Frequently Asked Questions

Slate River Storage is at 469 Riverland Drive, Crested Butte, CO 81224, just outside downtown Crested Butte and minutes from Mount Crested Butte ski resort and the Crested Butte Nordic Center. We're a Class A heated facility, which is unique in the Gunnison Valley, making us the right choice for tenants who need to keep their belongings protected from extreme winter temperatures.

Our gated facility is accessible to tenants 7 days a week, from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Each tenant receives a personal gate code at move-in. If you ever need access outside those hours, contact us in advance and we'll do our best to accommodate.

Yes. The property is fully fenced with electronic gate access (a unique code per tenant) and 24/7 video surveillance. We work closely with our local site managers, who keep eyes on the property and respond quickly to anything unusual.

Slate River Storage is remotely managed, which lets us keep rates fair and operations efficient. Our team is reachable by phone at (970) 251-0247 and by email, usually within the same business day. Our local site manager is available for anything that needs hands on the ground.

For most 1-bedroom apartments, a 5x10 or 10x10 unit is the right fit. A 5x10 (about 50 sq ft) holds the contents of a small studio or a 1-bedroom with minimal furniture. A 10x10 (100 sq ft) comfortably fits a typical 1-bedroom apartment, including a bed, dresser, sofa, dining set, and boxes. If you have larger furniture or extra ski and outdoor gear, the 10x10 gives you breathing room.

A 10x15 or 10x20 unit works well for most 2-bedroom homes. The 10x15 (150 sq ft) fits a 2-bedroom apartment with standard furniture, appliances, and a few dozen boxes. The 10x20 (200 sq ft) is closer to a one-car garage and handles a 2-bedroom house with all furniture, large appliances like a washer and dryer, plus skis, snowboards, mountain bikes, and the kind of outdoor equipment Crested Butte residents tend to accumulate.

For a 3-bedroom home, plan on a 10x20 or 10x25 unit. The 10x20 (200 sq ft) holds a fully furnished 3-bedroom with appliances. The 10x25 (250 sq ft) and larger sizes are best if you're storing the contents of a 4+ bedroom home, a full vehicle plus belongings, or running a small business out of a single unit. If you're not sure, give us a call at (970) 251-0247 and we'll help you size it right.

We offer a range of sizes to fit most needs, from compact units for boxes and seasonal items, up to large units for full home contents. Every unit at Slate River is heated, which makes us the right choice for items sensitive to cold like electronics, documents, photos, wine, leather furniture, and musical instruments. Sizes vary by availability. For current options and to reserve a unit, call (970) 251-0247 or browse available units on our website.

You can rent a unit online directly through our website, by phone at (970) 251-0247, or by stopping by during business hours. Most tenants complete the rental online in about 10 minutes. The process includes picking a unit size, signing the lease electronically, paying the first month, and receiving your gate code by email.

To rent a unit, we ask for a valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, or state ID), a working email address and phone number, and a payment method (credit or debit card). All paperwork is completed digitally, so you can sign your lease from anywhere.

As soon as the lease is signed and the first payment is processed, your gate code is active. Most tenants move in the same day they rent. If you need access on a specific date or time, let us know in advance and we'll make sure everything is ready for you.

Yes. You can reserve a unit online or by phone for a future move-in date. Reservations help us hold your preferred size so it doesn't get rented to someone else while you're getting ready. Reach out at (970) 251-0247 to confirm the hold period and lock in your size.

We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) and ACH bank transfers. All payments are processed online through your tenant portal, where you can also set up autopay so your rent is paid automatically each month without you needing to think about it.

All payments are processed online through your secure tenant portal. This keeps your account up to date in real time and gives you a clear record of every payment for your files. If you have a specific situation that requires another payment method, give us a call at (970) 251-0247 and we'll see what we can do.

We don't offer a portfolio-wide rate lock. Rates adjust over time based on local market conditions, competitor pricing, and operating costs at the facility. That said, Slate River Storage is locally operated, and we do our best to keep our rates as fair as we can for our long-term tenants. If you ever have a question about your rate, give us a call and we'll talk it through.

If your payment is late, a late fee may be added to your account after a short grace period, and your gate code may be temporarily suspended until the balance is paid. We always try to reach out before any fees apply, so the best thing you can do is make sure your email and phone number in our system are current. Setting up autopay through your tenant portal is the easiest way to avoid late fees entirely.

