TSSA: Storage Essentials Manual, Know Your Competition, Legislative Update & More

Storage Essentials Manual

by Jennifer Jones

Owning and operating a facility is an enormous responsibility. Some of our members have one facility with a few units while others own multiple facilities in many states. While the needs differ from facility to facility, there are core business practices that make sense for all.

Getting back to the basics of what makes the self-storage industry great is a good way to ensure the core focus of the business is still being realized. READ MORE

Published in the current issue of

Self-Storage News

READ BLOG POST

Know Your Competition

by Donald Jones

One evening in January, there was a meeting in one of our Central Texas communities. The residents came in numbers to share their concerns regarding a new self-storage development being considered through the city’s planning and zoning committee. During the course of two hours it became evident the public knew nothing about the industry or the strides the industry has made to be more appealing to their community. Everything they said related to what they had seen in the past and the term

“not in my backyard” became the mantra as

they attempted to move the development elsewhere. READ MORE

Want more industry news & information? Read TSSA's "Out of the Box" blog. ----------->

READ TSSA BLOG

86 ^th Texas Legislature Brings Advocacy Opportunities…and Frustration

by Ginny Sutton, TSSA Executive Director

As most TSSA members know, TSSA serves as a legislative watchdog when it comes to protecting members’ interests not only during the biennial legislative session but year-round, even during the “off-year” when the House and Senate are holding interim study hearings. Texas legislators meet for only 140 calendar days every other year (more when a special session is called). That is a relatively short window to hash out legislation for a state as big and diverse as Texas . READ MORE

Learn how to stand strong in the face of change at TSSA's 2019 Big Ideas in Storage annual conference. Join us for three days of education, networking and a trade show chock-full of experts at the premier event for the self-storage industry in Texas.

TSSA’s annual conference gives you the opportunity to not only learn, but also make new connections, see old friends and learn from other attendees in a variety of unique, entertaining and meaningful ways.

We have some new things planned this year; you won't want to miss it!

THE WOODLANDS WATERWAY MARRIOTT

1601 Lake Robbins Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77380

CONFERENCE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS

Some discussions are led by operators and others by service and product providers. They are a great way to learn about cutting-edge solutions as well as tried-and-true tactics from others who have “been there and done that!"

What would you like to see on the schedule?

Do you have an idea for a topic?

Or are you interested in leading a discussion yourself?

Click the button below to submit your ideas!

RESOURCE LIBRARY

ASK THE EXPERTS

If you are a TSSA member, you have access to our exclusive "Ask the Experts" database, with answers available 24/7 through the Members-Only part of txssa.org . With more than 400 self-storage questions and answers from our team of industry experts, the database is searchable by both category and keyword.

Question

If one tenant’s unit damages another’s unit (through leakage of a product–paint, varnish, water, etc.), is the facility allowed to give the tenant whose unit is damaged information on the damaging tenant or tenant’s insurance company?

Answer

The short answer is “yes.” Your business records are yours to share at your discretion. However, TSSA always recommends cooperating with law enforcement authorities but otherwise being restrictive about with whom you share your information. In this situation, there is a legitimate reason for the sharing. Under the provisions of the TSSA lease, you are not responsible for leaks from one tenant’s unit to another tenant’s unit, and it would make sense for you to put the two tenants in touch with each other. This is also a good time to remember the advantages of having an insurance “sign-off” form for each tenant. Many owners, in addition to the protections of the TSSA lease, have each tenant, at the time of leasing, sign a simple acknowledgment, which states that the tenant will either purchase his own insurance or declines to purchase insurance. This is helpful to file and refer to when a tenant comes to you demanding reimbursement for damaged goods.

TSSA is working with Charity Storage to bring our members another simple way to support Shriners Hospitals for Children—Galveston .

It is a win-win for you, your customers and your community. Your customers can donate unwanted items and you can raise money for Shriners! Plus, a program like this could bring in new customers & raise public awareness of your facility.

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Storage facility designates an empty unit as the Charity Storage Donation Drop-Off Point. (You can dictate what kind of items are acceptable for the donation unit.)

2. Tenants and the community (residents and businesses) donate items to the unit in exchange for a charitable donation receipt.

3. Charity Storage Unit is auctioned either onsite or through an online auction.

4. Funds are disbursed from Charity Storage and 60% of auction proceeds are given to the facility's CHOSEN CHARITY* , 20% to Kure It Cancer Research, 10% to the SSA Foundation Scholarship Program and 10% is retained by Charity Storage to help underwrite administrative costs.

*TSSA requests that members select Shriners Hospitals for Children—Galveston as your charity of choice.