Is there an insurance policy available to cover household goods while in commercial storage?
Will be without homeowner’s policy for a few months while preparing to build new house. Not renting an apartment either so need a policy to cover contents of storage unit. Unit is in a commercial storage facility that is fenced and secured. Only I will have key to my unit.
tonalc1 posted: 02 Sep at 4:38 pm
Very few self-storage companies offer comprehensive content insurance included in the rental charges. Some offer basic insurance but this rarely covers the cost of replacing lost, damaged, or stolen items. Usually, storage companies are able to sell you comprehensive insurance plans through their insurance provider and some will even insist upon it.
exbuilder posted: 02 Sep at 4:45 pm
Sounds like the facility is reasonably secure, many are not. This should make the premium fairly cheap. See your insurance agent for coverage.
Many things can happen in these facilities. I rented a 20′x20′ space for many years for construction equipment storage. One weekend someone moved stuff into a unit next to me. After a few days, I noticed an odd smell. Over a period of time, it just got worse. It smelled like rotten meat and I began to suspect the worst. The rental office eventually said that a long distance trucker had put his household possessions in storage. Apparantly, he had forgotten to empty to contents of a freezer. The smell of rotten meat permeated everything. I suffered no damage, but imagine the damage if you had upholstered furniture, matresses, and clothing in the unit. It might have been impossible to get the odor out. Remember the “funky mattress” episode of “Seinfeld”?
Talk to your agent, I’m sure coverage can be provided for a nominal amount of money.
Good luck with your move.