There is no question about it, having a place to store your belongings when they don't have another place to be temporarily can be a huge advantage. Most storage facilities allow you to rent the unit you need on a month-by-month basis as well, which means the fees are fairly easy to swing. However, if you place your items in storage and come upon an unexpected financial hardship, you may be concerned about how you can pay for your rented unit. Here is a quick look at a few of the most common questions people have when they are having a difficult time making their storage unit payments. 

Is it true that the storage facility owner will keep your things if you miss a payment?

This will depend on the contract and guidelines in place with the specific storage facility you have your items stored with. Most will not hold your belongings unless you are more than one payment behind and will do all they can to prevent the issue from getting to that point. It takes a lot of their time and effort to hold onto belongings and get rid of them, so it is more ideal if they can help you come up with a plan to pay your fees. 

Can you still get into your storage unit if you are behind on the payment?

This will also depend on the rules of the particular storage facility. In most cases, the lock on your unit will be changed or an additional lock may be added to prevent access until your account is paid to a current status. In some cases, you can work out a plan with the facility manager to retrieve items that may be important or something you may have that is valuable that you could sell to help you come up with payments. 

What should you do if you know you will not be able to make your payment?

It is always best to be open and honest about your struggles with the storage facility owner. If you know that you will not be able to make your payment on time, give them a call and let them know. If something happens and you see that you will not be able to make payments going forward, it is best to go ahead and retrieve your items from the unit so you can avoid further missed payments and the possibility of losing your things. 

To learn more, contact a company like Sentry Mini-Storage Inc.