of any great value you really should sell it, give it away, or ask someone to keep it in their home for you. No matter how many precautions you take, not everything is going to come out of storage in the same condition it went in. Especially if it has been there more than a month or two. It just can't be helped. Critters do find their way in, mildew does happen, and things do disintegrate quickly. These things can't be blamed on the facility. It's just a fact of life.

Your other option is to find a climate controlled unit. These are costly, however, and all precautions I have already mentioned should still be applied.

I hope everything goes well for your inlaws. :o)

I would check with their current homeowner's policy.
When we sold our home, and rented temporarily while constructing our next house... we had a lot of stuff in storage. Our renter's policy or our construction/homeowner's policy covered our storage units as well. I can't remember which it was now. But I would think that if they are still living in their residence, that they either have or could add a rider for coverage on storage units.