ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Has the high cost of rent and mortgages got you down? You might be wondering: hey! A storage unit only costs (on average) $75 a month? So, for less than one hundred bucks a month, you might be asking yourself…can I live in my storage unit?

The short answer is: no. Although, it has been done.

Living in a storage unit is prohibited by various local and federal housing laws. Storage facilities must evict any person they find living on the premises to comply with the law and most insurance policies.

According to Illinois State Code 770 ILCS 95/7, “No occupant may use a self-service storage facility for residential purposes.”

How come?

It comes down to issues of safety.

In 2019, a man was found dead in a storage unit when the facility caught on fire.

According to LifeStorage, the doors on storage units lock from the outside, there are no windows or natural light, there is no access to running water, and cooking inside a unit is a fire hazard.

Above all, storage companies stress you will get caught. Storage facilities have some level of security measures in place to protect your belongings, and security cameras, key-coded entry gates and other tools track the comings and goings of visitors to the facilities.