"Hi, I Think There's a Dog In an RV Here..."

by Josh Parker

It is not every day that something unusual happens in Self-Storage. Most days are admittedly a little dull, and usually about the same. Not last week.

Saturday night, 9:30pm, gate access ends at 10, it's about 85 degrees, down from almost 100 earlier in the day, and I get this call from a concerned tenant:

"Hi, I think there's a dog locked in an RV here..."

Dog in RV's are great when camping, not ok when parked at self-storage!

I admit, this was a first for me, so here's what I did: I made several unsuccessful calls to the owner and left messages. I also texted and emailed him. After 20 minutes of no response, I called the police, who then called animal control.

I met the police on site, and they eventually were able to speak to the owner who came and retrieved the dog from the very hot RV. He was reminded that per the rental agreement, animals are not allowed on site.

Here are the takeaways:

1. Verify your rental agreement to ensure adequate language concerning pets/animals.

2. Make sure you have an emergency number posted inside your gate.

3. Make sure you have someone reasonably local (if you are not) who can go over after hours to help in unusual situations like this.

4. Obtain alternate contact information for all tenants.

   
   
   
   

   If you're considering getting into the self-storage industry, or if you already own a facility and are ready to take it to the next level, here is why Storage Authority might be for you:

   We own Self-Storages, We Manage Self-Storages, We design and build Self-Storages. Simply stated we understand you, your future customers, and want you to be very successful! Our team has over 50 years of combined experience in both the self-storage and franchise industries. If you are ready to talk today, contact me by phone or email: Josh@StorageAuthority.com 203-213-7438.