1. Why should I choose Safe-Space?
For starters, we have some of the lowest monthly rates around. However, there are several other things you should consider when choosing a storage facility.- Gate hours. We offer long gate hours and can give you 24-hour access if you require it. See question three for more details.
- Accessibility. All of our units offer exterior access, so you just drive right up to them. There are no hallways, elevators, or stairs that you need to worry about moving your possessions through on the way to your unit.
- Delinquency policy. Some facilities will lock you out of your unit if you’re as little as five days late with a payment. At Safe-Space, we have a 15-day grace period. See question seven for more details.
- Flexibility. If you start having trouble making payments or you fall behind, don’t worry. We’ll work with you to build a payment plan that gets you back on track.
- No hidden costs. Some facilities charge administrative fees for moving in and out or keep your security deposit when you leave. At Safe-Space, we don’t have such fees and you’ll get your security deposit back when you leave, providing a few conditions are met. See question twelve for more details.
- No phony discounts. Other facilities offer promotional discounts to attract tenants, but require you to continue renting the unit for a given number of months to make up the loss. At Safe-Space, promotions have no strings attached. If we’re offering a discount, you’ll get it regardless of how long you plan to stay. And the rates we list on our website and at our office are the real rates, before any discounts are applied, so you know exactly how much you’ll be paying after the promotion ends.
2. What size units are available? How much is the rent?
We offer indoor units ranging in size from 5x5 to 20x20. We also have outdoor parking spaces available for automobiles, boats, and the like. See the Rates page for more information.3. What are your office/gate hours?
The office is open weekdays from 9AM until 5PM and by appointment on Saturday mornings. The office is closed on weekends and most holidays.The gates are open every day from 5AM until 10PM. We can provide round-the-clock access if you need it. Please note that we will only grant extended access if you have a reason for needing it. “Because I want it” is not a valid reason.
4. How secure is the facility?
We’ve taken the usual precautions. The entire facility is surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. Access to the facility is controlled by a computerized gate system. Video surveillance is also in place.5. When is the rent due? Will I get a bill beforehand?
We use anniversary-style billing, so your rent will be due each month on the day you moved in. We will send you a bill approximately 10 days before your rent is due as a reminder.6. What forms of payment do you accept?
We take cash, checks, money orders, debit cards, and major credit cards (including American Express).If you don’t want the hassle of remembering to pay each month, we offer automatic credit card billing, where we will automatically charge your card on the day your rent is due and mail you a receipt. Otherwise, you can mail in your payment, call with a credit card, or drop it off in person. Note that, outside of office hours, you can still drop your payment at the office: the door has a slot in it for leaving payments if we aren’t there, and we will process your payment the next business day.
At this time, we are not accepting e-checks or online payments.
7. What is your delinquency policy?
You have 15 days after your rent is due to make your payment without incurring late fees. Please note that we must have received your payment by the end of the grace period, so if you are mailing us a check, be sure to do so several days in advance. If you have not paid after 15 days, we will charge you a $10 late fee, lock you out of the gate system, and mail you a late notice.If you have not paid after an additional 20 days (i.e. 35 days after your rent was due), we will charge you a $10 preliminary lien fee, over-lock your unit, and mail you a pre-lien notice.
If you have not paid after an additional 15 days (i.e. 50 days after your rent was due), we will charge you a $20 lien fee and mail you a lien notice via certified mail.
At this point, we will cut your lock and take note of your unit’s contents. Abiding by Massachusetts law, we will prepare to auction your unit by placing an auction notice in a local newspaper for two consecutive weeks.
If you still have not contacted us, we will proceed to auction your unit in order to recoup our costs. If the unit sells for more than you owed, you can collect the difference. Any personal effects (e.g. photographs, financial records, etc) will not be sold and will be held at our office for 90 days, as required by law. If you do not collect them, we will discard them once that period has elapsed.
8. What am I allowed to store?
You are allowed to store almost anything you like. The only things you may not store are items that are perishable (e.g. food) or potentially hazardous (toxic, flammable, explosive, etc). Note that this does not preclude storing cars, gas grills, and other similar items in our units. We simply require that the gas tanks be empty (or nearly empty), eliminating the hazard.9. Are climate-controlled units available?
No. We get very few requests for climate-controlled units, and have noticed that many people who ask for climate-controlled units plan to store items that don’t actually need a climate-controlled environment. If you are unsure whether the items you plan to store need a climate-controlled unit, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to advise you.10. Do you have locks/boxes/a moving truck available?
We have a few types of locks available for sale at our office. We do not sell boxes or provide a vehicle for moving items in and out of the facility.11. Can I use a lock I already own?
Absolutely. We have no restrictions on what types of locks you can use to secure your unit.12. What happens when I no longer need my unit?
Just take your lock off and let us know that you’ve moved out. If your unit is completely empty and you don’t owe us any money, you’ll get a check in a few weeks refunding your security deposit and any days of rent you paid for but didn’t use.13. How do I contact Safe-Space?
You can get in touch with us by phone, by e-mail, and in person. See the Contact page for further details.14. How do I get to Safe-Space?
We’re located on Route 44 in Lakeville, convenient to Route 24 and I-495. See the Directions page for further details.15. Why does your website look like crap?
It’s possible that we just don’t agree on how to make a website look good, but it’s more likely that your web browser isn’t rendering the site properly.Our site adheres to the HTML 4.01 Strict and CSS2.1 standards. Any browser that implements these standards correctly will display the site correctly. The site has been tested and is known to work properly in the latest versions of all the major browsers, including Internet Explorer (versions 7 and above), Opera, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.
If you think your browser isn’t rendering the site correctly, please make sure you are using the latest version of your browser. In particular, Internet Explorer 6 and under are known to have problems displaying the site. If you are running Windows XP or later, you can upgrade to a newer version of IE that renders the site correctly. If you are running an earlier version of Windows or don’t want to upgrade, you can also try an alternative browser. Opera, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari are all excellent browsers and are all available free of charge.