Reading A Garage Rental Agreement Carefully

People rent all kinds of garages for all kinds of reasons. Self-storage garage rental facilities are a big business today, even being constructed in the smallest towns. Some facilities let you drive right in, making these places perfect for storing vehicles or boats. Other people need to put household items in storage while they are between houses or in another city. Urban apartment dwellers sometimes find themselves with a home but no place to put their car and end up taking a space in a rental garage.

Your Signature, Please

The first point to remember is that any garage rental arrangement should include a written contract, to protect both parties. Even renting a garage at a private house, from a friend or neighbor, should come with a rental agreement.

Next, make sure the landlord agrees to how you want to use the garage. For example, if you rent a garage at a self-storage facility, are you allowed to do repair work there? Can you use it to store your fixer-upper? If you're working with staining materials like oil or paint, make sure you know the garage's cleanliness rules. Ask if you can get electricity in your rental garage and how much it costs.

If you are renting a garage to store household goods, you might be considering a climate-controlled warehouse. Fabrics can grow moldy in too much humid heat. Wooden furniture will contract and expand if the temperature fluctuates too much or gets too dry. Find out the temperature and humidity limits the warehouse manager stays between. If 24-hour access to your stuff is important, the time to ask is before you sign a garage rental deal.

City people who rent space in a garage to store their car have some further considerations. Read the garage rental agreement very carefully, especially with respect to your responsibilities.

Most garages of this type do not allow tenants to store non-working cars, do extensive car repairs, or give away their parking pass to friends or guests. Most rental parking garages accept absolutely no liability for vehicular damages or theft that occur on the property. When space is really tight, some garages have lifts they use to stack cars in less space. If your garage does this, find out about the possibility of delays in retrieving your vehicle.

No matter what kind of garage rental you need, make yourself aware of certain issues. For example, what will the landlord do if your property is damaged in storage? Can you get access to your property when you need it?