Is it Legal to Live In a Storage Unit In Texas?

No.

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Okay, okay, in truth, there's a little more to it than that. We all go through some tough times, some tougher than others.

There may be a moment in your life where you are in need of a temporary living space. In this case, I would advise asking a friend or relative, finding a cheap hotel nearby, or in worst cases, finding a safe and legal spot to park your car and crash there for a night or two.

What I, along with the U.S. Federal Government, advise against is sleeping and/or living in your storage unit. There are numerous risks to your bank account and your health in doing so.

Legal concerns

No matter how you view it, living in a storage unit is illegal in every state, period. Most companies have hours of operation where renters can come and go as they please throughout the day.

If you are found on the property outside of these hours, you can be subject to numerous fines or even trespassing, depending on the specific reasons for your stay.

Not to mention, many rental contracts explicitly forbid living in units. Breaching this portion of the contract could result in instant eviction for you and everything you own in the unit.

Just plain unsafe!

Lifestorage.com mentions a couple of reasons why living in these storage units can pose life-threatening concerns.

First off, the doors lock from the outside, meaning one accidental jiggle of the door or an employee making the rounds and locking each door can result in your unit becoming your prison cell.

Also, there are no windows or running water. Personal hygiene will be forfeited, or at least severely limited, if living in a unit.

Lastly, any cooking or electricity use at all pose extreme fire hazards. You are essentially living in a metal box, so any smoke generated has nowhere to go. Fire-related deaths have occurred as a result of living in a storage unit.