OP you say it makes no sense to delete your stuff, but why wouldn't it?

If you rent out a storage unit, put stuff in it, and then stop paying, what does the storage company do? Auction off or throw out everything in your storage.

Can you go back a month or two later and just pay to get your stuff back? No, of course not. They have no obligation to do so.

So why would SE have a different policy?