Los Angeles, CA: Top Things to Know About Storage

Storage is Booming in Los Angeles

There are 129 storage facilities in Los Angeles. Of course, if you’ve spent any time in the City of Angels, you know that it’s always wise to factor in the rest of the sun-soaked sprawl that sort-of-kind-of-pretty-much counts as Los Angeles, when it comes to searching for your ideal facility. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the country, and like all big cities, it’s been through good times and bad. Hopefuls say that Los Angeles is slowly recovering from the 2007 collapse. Unemployment is down, wages are up and even though housing prices are on the rise (a one bedroom apartment will run you $1,949 a month on average), we like to think that’s just a reflection of more west coast loving folks moving to town in search of California love. As a result of these positive changes in the economy, people in Los Angeles are buying more stuff (yes, even people besides the Kardashians) and for locals who live in $1,800 a month 400 square foot micro-apartments, the need for a place to put those extra toys is crucial. According to Trojan Storage, many facilities in Los Angeles are seeing higher occupancy rates. As a renter, this affects you big time. Be sure to hone in on your ideal storage facility and reserve your spot in advance so you’re not forced to endure the nightmare of commuting from your apartment in West Hollywood to your unit in El Segundo.

Your Neighborhood is Crucial

Here’s the thing about Los Angeles: It’s actually a collection of 80 neighborhoods. Choosing which one is going to be your home sweet home involves a delicate balance of affordability, safety, affordability, convenience, affordability, trendiness and oh yes, affordability again. Wherever you land, it’s likely going to determine where you shop, eat and enjoy happy hour. You should factor your storage unit into this routine. Unlike the good people of some tiny town in the middle of Wyoming, Los Angelinos shouldn’t have to rent storage units farther than five miles away from where they live. Some areas, like Downtown Los Angeles, are harder to find storage in. Other parts of the city, like Van Nuys, make this quest a little easier. Think about it this way: If you’re someone who needs to visit your unit on a regular basis (like a small business owner), always stick within five miles of your apartment or office. If you’re using your unit for seasonal stuff like Christmas decorations and will be hitting it up less than once a month, expand your search radius and maximize your pricing options.

No, You Won’t Run Into a Celebrity at Your Storage Facility

Though there are a surprising number of celebrities in the self storage business, the odds of you running into one of them or a celebrity renter are sadly pretty slim. We asked around, and it turns out that even Los Angeles storage facility managers don’t really run into their celebrity clients. That doesn’t mean that celebrities don’t rent storage units, it just means that they have other people handle the details of actually storing and removing items as well as dealing with any paperwork. If you’re using your storage unit to keep select personal items safe and you’re concerned about the potential for unwanted individuals to access the information on your lease or the possessions in your storage unit, think like a celebrity and keep the paparazzi off your back by remembering your self storage privacy rights. Choose a facility that understands that your belongings and your contact information are just as valuable as whatever Brad Pitt is keeping in his storage unit these days. You storage facility might not be a low-key celebrity hotspot like Runyon Canyon, but it should be a place where your privacy is respected.

The Traffic Struggle is Real

The average Los Angeles resident spends about 80 hours in traffic a year. While public transportation does exist, it’s not as widely available or as widely used as it is in other cities. This means that you should plan on accessing your storage unit by car. For folks like landscapers, who are one of the largest populations in Los Angeles that rents storage units for commercial needs, accessing via car is crucial anyway, as the kind of equipment needed to make a desert backyard into an oasis can’t exactly be transported on foot. Consider a unit with drive up access if like the talented landscapers of Los Angeles, you too have heavy stuff to move in and out of your storage unit. The difference between walking a few hundred yards versus a few feet while carrying a heavy box of books or a large piece of furniture is actually a lot longer than you think. Los Angeles is a driving city, so if you’ve got a car, you might as well enjoy some drive up storage access. And as for those 80 hours of sitting in traffic per year? Accept the fact that the short drive to your storage facility will sometimes take 45 minutes and plan accordingly. If this seems daunting, just take a deep breath and use the traffic time to practice your monologue for that audition.