Yes, tenant insurance is required on all units. This protects your belongings against unexpected events like fire, theft, water damage, or vandalism. We partner with SafeLease, a self-storage insurance provider that offers affordable coverage right inside your lease, so you have peace of mind without shopping around. If you already have coverage through your homeowner's or renter's policy, just provide proof and we can waive the SafeLease requirement.

No. Storage units are not designed for living, sleeping, or any kind of residential use, and using a unit that way is against both our lease and local code. Our facility is here for safely storing your belongings, and we want every tenant to use their space the way it's intended.

You can absolutely use your unit to store business inventory, tools, equipment, seasonal stock, or supplies for your contracting, retail, e-commerce, or service business. What's not allowed is operating a business out of the unit itself, meaning no meeting customers on-site, no employees working from the unit, no manufacturing or assembly, and no signage or permanent setup. If you have questions about whether your specific use case is okay, give us a call at (970) 251-0247.

For safety and legal reasons, you can't store hazardous materials (gasoline, propane, fireworks, chemicals), perishable food, live animals or plants, stolen or illegal items, firearms or ammunition, or anything that gives off strong odors or attracts pests. If you're not sure whether something is okay, ask us before you bring it in. Our team is happy to help you figure out a safe alternative.

No problem. If you forget your gate code, call us at (970) 251-0247 during business hours and we can verify your identity and resend the code by email or text. For your security, we don't share codes by phone unless we can confirm you're the tenant on the lease.

Crested Butte gets some of the heaviest winter weather in Colorado, and we plan for it. Our team plows the main drive lanes after significant snowfall, and the area directly in front of your unit door is your responsibility to clear. Even when conditions are intense outside, the interior of every unit at Slate River stays heated, so your belongings stay protected from freezing temperatures all winter long. We recommend keeping a small shovel handy if you're storing items you'll need to access regularly. If a storm makes the property temporarily unsafe, we'll send a notice to all tenants by email.

If you've lost or broken your lock, we can usually help. During business hours, call us at (970) 251-0247 and we'll walk you through the next steps. Outside business hours, leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. In most cases, the tenant is responsible for the cost of cutting and replacing a lock, but we'll always explain the options before any work is done.

For after-hours emergencies that affect the property (fire, flooding, attempted break-in), call (970) 251-0247 and leave a detailed message. Our team monitors urgent messages and will respond as quickly as possible. For any life-threatening emergency or a crime in progress, call 911 first, then notify us. Our local site managers are also available to respond on the ground when needed.

We ask for at least 10 days written notice before your planned move-out date. You can submit your notice by email, through your tenant portal, or by calling us at (970) 251-0247. Giving us notice helps us turn the unit around for the next tenant and confirms your move-out date in our system so you're not billed for the next cycle.

When you move out, please leave the unit empty, swept clean, and free of any trash, debris, or personal items. Remove your lock so we can confirm the unit is vacant. If you have items you no longer want, take them with you or arrange for proper disposal. Leaving items behind may result in a cleaning or disposal fee.

We don't pro-rate rent for partial months. Once a billing cycle starts, the rent for that cycle is non-refundable, so the best way to avoid paying for time you won't use is to give us your move-out notice before your next billing date. If you're not sure when your next bill is due, give us a call at (970) 251-0247 and we'll walk you through the timing.

Yes, transfers are easy. If you find yourself needing more or less space, give us a call at (970) 251-0247 or send us a message and we'll check availability. If we have the size you need, we'll help you move your belongings and update your lease. There's no penalty for switching, just a new lease for the new unit.

The fastest way to reach us is by phone at (970) 251-0247. You can also send us a message through the contact form on this website, or stop by during business hours. We respond to most messages within the same business day, often within a couple of hours.

Our team is available by phone Monday through Saturday during regular business hours, and we respond to messages outside those hours as quickly as we can on the next business day. Gate access for tenants is available 7 days a week from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

We respond to most calls and messages within the same business day, often within a couple of hours. If you reach out in the evening or on a weekend, you'll hear back from us first thing the next business day. For anything urgent, calling (970) 251-0247 is faster than email or the contact form.

Slate River Storage is at 469 Riverland Drive, just a short drive from downtown Crested Butte. Take Highway 135 toward the south end of town and turn onto Riverland Drive. We're easy to reach from Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte, and surrounding communities like Almont and Gunnison. If you'd like turn-by-turn directions, the easiest option is to search for our address in Google Maps or call us at (970) 251-0247 and we'll guide you in.