A man has gone viral on social media after sharing a video of the storage unit that he lives in with his girlfriend to save money. The video has more than 10.4 million views on TikTok and 30.7 million views on an additional video that was reshared on X.
In the video, the man said he and his girlfriend were living in the unit because it is less expensive than living in an apartment, and they were saving money to purchase an RV eventually and, later, a home.
The video showed the couple’s furniture set up behind a wall of storage boxes inside the unit and featured the man exercising in the halls and listening to music in the 24-hour-access storage facility.
“I live in a storage unit,” the man said in the video. “Because it’s cheap compared to an apartment. Living here is actually really comfortable.”
He added that the couple uses the restroom inside the facility, which is equipped with a sink and an electric hand dryer, and they cook outside with a gas grill or prepare cold food inside the storage unit when they’re hungry. For electricity, they use a power bank that they recharge using outlets located inside the storage facility.
“If we want to get power, we charge our power bank,” he continued. “They also have power here, so we can charge out the power bank.” The man also noted that the facility is climate-controlled with a comfortable temperature.
The original video was posted by the TikTok account @fullestness, who has been chronicling his and his girlfriend’s life of homelessness. According to his GoFundMe, he has been living in a tent in the woods for a year while working at McDonald’s and, most recently, as a hotel cook. This week, due to the harsh winter weather, he and his girlfriend decided to move into their storage unit.
X user Champagne Sloshy shared @fullestness’ video on X with the caption, “Would you live in a storage???”
The X user also conducted an online poll, and 40.3 percent of the survey participants said they would live inside a storage unit, while 59.7 percent said they would not.
One X user replied that they would not live in a storage unit unless they had nowhere else to live. “Not with where things are now. The more important question, though, would be, ‘Would you live in a storage unit if you had nowhere else to go?’ My answer in that case would be a definite yes. If I could make it work and I had nothing else, I’d give it a go.”
Another replied, “If it was this or sleep in my car, yes. For like $200/month I sure would,” while one user wrote, “It’s a storage unit for a reason!!!!”
While it may be tempting for some people to save money by following in @fullestness’ tracks, they should understand that living in a storage unit is illegal in all 50 states, and doing so could cost you more in the long run. According to David Clark, a partner at The Clark Law Office in Lansing, Michigan, living in a rental storage unit is “highly illegal” and unsafe.
“It’s highly illegal and unsafe to live in a storage unit,” says Clark. “It is prohibited by both local and federal-level housing laws. Aside from this, storage facilities make their tenants sign a contract, which includes a clause that states the tenant’s inability to live in the unit, which follows a city ordinance.”
People who violate the terms of their storage rental space could face financial penalties as well as criminal charges if caught. Additionally, you could lose access to your belongings. Clark also noted that because the units aren’t meant to be used as living quarters, they don’t have strict building codes. Doors locking from the outside, cooking inside, and the lack of windows cause ventilation, fire hazards, and other safety issues.
A man was killed in North Dakota after the storage unit he was living in caught on fire back in 2019. Most units do not have heat, and freezing to death in cold areas is another concern. Living in a storage unit in Oklahoma with children could result in the Oklahoma Department of Human Services permanently taking their kids away, and the same goes for their pets.
According to KCTV5 News, a man was arrested in Kansas back in 2017 for living in a unit with his two children. He was charged with two counts of child endangerment and contributing to a child’s misconduct. An Indiana woman was also arrested after she was found living in a storage unit with her two children. The woman was charged with neglect of a dependent.
Sadly, homelessness continues to be a problem in the United States. If you find yourself in need, please consider alternatives such as shelters, shared living spaces, family members, and low-cost motels.
