How much does self storage cost in the UK 2025?

When you need a storage unit, deciding where to keep your belongings, one of the key factors - although far from the only one - is price.

The SSA (Self Storage Association) runs a UK annual industry report. This in-depth survey on the industry allows storage providers like us at Pink Storage to see how we are doing as a companyr, but also offers consumersuseful information. This year's report, Self Storage Annual Report 2025, produced in association with Cushman and Wakefield, has just been issued.

Here, we take a deeper dive in order to show not only what average storage cost is in the UK, but why self-storage prices differ, and the factors that affect the price persquare foot.

Prices given here are the annual average cost per square foot (SSA figures) for 2024 (published 2025) and exclude VAT (20%),

The storage industry itself usually measures self storage unit space this way (square footage). In reality, rooms or containers have a fixed size and suppliers will quote a storage unit cost. (Fun fact: storage use per head of population rose from .82 square ft in 2022, to .89 in 2023 to .94 this year).

(To calculate how much a self-storage unit would cost per month in the UK, take the average cost per square foot and multiply it by the size of the unit you need to meet your storage needs. (Find out how much storage you need using our space guide.) This will give you a total annual cost. For a monthly cost (average) divide this by 12, and for a weekly one divide by 52. Do bear in mind that this is an average rice and other factors will also affect the price you pay).

How much does self storage cost? The factors that affect it.

Some of the factors that affect the total cost of your storage include:

Location of the Storage Facility

Some areas tend to have higher prices than others for self storage. As with prices in general, storage prices in the south will be cheaper in general than further north.

As you can see from the chart above, location affects self-storage prices. Included in the price will be the effects of: local property and land costs (rates rose by 5% on average last year); regional taxes;  competition; ease of access to unit/area; and insurance costs in the area. All of these affect total storage costs to the supplier, which will reflect in the final price that they charge storers. Whilst it would be nice for consumers to have storage at lower than cost price, the race to the bottom price wise is unsustainable and it pays to take a look at the section below, reviewing the provider as a variable in average self storage prices.

Also, when reviewing pricing in each area, as we indicated in this review of the SSA Report last year, whilst there are huge variations between areas, there will always be further variations within that. Manchester for example, may seem like one place, but storage areas in central Manchester can usually be expected to cost far more than in the suburbs.  Apply this principle to any large urban area, including London, and it becomes evident why there are huge cost per square foot differences when it comes to self storage prices.

(In reality many storage providers offer very simple online booking on their websites that make renting a storage unit simple.)

Storage unit sizes

Storage units come in various sizes: self storage prices naturally differ with how much space you need.

Indoor, warehouse style storage units often offer spaces of varying sizes.  The same supplier is unlikely to be offering smaller storage areas at a higher total cost than larger ones at the same location, unless some other factor is present like different security arrangements or difficult access.

Other suppliers (including Pink Storage) offer the drive up container type of storage unit. This is an increasingly popular option due to their ease and security. (Of the 2,915 self storage stores in the UK last year, 1,135 were predominately container-based storage.)

Generally, the larger the unit, the less storers pay per foot, although TOTAL cost will usually be higher, the bigger the unit.

So whether suppliers are quoting a cost per foot on storage options or a total cost, it pays for consumers to whip out their calculators and ensure they are comparing like with like on any quotes for a storage unit of around the same size.  (They should also check if a lower price than another quote includes or excludes VAT, to avoid expensive surprises when it comes to billing time.

The storage provider

Depending on who your storage provider is,  some have their prices dictated to by a central head office, others are privately owned and have some flexibility for things like long term leases. All have a a mass of considerations that feed into their pricing, including how busy their storage units are, local competition and the range of storage options that they offer.

(If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.  Many storage facilities offer loss leading prices to hook consumers in. These will prove false economy when you can't access your storage unit, albeit temporarily, when their supplier ends up in liquidation. It's a genuine consideration:  in 2024, the level of insolvencies remained high for the storage industry after a record year in 2023. Whilst company insolvencies were, thankfully, down (although still high), compulsory liquidations rose by14% in 2024.)

Consider that annual property and rental prices are expected to continue rising at around 5% for this year (estimates vary between 3 and 8 per cent, depending upon property types and estimator). With a base rate for business borrowing at around 4.5%,  high compared to recent years, it remains easy to see why the cheapest supplier is therefore not always the best option. The suppliers must weather the same cost of living constraints applying to all of us.

The biggest suppliers also may not be able to innovate as rapidly as some of the nimbler (still well established) small to mid-sized established providers.

