I’ve always been a big fan of lists. I like to-do lists, top 10 DVD rental lists, favorite baby names lists ... you name it.

So I’m happy to bring you a list courtesy of Inside Self-Storage: The 2009 Top-Operators List. We’ve asked real estate investment trusts, franchises, independents, developers and property-management companies for info on their facilities including locations, number of units and expansion plans. The companies who participated are then ranked according to net-rentable square footage.

For those on the list, it’s a chance to see how they fare against other companies in the self-storage industry. Those outside the industry get a good look at just how enormous the self-storage biz really is.

A special thanks to all of the self-storage companies who provided this year’s beautiful pictures, particularly our cover facility, Metro Self Storage. The photos alongside the rankings illustrate how long gone the days of old, grungy self-storage facilities really are. These facilities include luscious landscaping, bright lights and tons of amenities like truck rental and mail services.

If you missed being a part of this year’s list, follow this link to be included in next year’s list.

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Top 100 Self-Storage Operators: List Released by Inside Self-Storage