When new tenants are moving in we always advise them to check their insurance situation. DAK Self Storage does not have additional insurance fees when renting units, which means all tenants are responsible for recovering their own losses in case of natural disaster.

Although such occurrences are quite rare nationwide, they aren’t impossible. One Washington, D.C. man found out the hard way:

D.C. had a heavy summer rain storm, and the storm drains backed up,” he recalls. “I ended up with over an inch of water in my unit. My mattress functioned as a giant sponge, and a number of other articles were damaged as well. It was a soggy mess.”

Fortunately, Renfroe had taken his insurance agent’s advice and kept his renters policy in force during the move. “I was able to recover from that with the help of my insurance,” he says.

According to the Self Storage Association, or SSA, nearly 10% of American households currently rent a storage unit. If you’re new to self-storage, your first call should be to your insurance agent to see if and how your personal possessions will be covered, says Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute, or III. – Fox Business

A lot of home owners or renters insurance possess off-site policies, but it’s not good to assume your policy has you covered. If you are a current or potential renter, be sure to get your policy in place. The added cost is minimal and the compensation (not to mention peace of mind) is well worth it.

Luckily, DAK renters have little to worry about. There are no high risk buildings nearby which might endanger the area. Berks, PA is a low risk zone for earthquake and Volcanic activity, and the landscape is designed to prevent flooding as much as possible.

Nevertheless, play it safe!