Seasonal changes

Some times of year prove busier for storage companies than others - peak times like Christmas for small businesses or the spring7summer house moving season for example. At quieter times they may create special offers to keep their storage units in work, whilst at busy times, they may naturally be less flexible on the price of self storage.

When a new storage unit first opens, early customers may be rewarded with an advantageous offer as a thank you, and when new suppliers arrive in an area, competition for customers may heat up.

Pink notes: Check carefully what any deal entails, how long the offer is for, how much storage will cost after the deal ends - and if there are any tie in periods.

Storage facilities

The facilities and staffing levels that a storage unit offers will determine its costs, which will be reflected in both its sustanability as a business and in the prices it can offer customers.

Advances in technology mean that security can be monitored remotely, booking online is efficient, easy and at the customer's convenience. (For anyone looking for storage urgently due to some kind of disaster like a flood or a fire, speed makes a huge difference!) These not only save time, but save money, reflected in supplier stability and pricing for the consumer.

Heating and lighting prices were volatile across 2024, and whilst UK energy prices had fallen since the peak of the energy price crisis, they are on the rise again. Costs like this need to be covered.

Similarly cleaning charges must be met. Users will normally be responsible for the cleanliness of their own storage space once they've taken possession, but cleaning between uses, and cleaning of public shared spaces will fall to the supplier - a bigger issue for 'indoor' units than for stand alone/drive up units

Whatever the offer is, customers should always have their own separate area, unshared with other customers unless that arrangement has been made privately (friends or known businesses sharing a unit, for example).

Internal Storage (warehouse type)

Internal self storage indicated the ones that are typically inside a large building like a warehouse.  They are genarally only accessible through the building, meaning users must navigate corridors and lifts to reach their storage spaces.

This type of storage remains popular largely because of their locations: 70% of respondents to the SSA survey cited 'roadside visibility' as the way they know about self storage. It's often theselarge, warehouse type units that have roadside signage that gives them visibility, ironically often in expensive, high traffic volume areas.

Container Storage

We love container storage, but of course we'd say that - Pink Storage's units are all currently container storage, which we prefer for its ease for customers. Spaces are a private, dedicated space forcustomers, allowing them to drive up without having to negotiate shared hallways, stairs or lifts. As shipping containers are designed for use at sea in tough conditions, the average self storage site is a doddle for these units, keeping storers' belongings safe and dry.

Mobile Storage

Mobile storage is not included in SSA definitions of self storage. Mobile storage refers to the system wherea storage provider drops off a container with a customer for filling (they may even pack it for them) and later takes it away to store for the customer.

(Pink Storage is able to offer this service  on request: Mobile storage)

A Deeper Dive: Storage prices in the UK

The average cost of self storage space in the UK has increased since last year.  As pricing varies  hugely, the SSA´s findings for the 2025 report (based on 2024 figures) are summarised below to help.

How much does self storage cost across the UK?

For comparison purposes, national average prices per square foot were:

2022: £25.97

2023: £26.23

2024: £29.13

Pink Notes: Bear in mind that these are based on information supplied by a limited number of suppliers,  70 companies with 760 stores in total, each one a member of the SSA UK. On the ground, many operators still manage fewer than three stores. (Pink Storage at time of writing manages 19 sites.)

As we'll see the increases aren't happening consistently across the country.

Self Storage in South East England

Average price per square foot

2022: £28.03

2023: £28.16

2024:  £33.90

Pink Notes: The South East, after London, has the highest amount of space available to customers, so the higher prices of storage in 2024 go a long way to explaining that overall price hike.  The clue lies in several factors, the first of which is affordability. As a proportion of local disposable income, prices in the South East remain amongst the most affordable for consumers, on a par with the North of England. Moreover, a big reason for consumers to use self storage is a house move, The South East had the largest numberof home movers across the UK in 2024, 13% more than last year. This and consistently high occupancy rates (81%) go a fair way to explaining these figures.

Self Storage in London

Average price per square foot

2022: £36.26

2023: £38.80

2023: £39.15

Pink Notes: Self storage prices in London are among the most expensive in the UK.

Pressure on space is high. Renters' accommodation is smaller (46% of this year´s London purchasers moved into flats compared with a UK national average of 13% moving into flats  - Lloyds Banking Group). Housing and rental costs are more expensive. Increasingly there are also more people per household: London is, apparently, home to almost a third of the UK’s co-living population. These factors create a need for extra space to store things, and make providing the service expensive, so expect London to remain expensive by comparison to other places for storage in the UK.

