The short answer
Check your rental agreement and move-out date first, photograph and list what's inside, then sort it on the spot into keep, sell or give away, and toss. Haul the toss pile to a facility that takes public loads, take paint and chemicals to a hazardous waste center, and ask the storage facility what it lets you leave behind.
Want it handled for you? See our storage unit cleanout service.
1. Check your agreement and the move-out date
Before you rent a truck or book anyone, read your rental agreement. Look for the move-out notice the facility wants, when the last day of rent falls, and what condition the unit has to be in when you leave.
Ask the office two more questions: can you leave anything in the unit or on the property, and does a truck or trailer need to check in at the gate? Rules differ from one facility to the next, so ask rather than assume.
2. Take inventory before you start
Open the door and take a photo before you touch anything. Then pull a few boxes forward and photograph the back of the unit too.
Make a rough list: furniture, mattresses, appliances, boxes, tools, and anything that might be hazardous. That list tells you how many trips you need and where each pile goes.
3. Bring what you need
- Gloves, a utility knife and a flashlight
- Contractor bags and a few empty boxes
- Tape and a marker to label piles
- A hand truck or dolly if the facility doesn't lend one
- Your gate code and the unit key or lock combination
4. Sort in the aisle, not at home
Hauling everything home to sort it later means moving it twice. Sort at the unit instead, in four piles: keep, sell, give away and toss.
Open every box. Papers, photos and small valuables end up in boxes marked "kitchen" all the time. Keep anything with your name, account numbers or ID on it with you.
5. Where the toss pile can go
In Los Angeles County, two self-haul options take public loads. The Athens Irwindale MRF says it's open to the public, including residents, contractors and businesses. The Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility accepts self-haul and hand loads if they meet its limits on recyclable material, and safety vests are required at all times.
In Orange County, the City of Huntington Beach lists the Republic Services transfer station at Rainbow Environmental as its public dump for self-haul loads of construction debris, landscape debris and other trash.
Call ahead for fees and current hours before you load up.
More on this: Athens Irwindale MRF · Puente Hills MRF · Huntington Beach Transfer Station
Sources: Athens Services: Irwindale MRF; LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills MRF; City of Huntington Beach: Trash & Recycling, checked Nov 2026
6. Paint, chemicals and gas cans
Storage units collect old paint, pool chemicals, fuel cans and propane cylinders. Don't leave them in the unit and don't put them in a regular load.
In LA County, the City of LA's S.A.F.E. Centers take household hazardous waste and e-waste free from City of LA and LA County residents. In Orange County, OC residents can use the County's four household hazardous waste centers free, up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip.
Sources: LA Sanitation & Environment: Los Angeles-Glendale S.A.F.E. Center; OC Waste & Recycling: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers, checked Nov 2026
7. Will city bulky pickup come to a storage facility?
City bulky item programs are set up around your home's trash service. In the City of LA, for example, LASAN picks up bulky items at the curb on your regular trash day.
The official pages we checked don't say whether a city will collect from a storage facility. Ask your city or hauler before you count on it. If they won't, you can bring items home and set them out on your next pickup, or take them to a facility yourself.
More on this: bulky item pickup rules by city
Source: LA Sanitation & Environment: Schedule a Bulky Item Pickup, checked Nov 2026
8. Want help with the heavy part?
Text photos to (562) 219-9266: a shot from the door, a few of the contents and the facility's address. We'll text back an estimate.
Pricing starts at $190 and depends on truck space, the type of material, weight, access and labor. We don't take hazardous waste.
Sources
- Athens Services: Irwindale MRF
- LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills MRF
- City of Huntington Beach: Trash & Recycling
- LA Sanitation & Environment: Los Angeles-Glendale S.A.F.E. Center
- OC Waste & Recycling: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers
- LA Sanitation & Environment: Schedule a Bulky Item Pickup
Rules change. Check the city or county page before you rely on a limit, fee or date.