Self-storage in the city of New York is a significant annoyance for residents of Manhattan. Many citizens live in apartments that they rent, and often up several flights of stairs, so that physically moving their larger belongings into their homes can be quite a chore.
Many NYC residents, therefore, choose to store much of their belongings in self-storage units, which are numerous within the city limits.
The term "self storage" is short for "self-service storage", and is also known as "mini storage". Self storage facilities lease space to individuals, usually storing household goods, or to small businesses, usually storing excess inventory or archived records. The rented spaces, known as "units","rooms" or "lockers" are usually secured by the tenant's own lock and key. Generally, facility operators do not have casual access to the contents of the space, unlike a professional warehouseman.
In most instances, a self storage operator never takes possession, care, custody or control of the contents of the storage rental space unless a lien is imposed for non-payment of rent. Self storage facility operators frequently provide controlled access to rental space areas, individual door alarms, interior units lights, and security cameras. Generally, goods or items stored are not insured by the self storage operator; they are stored at the tenant's "own risk" or protected by tenant-purchased insurance.
At the end of 2009, some 50,000 self storage facilities, owned by 30,000 different companies, have been developed in the United States on industrial and commercial land parcels, usually on three- to 7-acre properties. There is more than 2.35 billion square feet of self storage in the U.S., or a land area equivalent to three times Manhattan Island under roof. The five large publicly-traded storage operators (four REITs and U-Haul) own or operate approximately 9% of self storage facilities. More recently, in many metropolitan cities where competition among storage companies is fierce, better parcels of land near residential and commercial areas are being converted into self-storage.
Self storage businesses lease a variety of unit sizes to residential and business customer/tenants. Popular unit sizes include 10x5 (10 feet wide by 5 feet deep) which is about the size of a large walk-in closet, 10x10 (the size of a child's bedroom), 10x20 (one-car garage), 15x20 and 20x20 (two-car garage). The storage units are typically windowless, walled with corrugated metal, and lockable by the renter. Chain-link fencing or wire mesh may function as a more secure ceiling than a suspended ceiling. Each unit is usually accessed by opening a roll-up metal door, which is usually about the same size as a one-car garage door. A controlled access facility may employ security guards, surveillance cameras, individual unit door alarms and some means of electronic gate access such as a keypad or prox card.
In rural and suburban areas most facilities contain multiple single-story buildings with mostly drive-up units having natural ventilation, but which are not climate-controlled. These buildings are referred to as "traditional". Climate-controlled interior units are becoming more popular in suburban areas. In urban areas many facilities have multi-story buildings using elevators or freight lifts to move the goods to the upper floors. These facilities are often climate-controlled since they have mostly, if not all, interior units.
Warehouses or grocery stores are sometimes converted into self storage facilities. Loading docks are sometimes provided on the ground floor. Also, complimentary rolling carts or moving dollies are sometimes provided to help the customers carry items to their units. Urban self storage facilities might contain only a few floors in a much larger building; there are successful self storage businesses cohabitating with light manufacturing, office tenants and even a public school.
In any case, self-storage within New York is an expensive, but vital, necessity for that city's residents.