Advancing Lien Process Improvements: Legislative Initiatives to Be One The Lookout for in 2024
Legislative efforts aimed at enhancing lien processes within the self storage industry are gaining momentum across various jurisdictions. These initiatives seek to address inefficiencies and ambiguities in existing lien laws, with the overarching goal of fostering transparency, fairness, and efficiency in storage facility operations. The Self Storage Association(SSA) and state associations advocating for these improvements aim to provide both storage operators and tenants with clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities. There are currently active efforts in over 20 states, with proposed changes range across all areas of the lien enforcement process. Storage operators must keep abreast of the evolving landscape within their state, as legal modifications directly impact self storage operations.
The table below briefly explains what changes you can expect in your state.
State | Initiatives* |
All Lien Priorities | |
Arizona** | Towing, Value Limitation |
Unsigned Agreements, Non-Monetary Default | |
Tenant Insurance | |
Towing, Newspaper, Certified Mail, Online Auctions | |
Georgia** | Unsigned Agreements, Non-Monetary Default, Electronic Acceptance |
Idaho** | Newspaper, Unsigned Agreements, Non-Monetary Default, Electronic Acceptance |
Unsigned Agreements, Non-Monetary Default, Electronic Acceptance | |
Kansas** | Unsigned Agreements, Non-Monetary Default, Electronic Acceptance |
Newspaper | |
Non-Monetary Default, Electronic Acceptance, Abandoned Property | |
Newspaper | |
Newspaper | |
New Jersey | Newspaper (awaiting introduction) |
New York | Towing, Newspaper, Online Auctions (awaiting introduction) |
Ohio | Value Limitation, Unsigned Agreements, Non-Monetary Default (awaiting introduction) |
Newspaper | |
Newspaper | |
Virginia** | Towing(clean up), Unsigned Agreements, Electronic Acceptance |
Wisconsin | Tenant Insurance (awaiting introduction) |
* bills found here are the latest versions at time of article publication. They may be amended or changed at any time
** bills have passed both houses of the legislature and will be presented to the governor for signature
The SSA has started initiatives for unsigned rental agreements, non-monetary default, and electronic acceptance of agreements. You can read more about these efforts in our recent article [Link to another blog article here]. Many of these bills are progressing very quickly so we encourage you to keep track of their status and learn how the changes impact your self storage business. You can find the status of the bills listed by contacting the SSA or your state association. You can also sign up for our monthly lien law webinar to hear legislative updates. You can sign up for a webinar here. [Link: https://help.storagetreasures.com/hc/en-us/articles/9859428486811-Join-a-StorageTreasures-Webinar
The SSA is also actively engaged in advocating defensive measures to prevent the passage of laws that could potentially harm self storage operations. These bills include rent control, property tax, sales tax, access denial, cashless bans, and more. Contact the SSA or your state association to learn more.
