SSA Blog

There has been a long-standing debate within the self storage industry about when the first self storage facilities were built. The general census is that the first self storage facilities were built in the southwest in the mid-1960's.

Employers must begin using the revised I-9 form for new hires no later than September 19, 2017. Employer must ensure that every new hire executes an I-9 within the first 3 days of employment and must retain the form for at least three years from the hiring date or one year after the last day of employment, whichever occurs later.

Certainly, the self storage industry has benefited from adding computers and the internet to their business operations over the last twenty years. The ability to store and transmit data about self storage tenants, the ease of managing financial transactions and the use of social media to engage greater marketing have certainly affected how facility operators conduct their business and have enhanced their bottom line profitability.

Not all states require that employees who work more than a set number of hours to be given an unpaid meal break. In states that do require meal breaks litigation against employers is common.

According to a recent National Health Survey, 50.8% of households had only cellphone service in the second half of 2016. This is the first time that the survey indicated that more households exclusively used cellphone service than a landline. It is a trend that is expected to continue.

The United States House of Representatives has passed the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2017 (H.R. 985) by a 220 to 201 margin.

On December 17, 2014 an Illinois Circuit court judge ruled that a limitation of value provision in a container storage agreement violates public policy and was not enforceable. The judge’s ruling greatly expanded the mobile storage operator’s potential liability for damages.

Over twenty states currently include a limited lines insurance program that specifically allows self storage operators to obtain an insurance license to sell tenant insurance (for loss or damage to stored goods) directly to their customers and to be entitled to receive a commission for the sale.

Even though self storage facilities are constantly working to increase their occupancies, sometimes a self storage operator must make the decision to terminate the lease of a paying tenant. It may be that the tenant is using the rented space in violation of the rental agreement’s use provision or maybe the tenant is belligerent to the managers.

Most California employees are entitled to two 10 minute rest breaks when working an eight hour shift. One question that has not been addressed is whether workers who are taking a rest break may be “on call” to respond to the occasional situation that requires their attention.