[manaboutown]

With regard to real estate if it is not in writing and signed by the parties it is not binding. Period! There is no contract.

Why did you not ask to sign a comped lease for a particular unit while you were there? You would have had a done deal.

Where did you speak to the "regional manager", at the facility? Did he or she happen to be there? Within the self storage industry a regional manager employed by a corporate entity is normally a person overseeing perhaps 10 - 20 facilities individually managed by site managers. On the site managers' days off relief managers are used. Might you have spoken to a relief manager, not a regional manager?

It is too bad you feel you were verbally promised a unit and never received one but based solely upon your statements I would chalk it up to the person you talked to not having the authority to make you such a promise, if a promise was indeed made. Are you certain a promise was actually made? Or were you under an impression a promise was made? Most likely the fault lies with the person to whom you spoke not being clear, not the company. Miscommunications, misunderstandings happen all the time!

I have been involved in the self storage industry for over 40 years. I cannot begin to count how many times people/companies/organizations call or come in and tell us they want a unit. They tell us they are going to rent it so hold it for them. Then...guess what...surprise, surprise...They are no-shows! This happens daily, sometimes multiple times in a day at each site. Yes, even on an occasional complimentary unit to a charity. They, too, change their minds, can't get their act together or whatever and are no-shows for a unit we could have rented for real money to a real customer.

The way my managers handle it is when a customer shows up, signs a lease and pays the unit is theirs, and not before. Same for a comped unit. We still require a rental agreement to cover the legalities.