Most people might think that running a self-storage facility is a boring job. Of course, most of those people have never actually run a self-storage facility, and they've unaware of the stream of curveballs continually tossed at facility operators, from stubborn tenants to tricky changes in lien statutes. But self-storage operators sometimes are treated (or, in rare instances, burdened) with the excitement of having celebrity tenants. Go figure that the rich and famous have plenty of stuff and they have to travel a lot, meaning they probably do need self-storage from time to time.
On Self-Storage Talk, the official online forum of Inside Self-Storage, member Crystle408 started this thread last week sharing how she recently rented a space to a famous rapper. Of course, because the tenant is still current and she wants to protect his privacy, she won't reveal who he is, but she did reveal that he seems to be friendly and willing to pay on time (not that coming up with the funds is much of a problem).
Others have had fun sharing their celebrity stories. Member Tom Litton shared how he once rented a space to R&B star Lionel Richie. Richie was apparently looking for a space to park his tour bus so that his soon-to-be ex-wife wouldn't find it. Richie and Litton shared a few laughs, and Richie always paid on time.
Many other posters have thrown out big names, some specific and some general. Athletes are common renters, as they often have small apartments and condos in the cities where their teams are based, but they have bigger homes in other places where they live in the offseason. This makes them likely self-storage customers.
Sometimes, celebrities aren't the renters, but they're the investors and owners of self-storage businesses. Notable example are Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has owned a facility in Texas, and former Cowboys and University of Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer, who owns a chain of facilities in Oklahoma. A thread discussing celebrity owners appears here.
The topic of celebrity renters has surfaced before, also, most notably on this thread from the spring. Feel free to jump in on any of these threads and either share your own celebrity story or information. You have to be a registered member to post, but it's free to get a username, and the process takes only a few minutes.
Self-storage boring? I don't think so!