UK Self Storage Prices  2025 - How Much Does It Cost Per Month?

You´re looking for storage. But when you need self storage, deciding where to keep your belongings can sometimes seem overwhelming. There is now more choice than ever and with that variety comes a range of pricing. Whilst this may seem confusing, to help storers make an informed decision about where to store their goods and belongings. Pink Storage takes a look at what that pricing has to cover, what the differences are and why.

Whether the storage is needed to meet a short term need, to become part of the ever growing band of lifestyle storers aiming to keep their homes uncluttered, or even for business storage, the same factors and considerations will, in general, create the asking price for self storage.

How much does self storage cost?

Renting a storage unit usually starts with a search. Google can, of course, help. However the SSA (Self Storage Association) recently noted that some advertisers are advertising in areas they don't serve, and some removal firms are advertising storage without being clear that this is as part of a move. This can cause frustration for users simply looking for cheap, secure self storage -  quickly. Tackling the search task knowing this can save you a click or two,  and, better still, save time and sanity!  

Despite around 39% of the public believing that self storage is expensive, charges are generally falling as the market matures, more room becomes available and providers (like Pink Storage) start harnessing technologies that help them to offer better service at reduced costs.

The storage unit cost should always, of course, be made clear by the provider in advance of signing any contract, and they should have explained what they are delivering for that money.

To help, we look more closely below at the factors that feed into what´s charged.

Towards the end of this article readers can also find listed a few of the extras that may commonly not be included in standard contracts to help keep an eye on the full picture.

Factors affecting self storage prices

There are numerous factors that affect the cost of any self storage option, including:

Location 

One of the single biggest factors in what people pay is location.

Based on this, owners will charge accordingly to meet locally dictated costs, which include local taxes; costs of land/property, be it owned or rented; local  competition; accessibility; and insurance costs.

So when reviewing pricing in each area, whilst there are huge variations between areas, expect further variations within that. London, for example, may seem like one place, but storage area in London can usually be expected to cost far more in Mayfair than in Walthamstow.  Apply this principle to any large urban area, and suddenly we have a huge mass of nationwide pricing differentials. 

We take a ´deeper dive´ below.

Storage unit sizes

The storage industry itself usually measures self storage unit space in square foot and some suppliers still offer that way. In reality, rooms or containers have a fixed size and most now quote per units. (Fun fact: storage use per head of population rose from .82 square ft to .89 last year.)

Some suppliers, notably the indoor warehouse type, offer units of varying sizes. Others, like Pink Storage, offer drive up container storage of a uniform size. (All Pink units are 20ft x 8ft - approximately 6m x 2.5m, for example.)

Why does this matter? It would be unusual to find the same supplier offering smaller sized storage areas at a higher total cost to consumers than their larger ones at the same location, without some other factor coming into play  such as finding it hard to fill certain units or a noisy spot).

However, as a general rule, the larger the unit, the less storers pay per foot. 

The storage provider

Different providers naturally  charge differently, although most in any area will keep an eye on each others pricing so as to remain competitive.

Some are dictated to by a central head office, others are privately owned, but all still have a range of variables to consider, not least of which is how full they are.

It's worth remembering that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.  Any fool can offer prices that help them lose money, but these are false economy for customers who can't get their goods back, albeit temporarily, when their supplier ends up in liquidation. It's a genuine consideration:  2023 was a record year for company insolvencies across all industries (up 13.7%  on 2022).

With annual property and rental prices rising by 5% in the same period, and more expensive borrowing,  it's easy to see why simply choosing the cheapest supplier is not necessarily the smartest option.

An established provider often proves a good option, although the biggest suppliers may be under pressure to cut costs and may not be able to innovate as quickly as some of the (still well established) small to mid-sized established providers.

Customers are advised to check:

• fire and safety arrangements including what people are allowed - and not allowed -  to store
• security
• access
• loading and unloading facilities
• health and safety considerations
• privacy
• ventilation. To keep belongings safe, all units, no matter how provided, should have proper ventilation to help prevent the development of mould.

If a supplier is a member of the SSA, they meet minimum standards. Whilst there may be good suppliers who don´t yet belong, membership shows a level of professionalism and intent to ´do the right thing´ - a base level of reassurance.

Time of year

Some times of year are quiter for storage companies than others. At those times they may create special offers to help fill up, whilst at busy times, they may be less flexible on the price of self storage. For example when a unit first opens, the first customers may be offered an advantageous offer to get the ball rolling. 

Similarly some suppliers may offer discounts for specific days, like Black Friday, a national event or an anniversary.

It pays to keep eyes peeled for offers, although these are usually only discounts for the first month or two. Check carefully what any deal entails, the period of the deal, and what it will cost after the offer period.

Storage facilities offered

People who have never used self storage before often expect sites to be 'manned'. The reality of this is that some will be, but advances in technology mean that there is now little need for security guards or assistants on site.

Employment is such that recruiting for these roles is hard, but more importantly technology means that security can be monitored remotely, and booking no longer needs reams of paper contracts. Efficient online systems mean that people can easily book. Companies like Pink work hard at making this as easy as possible for users. (Pink makes it possible to book and pay online, receive your security passes and get going.) Whilst for many this is simply a 'nice to have', making life easier and saving them time, for others looking for storage urgently as a result of some kind of disaster - fire, flooding and the like - speed matters!

Prices will also reflect what´s offered: heating, lighting and cleaning all come with costs that need to be covered.

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 know businesses sharing a unit, for example).

Internal Storage

Many storage providers offer storage units in  divided up warehouses - making up over 80% of official self storage available across the country.

These tend to be expensive and in central locations. (Repeated research stats show that storers overestimate the amount of times they will genuinely access their storage.)

