Self storage can be a real life saver. It frees up space at your home or apartment, saves your business money, and gives you a place to put things during a move. Once you start storing things, the temptation to free up more space in your living area can be pretty strong. Unfortunately, sometimes people try storing things that are not appropriate or safe in their storage units. Here is a list of things to avoid:

Perishable Food Items

This might seem like a no brainer, but people do it anyway. Perishable food items don’t last very long, that is why they need to be consumed quickly. While you can feasibly store canned goods in a storage unit, things like meat are dairy don’t work. Putting them in a storage unit that lacks climate control is just asking for trouble. Improper storage of these items can lead to rot, vermin, and a whole host of problems. If it’s perishable, keep it in your fridge and eat it.

Combustible or Hazardous Materials

Though it might be nice to get some of these things out of your house or garage, keeping them in a storage unit isn’t allowed. Items such as acid, gasoline, compressed gas, propane, kerosene, and paint are all risks that could damage your property, the property of other renters, and the the assets of the storage company. Either dispose of these types of materials safely, or keep them stowed in a secure area in your home.

Unregistered Vehicles

While storing a car or boat in storage is an excellent idea, these things have to be registered. Otherwise, storage companies are not going to allow you to use their facilities. So, if you have a vehicle that you would like to put into storage, make sure your registration is up to date and documented. This will save you a headache later on.

Plants, Animals, or Yourself

Living things–and dead things too–are not to be placed in storage. Anything living placed in a storage unit would not be living for long. If you need to leave your pet somewhere, find a relative or friend. If you have a plant that needs taking care of, invite a neighbor to water it for you. Do not place these things in storage. Now, this includes yourself too. Storage units are not small studio style apartments. They are not meant to live in or work from.