If you stop paying for a storage unit in Colorado, the facility cannot immediately open the unit and throw away or sell everything inside.
Under Colorado’s self-service storage laws, the facility generally must wait until you have been in continuous default for 30 days before beginning enforcement of its lien. After that, the facility must provide written notice and give you additional time to pay before your belongings can be sold or otherwise disposed of. (1)
That means an unpaid storage unit does not simply become “abandoned” the day you miss rent.
Quick answer: In Colorado, a storage facility generally cannot begin lien enforcement until you have been continuously in default for 30 days. You must then receive notice that gives you at least 15 days to make the required payment before the process can move toward a sale.
If you know you no longer want the unit, clearing it before you reach that point is usually much easier than dealing with notices, restricted access, or an auction.
When Is a Storage Unit Considered in Default?
Colorado law defines a default as failing to perform an obligation or duty required by the storage law or your rental agreement. Missing rent is the most obvious example.
The rental agreement itself must also warn that property stored in the unit may be sold or otherwise disposed of if no payment has been received for a continuous 30-day period. (2)
This is an important distinction: default and abandonment are not exactly the same thing.
People commonly search for “abandoned storage unit Colorado,” but the law primarily deals with a facility’s lien rights and the process it must follow after an occupant defaults.
What Happens After 30 Days of Nonpayment?
After 30 continuous days of default, the storage facility may begin enforcing its lien against the personal property inside the unit. (1)
Colorado law gives the facility a lien on personal property stored there for unpaid rent, eligible late fees, and certain expenses related to preserving, selling, or disposing of the property.
The facility still cannot simply skip straight to an auction.
As the Colorado statute states:
“No enforcement action shall be taken … until the occupant has been in default continuously for a period of thirty days.” (1)
Once that period has passed, the notice process begins.
Does the Storage Facility Have to Notify You?
Yes. After the 30-day default period, the facility must provide written notice before moving forward with enforcement.
The notice may be delivered in person, by verified mail, or by email to your last-known address.
Among other things, the notice must include:
- The amount you owe
- When the amount became due
- A general description of the property
- Information about denied access, when applicable
- A demand for payment
- A warning that the property may be advertised and sold or otherwise disposed of
If notice of a pending sale is emailed and the facility receives no response, return receipt, or delivery confirmation, Colorado law requires notice to also be sent by verified mail before the sale proceeds. (1)
Keeping your address, email, and phone number current with the storage facility is therefore extremely important.
How Much Time Do You Have After Receiving Notice?
The written demand must give you at least 15 days after delivery of the notice to make payment. (1)
That does not mean every storage auction happens exactly 45 days after the first missed payment. The law establishes minimum stages, while notice delivery, advertising, facility procedures, and the rental agreement can affect the actual timeline.
If you receive a lien or auction notice, don’t ignore it.
Contact the facility immediately and find out:
- The total amount required
- The payment deadline
- Whether access has been restricted
- The scheduled auction date
- Whether you can arrange to remove the contents
Can a Storage Facility Lock You Out?
A storage facility may deny access to the belongings if that is permitted under the rental agreement.
If access is being denied as part of lien enforcement, the written notice must include that information and provide contact details for the facility or its designated representative. (1)
Major storage operators also commonly restrict access when an account has an outstanding balance.
So waiting until the last minute to clean out a unit can create a serious problem: you may intend to empty it yourself only to discover that you no longer have normal access.
Best move: If you know you cannot afford or no longer need the unit, contact the facility before the account becomes seriously delinquent. It is much easier to arrange a cleanout while you still have access.
Can a Storage Facility Sell Your Belongings?
Yes, after the required lien process has been followed.
Once the payment deadline in the notice has expired, Colorado law requires the facility to advertise the sale in an approved manner. The eventual sale may take place through an online auction website, at the storage facility, or at another suitable nearby location. (1)
This is why storage auctions exist: they allow the facility to use proceeds from the property to satisfy the unpaid lien.
If the sale produces more money than is required to satisfy the lien and applicable prior lienholder interests, Colorado law requires the remaining balance to be held for the occupant or another person entitled to it. If nobody claims that balance within three years, it may become the facility owner’s property.
What Happens to Items Left Behind After Moving Out?
Leaving items behind after telling a storage facility you’re moving out can create a different problem.
