Self-service storage facilities: rental agreement disclosures.

Senator Menjivar, working with Assembly Members Garcia and Schultz, advances a measure that would require self-service storage facilities to provide a structured set of disclosures on the first page of new rental agreements. The core obligation targets rental agreements entered into after January 1, 2026, adding a clear, standardized set of information designed to accompany pricing terms and contract duration. The proposal situates these disclosures within the broader framework of California’s regulatory approach to storage facilities, seeking to clarify terms at the outset of a customer’s rental relationship.

The bill requires six items to be disclosed: the initial length and renewal term of the rental agreement; whether the occupant has received a promotional or discounted rental fee; the duration of any promotional or discounted rate; whether the rental fee is subject to change and, if so, the maximum fee that could be charged during the first 12 months; all steps necessary to terminate the rental agreement and avoid future charges (including removal of personal property from the space); and contact information for the owner. In addition, these disclosures must appear on the first page of the rental agreement and be presented in larger type than the surrounding text, with either contrasting type or special visual emphasis to call attention to the disclosures.

Enforcement and funding aspects are not specified in the bill text, leaving questions about how compliance would be monitored or remedies enforced. The measure does not apply to pre-2026 agreements, and it does not appear to modify remedies or delinquency provisions under the existing Self-Service Storage Facility Act beyond adding the new disclosure requirements. Stakeholders would face updated forms and processes: operators would need to revise agreements and ensure prominence of the disclosures, while occupants would receive explicit information about pricing promotions, potential price changes, and the steps to terminate and retrieve stored items. Regulators’ role or resource implications remain to be defined, pending any implementing guidance or agency alignment with existing enforcement frameworks.