Informational

The UK self storage market: where it stands in 2026

6 March 20244 min readBy Darcy, Door To Store

Self storage in the UK has gone from a curiosity to an ordinary part of how people manage space. If you are trying to work out what storage should cost or what to expect from a provider, the industry’s own numbers are a useful place to start, so here they are, with what we think they mean for someone actually looking for storage.

The 2026 figures

The Self Storage Association UK publishes an annual industry report. The 2026 edition reports:

3,143 stores nationwide.
£1.3bn of annual industry turnover.
£27.40 average revenue per square foot per year.
74.5% occupancy across all stores, rising to 79.6% for mature stores.

That £27.40 is the most useful line for a customer. It works out at roughly £53 a week for a 100 sq ft room on the national average. Individual facilities vary a great deal by town, by floor and by how long you stay, so treat it as a sanity check on a quote rather than a price.

What is driving it

Houses are not getting bigger. New build floor space and urban flats leave less room for the things people own, and the things people own have not shrunk.

Life events, not hoarding. The bulk of demand comes from moves that do not line up, renovations, bereavements, relationship changes and downsizing. Storage is usually a bridge rather than a habit.

Small business. Online sellers and trades need somewhere for stock and tools without signing a commercial lease. Flexible terms are the whole point.

An occupancy rate around three quarters tells you the market is busy but not full. You are unlikely to struggle to find space, and there is usually room to negotiate on a longer stay.

What the figures do not capture

The industry measures itself in stores and square feet, which quietly assumes that storage means driving somewhere. For a lot of people that assumption is the expensive part. A room at £53 a week also costs you a van at both ends, insurance, and a trip across town every time you need something out of it.

That is the gap delivered storage fills. Flat-pack steel units arrive on a van, are built by hand on your own driveway, garden or yard, and stay there for the hire. No crane, no lorry, no journeys. Our prices sit alongside the industry average like this:

Unit	Floor area	Weekly hire	Installation	Collection
2 × 2 m	40 sq ft	£35 + VAT	£120 + VAT	£120 + VAT
2 × 4 m	80 sq ft	£60 + VAT	£160 + VAT	£160 + VAT
2 × 6 m	120 sq ft	£80 + VAT	£200 + VAT	£200 + VAT
2 × 8 m	160 sq ft	£100 + VAT	£240 + VAT	£240 + VAT
4 × 4 m	160 sq ft	£100 + VAT	£240 + VAT	£240 + VAT
2 × 10 m	200 sq ft	£120 + VAT	£280 + VAT	£280 + VAT
2 × 12 m	240 sq ft	£140 + VAT	£320 + VAT	£320 + VAT
4 × 6 m	240 sq ft	£140 + VAT	£320 + VAT	£320 + VAT

Prices exclude VAT, hire is billed every four weeks with a four week minimum, and transport is included within 30 road miles of our Luton depot. A 2 × 6 m unit at 120 sq ft is £80 a week, against roughly £63 a week for 120 sq ft at the industry average, and the difference is transport, insurance and every journey you would otherwise make.

What it means if you are looking for storage now

Benchmark the quote. Work out the price per square foot per year and compare it against £27.40. If it is far above, ask why.
Price the whole job, not the rent. Add van hire, fuel, insurance and your own time before comparing options.
Be honest about access. If you will need things back regularly, distance is a cost that does not appear on any rate card.
Get the size right. Paying for space you do not use is the most common and most avoidable overspend.

If you have somewhere on your property to put a unit, get an instant quote and compare it properly. If you have not, a local facility is the right answer, and the figures above should help you tell a fair price from a poor one.

Source: Self Storage Association UK, Annual Industry Report 2026.