Storage companies typically require the unit to be completely empty before move-out is considered complete. For example, Extra Space Storage requires customers to empty the unit, remove their lock, and have the facility manager inspect it. Public Storage likewise instructs customers to empty and clean the space and remove the lock.
Do not assume that leaving an old couch, mattress, boxes, or bags behind means the facility will simply throw them away for free.
Your rental agreement and facility policies determine what charges or procedures may apply.
If you need to empty a packed unit quickly, Junk Master’s storage unit cleanout service can remove furniture, boxes, appliances, and unwanted belongings before your move-out deadline.
Can You Get Your Belongings Back Before an Auction?
Yes, potentially.
Colorado law specifically allows the occupant to redeem the personal property before the sale or other disposition takes place by paying the amount necessary to satisfy the lien plus reasonable expenses incurred through the enforcement process. (1)
Once that required amount is paid, the facility must return the personal property.
That makes the actual sale date important. Receiving an auction notice does not necessarily mean your belongings have already been sold.
Contact the facility immediately if you are trying to recover the contents.
What Should You Do if You Can’t Empty the Unit in Time?
Start by calling the facility.
Find out exactly when the unit must be empty and whether there is any flexibility. If you still have access, prioritize anything that is:
- Personally important
- Financially valuable
- Difficult to replace
- Sentimental
- Needed for work
- Important paperwork or records
Then decide what can be sold, donated, recycled, or removed.
If you’re clearing the unit yourself, our guide on how to clean out a storage unit walks through the process step by step.
Do not spend valuable time perfectly organizing junk that you already know you don’t want.
Hiring a Storage Unit Cleanout Company Before the Deadline
If the unit is full and you only have a short amount of time left, professional junk removal can turn a multi-day project into a much faster cleanout.
Junk Master handles:
- Furniture
- Mattresses
- Boxes
- Household items
- Appliances
- Storage clutter
- Ordinary junk and debris
Our crew can remove items directly from the unit, load everything, donate or recycle usable material when possible, haul away the remainder, and sweep the unit afterward.
Most standard Junk Master storage unit cleanouts are completed in under an hour, although heavily packed units can take longer.
The goal is simple: get the unit empty before another month of rent, a move-out problem, or an approaching lien deadline makes the situation more expensive.
For fast help throughout Commerce City and the Denver Metro, visit our Storage Unit Cleanouts service or call (720) 999-0466 for an upfront estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long until a storage unit is considered abandoned in Colorado?
Colorado law does not simply declare a storage unit abandoned after a specific number of days. Instead, the self-storage lien law generally prevents enforcement until an occupant has been continuously in default for 30 days. After that, written notice and additional procedures are required before property can be sold or disposed of. (1)
Will you get charged for leaving stuff in a storage unit?
You may. Storage facilities generally require the unit to be completely emptied as part of the move-out process. Charges or continued rental obligations for items left behind depend on your rental agreement and the facility’s policies.
How long will a storage unit keep your stuff if you don’t pay?
There is no single guaranteed number of days that applies to every situation. In Colorado, lien enforcement generally cannot begin until 30 continuous days of default, followed by written notice giving at least 15 days to pay. Additional advertising and sale requirements also apply. (1)
Do storage units throw your stuff away?
Property may eventually be sold or otherwise disposed of after the storage facility follows Colorado’s lien enforcement requirements. A facility cannot simply skip the required process because one payment was missed.
Can I get my belongings back before a storage auction?
Yes. Before the sale or other disposition occurs, Colorado law allows you to redeem your property by paying the amount necessary to satisfy the lien and reasonable enforcement expenses. (1)
References
1. Colorado Revised Statutes §38-21.5-103, Enforcement of Lien. Colorado self-service storage lien statute
2. Colorado Revised Statutes §38-21.5-101.5, Rental Agreements – Required Provisions. Colorado storage rental agreement requirements
3. Colorado Revised Statutes §38-21.5-102, Lien Established. Colorado storage facility lien statute
4. Extra Space Storage, What’s the Process for Moving Out? Storage unit move-out requirements
Author
Junk Master Team
Junk Master is a locally owned, family-run, licensed and insured Colorado junk removal company serving Commerce City, Denver, and surrounding Denver Metro communities. The team handles storage unit cleanouts, house cleanouts, rental property cleanouts, furniture removal, appliance removal, recycling, donation, and full-service junk hauling.
Email: junkmasterdenver@gmail.com
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About Junk Master: Junk Master provides full-service junk removal and property cleanouts throughout the Denver Metro.