Should I Give Up Storage Shed Access

[Shaun Hunt]

I own a rental that has a storage shed. It isn’t very big, doesn’t have power, it leaks and isn’t insulated. I rent to college kids that don’t need to store much. They use the front half.

When it comes time to rent to someone else, should I move my things out and allow next tenant full access?

I would expect that as a tenant.

I want to know how common it is to either include full shed access to new tenant when new tenant arrives, to charge tenant extra for storage shed or to move everything out except my things and not allow access to tenant in order to store my things for my business.

Thanks!

[Anna M.]

My properties always come with attached one car garage per unit as I prefer to have that.  Tenants' rents gives them their immediate living space, the one car garage, immediate porches and driveways, all included in their rents.  Tenants are to maintain all these areas and I include maintenance of these areas in my inspections.  All areas outside of these are termed, "common" areas and open for use by all.  I do have raised garden beds which I do assign tenants should they feel the need to grow veggies (no Marijuana growing, Colorado folks, lol).  I do have a backyard shed.  This is used to store gardening tools used for yard maintenance and other miscellaneous items; hoses that I remove from faucets and store away during the winter, my left over bag of concrete for those quick DIY jobs, ladders, etc.  These tools take precedence over tenant's stuff as they already have their garages which they are required to properly maintain to avoid attracting pests.  Even without garages, I would not feel obligated to provide additional storage unless they were going to be paying for it, as that means, I (not them) have now to go out and look for storage to store my items, nope.  Their rents cover their immediate areas, common areas in my opinion are maintained by you as property owner and it is up to you to decide what you want to do.  Cheers!