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Have you ever zeroed in on the “who else can have access to your storage unit” clause in your rental agreement? Many of the operators include this clause in their rental agreement thinking that the client includes a spouse or any important person who would like to be named in the rental agreement. But they may not be aware of the scenarios that can potentially include them in the risks.
Taking names in the authorized access field means that you are unreasonably allowing the access and services you offer to share to additional customers. The entire authorized access point will be fruitful, only if it is kept confidential between the tenant and the party. When you get involved in that process, you are unknowingly turning the point confidential to the public, which in turn can create risks.
There are many situations where storage unit administrators get caught in trouble due to authorized access. Here are some situations that management should think about before including the field in the rental agreement. Suppose a person has listed their spouse as an authorized user of the storage unit, and then got divorced and the person forgot to remove the spouse from the list of authorized users. In another case, a person listed their friend as an authorized user and then they became enemies and the tenant was unable to notify the owner of the facility. In these situations, if you offer access, you may need to be prepared to face a lawsuit.
Allowing authorized access to your own storage would be beneficial to your tenant and the other person, but it can lead to legal problems. Suppose a person who is authorized to your unit has shown up without the door code or lock keys and is waiting for your help, then your management should be able to address the situation. Here are some tips for your managers to handle situations.
1. When an authorized person asks for your help in opening the storage unit, mention the policies your facility follows and try to convince them not to provide any assistance to the tenants as part of the safety rules.
2. For each entry or access to a storage unit, inform the tenant that the user has accessed the particular unit, at a specified time, through emails or mobile alerts.
3. Be sure to keep track of all customers entering and leaving your storage using surveillance cameras at the entrance of your facility. Also, ask your tenants to enter or update the list of items each time they remove or add to the storage unit.
4. Educate and train all your staff on how to manage and minimize risk in storage facilities.
Let your tenants decide who they want to share the lock code and key with. If you wish to change your mind, it is your sole responsibility to change the lock code or key. For security, you can keep the record of the person accessing the unit.
