Joe DownsCEO & Co-Founder, Belrose Storage Group. Founder, Storage Moguls.

Cleaning deposits the simple step that saves you money

3 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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After you sell a storage unit or auction lot, collect a cash cleaning deposit of $50 to $150 from the buyer. You return it only after they empty the space completely and leave it broom-swept. This keeps buyers from taking the valuables and leaving you with trash to clean up.

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All right, so what happens then immediately after the sale, you might ask? Well, you need to require a cleaning deposit in cash from the highest bidder, typically $50 to $150 or somewhere in there. You would do that from the buyer right after the sale. This is non-negotiable. The buyer needs to understand that they get this money back only after the unit is verified as being empty and broom swept. This simple process prevents you from having to clean up the trash later, which saves you time and money. You don't want to let them take the items with value and leave the trash. That defeats the purpose. Once you verify the unit is clean, you refund the deposit.