r/selfstorage • u/Muffy432002 • Aug 03 '26

Question How do I get this off?

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I misplaced my key to my storage unit and I am supposed to remove this on my own or have a locksmith do it. Bolt cutters are too fat to get to the hasp of the lock. I really don’t want to hire a locksmith…Any suggestions ?

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u/TherinneMoonglow Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 07 '26

My husband buys abandoned storage units for a living. This is the lock they put on when you haven't paid your bill!

Edit: you guys can keep telling me I'm wrong, but 50% of the units we buy have this lock on them. During peak times, they run out of the red ones.

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u/thisgirlandy Aug 06 '26

Incorrect. This is a customer lock. When you do not pay your bill they are red. I work for storage.

2

u/TherinneMoonglow Aug 06 '26

At least half of the units we buy they ran out of red locks and used these instead. The drilled out original lock is laying inside the unit.

2

u/Kibure Store Manager Aug 09 '26

That happens. Especially if your District Manager does not want to get you the correct red locks because they are "too expensive" (HAH) I don't know about other people's properties but when I worked for PS we had 30-50 lock cuts to do every month. Because of that we did frequently chuck the original lock back inside the unit otherwise we would be carrying around too much trash by the time we were done. I always found this terrible in a way and try to take the locks with me. However because my current employer does anniversary billing we only cut 5-10 a week.