Is it Legal to Live In a Storage Unit In Texas? (2024)

FAQs

Is it Legal to Live In a Storage Unit In Texas? ›

No matter how you view it, living in a storage unit is illegal in every state, period. Most companies have hours of operation where renters can come and go as they please throughout the day.

It's Against the Law

Although the consequences vary, it's illegal to live in a storage unit in every state across the U.S. These units were designed to hold things—not people, which is why the are neither zoned as residences, nor up to housing codes.

It's against the law.

This is a big one. Simply put, self-storage units aren't rated for habitation, which means that living in one is actually prohibited by law. Any storage facility is required to evict anyone they find living on the property or else face penalties themselves.

The safest option is to simply terminate the tenant's contract by sending TSSA Form E-1, “15-Day Notice of Termination of Storage Space Rental Agreement.” With this notice, you do not have to give a reason as to why you are asking the tenant to vacate, which is particularly helpful in case you are feeling uneasy about ...

Living in a storage unit is neither safe nor legal, but it does occur, for a variety of reasons. According to a SpareFoot survey of nonprofits that help the homeless, it's unusual but not unheard of. If you are caught living in a storage unit, you will most likely be evicted immediately.

In general, if you skip storage unit payments, it can kickstart the lien process, where the company can claim ownership of your items until the debt is resolved. Payment default typically happens within 5 to 30 days from the missed due date, according to the lease agreement.

Enforcement of Lien. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, a lessor may enforce a lien under this chapter only under a judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that forecloses the lien and orders the sale of the property to which it is attached.

These facilities are not zoned for residential use so letting people live there could get them into trouble. Storage facilities also have insurance policies that have stipulations against people living within the units.

Food, crumbs, and/or trash can attract bugs or rodents. If someone is sleeping in their unit and leaves behind trash and crumbs, it could cause an infestation of multiple units – not just that one. Also, if someone is locked in a storage unit overnight to sleep, they have no access to bathroom facilities.

(1) “Self-service storage facility” means any real property designed and used for the purpose of renting or leasing individual storage space to tenants who are to have access to such space for the purpose of storing and removing personal property. No individual storage space may be used for residential purposes.

Can you evict a hoarder in Texas? ›

Tara Garner Egge. This can definitely be sticky for the fact that hoarding is considered a disability, and so people with a hoarding disorder are a protected class under the Fair Housing Act. For this reason, property owners cannot evict a tenant based solely on hoarding!

If you don't pay within 15 days from the date the notice is sent, the storage company may publish or post notice of the sale of your property to the public. Published. Legal notice of sale published once in each of 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper in the county where the storage unit is located.

There are many reasons why someone might leave their possessions behind. They may have moved, fallen on hard times that left them homeless or incarnated, or they may have passed away. If a business rented the unit, it might have unexpectedly closed.

No matter how you view it, living in a storage unit is illegal in every state, period. Most companies have hours of operation where renters can come and go as they please throughout the day.

Storage facilities must evict any person they find living on the premises in order to comply with the law and most insurance policies. To put it plainly, living in a storage unit is illegal. No matter what you're currently experiencing, you should not attempt to turn your storage unit into a makeshift home.

Is it legal to keep your guns in a storage unit? The laws differ from state to state, so it's wise to check your state and local regulations before deciding to rent a unit. In Texas, there are no specific state laws about the storage of firearms and ammunition, aside from the issue of preventing access to children.

How much do storage units in Texas cost? On average, you'll have to pay $113 per month for a 10'x10' non-climate-controlled unit in Texas. Depending on unit size and amenities, you can expect to pay anywhere from $7 for smaller storage units, to $5,000 for significantly larger spaces.

The Texas Property Code says that you may dispose of abandoned properties after 60 days, but most landlords will set a 30-day cap. You want to give the tenant enough time to reclaim their property, but you'll also want to minimize storage costs.