Boston city officials said they have shut down a South End storage facility where several people were found illegally living in rented units.
Shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Boston Health Commission and Inspectional Services Department conducted an inspection at CubeSmart Self Storage on 968 Massachusetts Ave., where they found the "residents,” according to Boston police.
Police said officials discovered the occupied storage units had coolers, beds, food, curtains and electric cords.
One woman said she paid $230 a month to rent one of the units as opposed to the average $2,000 that Bostonians spend on rent monthly, according to the Boston Herald.
Officers warned the occupants that the living conditions in the units were unsafe and immediately shut down the facility as a result, a police spokesperson said. The city said CubeSmart will remain closed until further notice.
Customers like Heather Moore, who came from Texas, said they only stay there during the day, and not overnight - per company rules.
"You don't understand," she said. "We are flood victims and they've been good to us."
It is illegal to live on properties that aren’t designated for residential use. Residential areas are required to be zoned as residences and have at least one egress window, which the storage units at CubeSmart do not, according to police.
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Other customers of CubeSmart stopped by throughout the day Wednesday to check on their space and find out who might have been living in it.
An employee at CubeSmart declined to comment Wednesday. The office doors were locked and no calls were returned.