Container Storage

Offering dedicated spaces to customers, often drive up, container storage is growing in popularity. Customers receive a dedicated container and access/manage it themselves, independent of the provider (who will still provide site maintenance and security as a minimum).

Mobile Storage 

Mobile storage  is not strictly considered self storage according to SSA  definitions: it refers to where the storage provider doesn´t allow access to their space but drops off a pod or container with the customer for filling (or packs it for them) and later  takes it away to store for the customer.

(Pink can offer this service https://www.pinkstorage.co.uk/mobile-storage-service/`.)

A Deeper Dive: Storage prices in the UK

The average cost of self storage space in the UK increased in 2023 (last available figures) to 60 million square feet.  As pricing varies  hugely, the SSA findings are summarised below to help.

How much does self storage cost across the different regions?

Prices given below are monthly averages per square foot (SSA figures) per region and exclude VAT (20%), at the end of 2023.

For comparison purposes, national averages were:

2022: £25.97

2023: £26.23

Pink Notes: Bear in mind that these are based on information supplied by a limited number of suppliers, and intended only as an indicative guide.

Self Storage in South East England

2022: £28.16

2023: £28.03

Pink Notes: The South East, after London, has the highest amount of space available to customers (1.06 square foot per capita). Although the average rental rate is on a downward trend, the South East also had the largest number of home movers nationally in the first half of this year (2024), 13% more than the same period last year. As this creates big demand for self storage, there is little reason to expect those numbers to fall too far imminently.

Self Storage in London

2022: £36.26

2023: £38.80

Pink Notes: London is the most expensive place to rent storage in the UK.  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). Both 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 both 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.

Self Storage in the East of England

2022: £28.54

2023: £26.47

Pink Notes:  Despite price drops last year, 20% of operators in this area expect to have to increase them back up. 

Self Storage in the South West

2022: £22.91

2023: £21.17

Pink Notes:  Expect this pricing to hold even in this area. (It´s always worth consumers keeping an eye out for offers.)

Self Storage in the  Midlands 

West Midlands and Wales

2022: £19.80

2023: £20.34

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

Wales had the highest cost of living increase in the UK in 2023 (7% compared to a national average of 6.2%.) Moreover, different regions of Wales are very different in terms of economy. The average house cost (time of writing) in Blanau, Gwent, for example, is just over £151k, rising to almost double that in the Vale of Glamorgan, and almost £360k in Monmouthshire.  

Wales and the West Midlands is one of only three areas in the country where charges rose last year and many operators expect these increases to continue this year. Consumers might do well to consider their needs, take advantage of any offers sooner rather than later, and lock in their contracts for as long as possible.

Pink Storage offers container storage services in numerous locations across South Wales as well as in close-by Telford, West Midlands (Shropshire). The company holds four locations in Cardiff (750 units)  making it the largest self storage operator in the Welsh capital.

Self Storage in the East Midlands

2022: £15.34

2023: £20.82

Pink Notes: The East Midlands is one of the most established places in the UK for self storage services.  With many storage spaces full, these figures can be expected to keep rising. 

Self Storage in the North 

2022: £20.58

2023: £20.44

Pink Notes: A small drop in charges to consumers last year was a pleasing surprise to storers, if unexpected: many self storage providers had reported being very full, notably in the Manchester area.

Self Storage in Manchester

Pink Notes: Manchester has numerous providers, and around 10% of operators revealed to the SSA that they felt prices would fall this year, so consumers should keep an eye out for offers. 

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. The company has already earned an award for customer service in Manchester, and was voted Manchester's leading self storage company.

Self Storage in the Yorkshire and the Humber

2022: £22.70

2023: £22.69

Pink Notes: In Yorkshire and the Humber, prices have remained incredibly stable. The cost of living regionally normally has risen by around 10% in the past year, which would normally cause increases, but property prices present a  mixed story and there is now more competition across the region. There are therefore few, if any, indicators of the cost of storage radically changing in either direction.

Self Storage in Scotland (including Glasgow) 

2022: £23.37

2023: £23.87

Pink Notes: Scotland had a high number of home movers in the early part of this year, but despite a mobile housing market, resulting in a price fall last year. The majority (72%) of Scotland’s population live in urban areas and Glasgow and Edinburgh´s house prices are slowly rising back up. Given that only around 42% of the population understand what the service can do for them, expect soon to see a lot of regional fee changes. 

Whilst facilities closer to the city centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh would normally charge more, competition is also fierce. Net result? Storers usually pay slightly less than the national average.

Even better news for storers is that around 9% of operators in Scotland have indicated that there are likely to be discounts still be had.

Additional Costs to Customers

The Insurance 

Although providers expect to provide a certain level of insurance, renters normally have to provide their own insurance for their belongings whilst in storage, particularly for any items of high value. 

Storers may choose to look around and find cheaper/different kind of cover to that offered by the storage supplier - particularly  if storing something of specialist interest or high value. This needs balancing with the ease of claiming with the backing of your storage supplier. The insurer has every reason to keep them happy (lots of contracts) and they will often know how the system works and can guide you through a claim more quickly and easily.

Collection, loading, and drop off

If a supplier collects, loads and/or drops of your belongings, expect this to either be included in their pricing, or, more usually, to be charged separately.

Penalties for leaving early 

If you choose to leave your storage before minimum time, there may be financial penalties to meet. Check carefully.

Packaging and materials and padlocks

Some suppliers additionally sell packaging materials.

Whilst padlocks are becoming rapidly a thing of the past, replaced by cleaner, safer technology, some units are still padlocked, and you may be expected to buy or provide one. Bear in mind that cheap padlocks are generally easier to break, offering less security.

*At Pink Storage we are looking forward to offering an update when the latest figures are published and will, of course, keep you informed.*