{"id":8396,"date":"2021-11-30T10:36:30","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T17:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/?p=8396"},"modified":"2026-02-10T10:17:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T17:17:37","slug":"can-legally-live-self-storage-unit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/can-legally-live-self-storage-unit\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Legally Live In a Self Storage Unit?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rates of homelessness in the United States have been steadily increasing over the past few years. High costs of rent, the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflation have all contributed to the rise in housing insecurity. This has caused many to seek cheaper housing alternatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Renting a storage unit<\/span><\/a> as a temporary place to live may sound like a good option for overall cheaper rent, but is it? In this article, we’ll explore whether or not it’s legal to live in a self storage unit and why living in one may not be such a good idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you live in a storage unit?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The short answer is no, you cannot live in a storage unit. Whether you rented your unit through Neighbor or through a traditional facility, there are regulations against living there. <\/span><\/p>\n

Neighbor’s units<\/span><\/a> are located on a host’s property, either in their home or in their yard and are not intended for habitation. Neighbor’s <\/span>Terms of Service<\/span> plainly state that the space is only intended for the storage of personal property. Hosts charge a much lower price than they would through home sharing websites, such as Airbnb, that allow you to actually sleep in the space.<\/span><\/p>\n

At a traditional storage facility, living within units is prohibited by local and federal housing laws. 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Traditional storage facilities are unsafe for habitation as well, due to things like fire hazards and a lack of basic housing amenities. Therefore, for legal reasons, insurance reasons, as well as safety concerns, any storage facility that discovers individuals living within its units is forced to evict them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How Neighbor is changing storage<\/h2>\r\n <\/header>\r\n
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Transparent monthly savings<\/h3>\r\n

Renters save 30-50% on self storage, on average. No rate hikes.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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Keep your items nearby<\/h3>\r\n

Hosts in your neighborhood means that your things are always close by.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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Storage made simple<\/h3>\r\n

Don't settle for stone age tech and long contracts. Neighbor makes it easy.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n