Self Storage Income 325. From Corporate to Cash Flow with 4 Self Storage Facilities (All Self-Managed)
Dec 2, 2025
Meet Jyoti Osten, operator who revamped onsite service and tenant care, and Darren Osten, the numbers-focused investor who underwrites deals and financed a major expansion. They discuss switching to self-management, raising rents and revenue, cleaning up delinquencies, quick expansion that doubled unit count, and simple marketing and security upgrades that attract better tenants.
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First Self Storage Purchase Sparked By A 1031 Exchange
- Darren and Jyoti bought their first self storage in 2019 after a broker-property manager introduced the opportunity during a 1031 exchange.
- They shifted from single-family and small multifamily deals to storage because it was smoother, filled quickly, and matched their exchange funds.
Take Over Management To Raise NOI
- Take over management when you can improve operations, systems, and delinquency enforcement to materially increase NOI.
- Darren and Jyoti replaced a lax manager, added gate integration, cameras, new PMS, and started booting delinquents to clean the tenant base.
Higher Revenue Can Come With Lower Occupancy
- Physical occupancy can fall while revenue rises when you remove nonpaying tenants and collect fees and tenant protection income.
- After cleaning delinquents and instituting tenant protection, their revenue increased despite higher vacancy.