Self Storage in the East of England

Average price per square foot

2022: £28.54

2023: £26.47

2024: £30.80

Pink Notes:  Despite drops in the cost of a storage unit to consumers last year, 20% of operators in this area expected to need to increase them back up - they have.

The East had the highest levels of people moving into the area, even accounting for those who left the region, which may help explain why occupancy levels were not the highest in the country, but fuller than other parts of the UK. This means both storage unit prices and suppliers are now more stable in the region.

Self Storage in the South West

Average price per square foot

2022: £22.91

2023: £21.17

2024: £30.47

Pink Notes:  This time last year, we expected pricing in this area to hold even. It grew.

The increase in rates saw a 4.3% fall in customers, but even so, demand in the area is high - it has  the highest occupancy (filled units) of any of the regions at 83.3%.

One of the primary reasons for this may be the property market in the South West. It's a large and disparate area, covering places as diverse as Devon and Cornwall, Bournemouth and Poole and Bristol. In some areas affordability has been a lure for buyers, in other areas there's a massive property shortage. The need for self storage is often linked to home moves, or the need to make the most of what space is available because the costs of upsizing, or downsizing, are prohibitive.

Self Storage in the  Midlands and Wales

West Midlands and Wales

Average price per square foot

2022: £19.80

2023: £20.34

2024: £25.38

Pink Notes: Wales and the West Midlands are well served by professional operators (including Pink Storage).

Last year, Wales had the highest cost of living increase in the UK, and this has filtered through in a storage market affected by fuel and heating costs, employment costs, and, particularly, rate rises. However, self storage rates in Wales remain very competitive.

Pink Storage serves various locations across South Wales. In the West Midlands it serves Telford (Shropshire) Stoke on Trent and (hot off the presses) Birmingham.  It is the biggest self storage operator in Cardiff, the Welsh capital. (Watch this space for more news!)

Self Storage in the East Midlands

Average price per square foot

2024 £15.34

2023: £20.82

2024: £28.57

Pink Notes: Last year, we noted that the East Midlands is one of the most established places in the UK for self storage services, and prices had been very low.  With so many storage spaces full, we expected those prices to continue rising. They have, but they still remain competitive, and less than the national average.

Self Storage in the North (including Manchester)

Average price per square foot

2022: £20.58

2023: £20.44

2024: £22.25

Pink Notes: A small drop in charges to consumers last year was unexpected: many self storage providers had reported being very full. So it was no surprise that prices in the region rose - very moderately considering changes in the region, Manchester was one of the top five locations in the UK for moving into last year, and property prices grew at 8%. Yet the increased average price was simply in line with inflation (5.5%).

Pink Storage now has two self storage facilities in Manchester, one to the west at Trafford Park, and one to the east on Gorton Road.

Self Storage in the Yorkshire and the Humber

Average price per square foot

2022: £22.70

2023: £22.69

2024: £20.81

Pink Notes: The lowered price of self storage in Yorkshire and the Humber hides the fact that as a percentage of disposable income, self storage average prices here are secondly only to London (12%), at 11%..

Self Storage in Scotland (including Glasgow)

Average price per square foot

2022: £23.37

2023: £23.87

2024: £26.33

Pink Notes: Whilst many operators (9%) in Scotland expected prices to fall this time last year ,property prices have risen in Scotland by 6%, and the region has been as hit asother places by general cost of living increases.

Moreover, while these headline prices may not have fallen, the changing face of self storage availability means that the figure disguises a more complex situation, including huge regional variations, and many customers are likely to have actually paid less overall than the previous year.

Additional Costs to Customers

Some items are not commonly included within the storage price:

The Insurance

Providers are expected to provide a level of insurance, but renters will normally need to provide some insurance for belongings in storage, especially for valuables.

Collection, loading, and drop off

If your supplier collects, loads and/or drops of your belongings, this cost will be included in their pricing, or, more commonly, as an additional charge when the service is used.

Early Leaving Penalties

If your storage is for a fixed period, the price will usually reflect this, and consequently there may be financial penalties if you choose to leave early.

Packaging and materials and padlocks

Some suppliers additionally sell packaging materials.

Padlocks are becoming a thing of the past, replaced by cleaner, safer technology. However, some units are still padlocked, and you may be expected to buy or provide one.

• Pink Storage now has 19 units offering self storage at very competitive prices and a very simple quote and sign up system online.*