08-16-2017, 09:37 PM
Self storage (a shorthand for "self-service storage", and also known as "mini storage") is an industry in which storage space (such as rooms, lockers, containers, and/or outdoor space), also known as "storage units" is rented to tenants, usually on a short-term basis (often month-to-month). Self-storage tenants include businesses and individuals.
The self-storage industry is primarily a United States-based industry: of the 58,000 storage facilities worldwide in 2009, 46,000 were located in the United States.
Industry experts often refer to the 4Ds of life (death, divorce, downsizing and dislocation; the latter can refer to either the renter relocating to another area and needing space to store items until they can be moved to the new location, or a subsequent marriage resulting in the couple having duplicate items) when discussing why storage space is rented.