ISS BLOG - Sexual Harassment in Self-Storage: When a Tenant or Coworker Crosses the LineISS BLOG - Sexual Harassment in Self-Storage: When a Tenant or Coworker Crosses the Line

I’m not psychic. As a senior self-storage manager, I make sure the deposits and lien notices go out correctly, answer customer and staff questions, and make sure ownership knows what I and my team need to be efficient. Things like this, I can do with my eyes closed. But interpersonal problems? I can’t help if I don’t know. I’m not psychic!

At our self-storage facility, we get the usual troublesome behavior from tenants: loitering at the facility for too long, using the staff restroom without asking, leaving trash by units … You know what I mean. But sometimes a customer really crosses the line.

We once had an employee—I’ll call her Clara—a very sweet 30-something woman who really took to the business quickly. She whizzed through her first 90 days on the job with no issues. But then there was a problem, and she didn’t come to me with it, even though I was her immediate supervisor. Most of the following I learned later, second hand.

The Menacing Tenant

At my self-storage operation, the managers are often alone in the office except once every couple of weeks when the schedule includes two people. Apparently, one of our newer customers had been “flirting” with Clara, giving off seriously creepy vibes. From my perspective as an older woman, I called this person the “cranky pawpaw.” He was older, set in his ways, wanted everything explained to the last detail. He seemed nice enough and never gave me any trouble, but he was problematic with Clara.

She was so bothered by him that she would ask our maintenance person to come into the office when this tenant showed up. At one point, the tenant asked her, “Does that camera work?” He was motioning to the security camera on the office ceiling. This really upset her. The next time he arrived, she felt so unsafe that she had an emotional meltdown and called the other facility manager on duty. That night, she quit via text.

I had to piece this together after the fact once I’d spoken to the rest of the team. If Clara had come to me with the problem, we could have sat down and watched the camera footage together to see what was happening. Was he being creepy or trying to be funny? What tools could I have given her to avoid feeling so frightened? I could have spoken to my supervisors and worked on a plan. Maybe we would have terminated the tenant’s lease.

At another self-storage facility I oversaw several years ago, another of my managers was sexually harassed by a commercial tenant. He wouldn’t leave her alone, even after she said, “I’m not interested. I’m seeing someone. Please stop, you’re making me uncomfortable.” In this case, she reported it to me, and I escalated it to our management company. Unfortunately, the “good old boys club” at the tenant’s company rallied around him and only gave him a slap on the wrist; but I got his lease terminated, and we didn’t have to see him again. I consider it a success.

Support Your Staff

There’s a hypothetical question that’s been sweeping the internet recently. Women have been asked which they would rather encounter while walking alone in the forest, a man or a bear. Women are overwhelmingly choosing the bear, saying it’s the safer option.

The World Health Organization states that, worldwide, one in three women have been physically and/or sexually assaulted by their partner. That doesn’t even include women’s experiences with complete strangers.

To be clear, I’m not bashing men, who can also be harassed and abused. I’m just pointing out a woman’s everyday reality. Clara is now more fearful about men then she was previously, and I feel like I failed her. But if she’d come to me? Well, we’ll never know.

There’s a reason why sexual-harassment training is mandated for businesses in some states. For example, in California, where I currently work, employers with staff of five or more must provide interactive training every two years. Some states “encourage” training, and others consider it a best practice.

Wherever your self-storage facility is located, always take your managers seriously if harassment happens. I encourage all operators with staff to take at least one class on the subject.

As a final thought, listen to your onsite self-storage team. Emphasize that your door is open. Maybe we can break the cycle of bad behavior, one conversation at a time.

C. Allman is a self-storage property manager in California. A proud mom and military veteran, she has 12 years of industry experience. She’s managed multiple facilities in California, North Carolina and Washington.