Self-Storage questions, answered

The rate is driven by three things: the size of the unit, whether it is climate controlled, and how long you keep it. A conditioned unit costs more than the same footprint unconditioned, and a year-long rate is lower than month to month. We will give you a real number for the space you need rather than a starting price, and you can weigh that against what the alternative is costing you.

North Carolina has no single generic business licence that covers everything, and the Secretary of State's own guidance notes that some businesses fall under several state requirements while others fall under none, and that a local licence may apply on top. There are over 700 regulatory, state-issued and occupational licences and permits in this state, so ask which ones apply to the site you are looking at.

In Currituck County, the unified development ordinance permits open storage of recreational vehicles, travel trailers and dry storage of pleasure boats at a self-storage use, provided the area is designated and clearly delineated, does not exceed 25 percent of the buildable area, and is not inside the setback areas, and no dry stacking of boats is permitted. Rules differ town to town, so the site's own jurisdiction is what matters.

It is the legal mechanism behind a storage facility's right to hold and eventually sell the contents of a unit for unpaid rent. The owner has a lien on the personal property for rent and preservation costs, it cannot be enforced until 15 days after the rent comes due, and you keep a right of redemption before a sale. If the facility cannot explain that, ask before you move in.

The combined state, local and transit sales and use tax rate is 6.75 percent in both Dare and Currituck counties. One thing to know: the storage of a motor vehicle is exempt from that tax when the charge is separately stated on the invoice or other documentation given to you at the time of the sale. Ask how your invoice is broken out rather than assuming the rate is the same on every line.

Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Southern Shores, Duck, Corolla and Manteo, plus the surrounding northern Outer Banks, and we serve the storage market that serves the whole island chain. Ask about Hatteras Island, Avon, Buxton or the mainland side — travel time and site availability depend on the job and the season, so ask before you book.