General FAQs

Safestore is the UK’s No.1 for choice for self storage with over 130 storage centres nationwide including two Business Centres, for all your local home and business storage needs. We also have a further 60 stores in Europe. Our trained, professional and helpful staff and our 30 years experience in Self Storage will ensure that you receive the best service and value in the industry.

You can store your goods or possessions from as little as a week for as long as you need. Storage rooms can be booked in advance to make sure the size you require is available on the day you need it. You can also easily switch to a smaller or larger room whilst in storage if you need to. Self storage at Safestore is flexible, secure and hassle free, in fact it couldn’t be any easier, our one-stop-shop approach means our storage experts will deal with any problem you might have. All our people are trained to help and advise you to make sure you get the best service and value for money.

We take the security of your goods and possessions extremely seriously. To protect them all our centres have:

1. Staffed receptions during opening hours
2. Sophisticated alarm systems  
3. 24 hour recorded CCTV 
4. Intruder alarms

Access to our storage centres is strictly controlled. Also, you are the only one with access to your room, which is locked with a padlock owned by you.

Yes, you need your own padlock to ensure that you are the sole key holder for your room and to ensure that your room is securely locked at all times. Safestore stock full range of high security padlocks in all of our stores.

The price you pay is determined by the size of the room you need. That's why our commitment to you is that we will get you into the smallest space possible. As the rental charge is calculated according to the floor area of the storage room, the smaller the floor area the less you end up paying.

Estimating the space you need isn’t as simple and straightforward as it looks. It depends on:

- What you need to store
- How stackable it is
- How high the ceiling of the storage room is
- Where the storage room is located in the storage centre, generally ground floor is more expensive
- What sort of access you will need since you may want to leave a walkway through the storage room to get to your possessions.

We can advise you on how to stack your goods and possessions to make maximum use of the space.

In the meantime, if you would like to get a rough idea of how much space you might need, you can use the size estimator on our Website.

You can store for as long as you want, there is no maximum rental period. However, our introductory promotion of 50% off (for up to 8 weeks) has a minimum stay requirement of 14 days.

The price for storage you are quoted includes VAT. You will need a padlock to secure your room and your goods will need to be insured whilst they are in storage. Alternatively, please ask in store or over the phone for a quote for StoreProtect which is an agreement by us to accept an enhanced liability for loss or damage to your goods for an additional charge.  If you opt for StoreProtect, you have the option, but not the obligation, to insure Your Goods.

The cost for StoreProtect will depend on the value of your goods to be stored.

Yes, we normally offer a range of discounts including: weeks free storage and discounts for students, Armed Forces, Emergency Services and NHS. However, the offers may change store by store, offers for stores can be found on the store location page of the website. Or you can call the storage centre to find out the best deal for you.

We'll invoice you on a four weekly basis, payable in advance. However, we only ask for fourteen days notice BEFORE you vacate your room and we refund to you any unused storage charges.

You are welcome to stay as long as you require, from just one day upwards.

You can move in on the same day as you make your enquiry (during office opening hours) providing that you have the relevant documentation needed to complete and sign your contract. Two forms of ID are required one of which must be a photo ID (passport or driving licence, for non UK citizens a passport will be required) and a utility bill less than 3 months old. Payment of a deposit and the first invoice must be made prior to moving in. Please check with the store team.

Two forms of ID are required one of which must be a photo ID (passport or driving licence); for non UK citizens a passport or UK driving licence will be required) and a utility bill less than 3 months old. Payment of a deposit and the first invoice must be made prior to moving in. Please check with the store team.

Most of our customers choose to pay by Direct Debit. However, we also accept credit and debit cards.

Your goods must be insured whilst in storage. Alternatively, Safestore can offer StoreProtect which is an agreement by us to accept an enhanced liability for loss or damage to your goods for an additional charge.

We always take good care of our stores and make every effort to protect items being stored with us. Unfortunately there are some events which may damage your goods which are out of our control, such as a fire or flood. It is therefore standard practice for self storage companies to require their customers to adequately insure their goods for the duration of their stay.

The flexibility to change room sizes will vary depending on the type of storage contract you have agreed. This is not applicable if you have a specific term deal. Please advise the store team if you believe you may need more storage room size flexibility and they will make sure you have the correct storage contract in place. 

You can come and go as you please, 7 days a week during the store opening hours.

You have to bring your belongings to the storage centre. All our centres have ample car parking and large loading/unloading areas.

Alternatively, we can recommend van hire with our partner Europcar at preferential rates or a local removal company to help you with your transportation.  Call the Europcar direct booking line 0871 384 9900 and quote the Safestore ID "538 26 106 ” to get your preferential rate.

Depending upon the Safestore store you choose the rooms range from 7 to 9 ft in height.

All stores have trolleys and pallet trucks available free of charge for customers use. We also have forklifts available in many of our stores, which can be operated on your behalf by one of our trained staff.

The Safestore Lowest Price Guarantee (LPG) is simple: we will beat any local comparable quote if it's cheaper and presented to us within 28 days of moving in by 10% for the first 8 weeks. The Safestore Lowest Price Guarantee rate will be fixed for a maximum of 26 weeks, after which the storage rate will revert back to our standard rate.

We will also match any introductory offers and insurance (comparable perils). This offer applies to individual self storage rooms of the same size as the competitor (not container storage) within a 3 mile radius of the store inside the M25 and within a 5 mile radius throughout the rest of the UK. Price comparisons are for the total storage charge including VAT based on a 4 week stay. 

Our Lowest Price Guarantee is currently available to most UK Safestores. Click here for a list of the stores that are not currently offering the LPG and those that are only offering LPG on selected units.  This list is subject to change and we reserve the right to remove this offer at any time.

Yes, we offer flexible contracts for short or long term Self Storage. There is no minimum stay. We guarantee our business customers the best business rates available. Please contact the storage centre for details.

Yes, some of our storage centres also offer office rental. Please visit our offices page for more information.

That is no problem just let us know about the changes and we will extend your booking.

We have online reservations available for rooms at our storage centres. You can also reserve a room by calling your local self storage centre directly.

Yes, you can store in as many storage centres as you wish, each will be on a separate contract. However if you store in 5 or more centres and would like one contract and central billing our National Accounts Department would be happy to help you. They can be contacted by calling 0845 034 1490 or by emailing nationalaccounts@safestore.co.uk

You can move to another one of our storage centres as you wish subject to availability. Remember you will be responsible for moving your own items from one centre to another.

Everyone loses things from time to time and if you lose your key it’s not the end of the world. Once your identity has been confirmed, Safestore will cut the lock from your storage room so you are able to access it immediately. It will be necessary to acquire a new lock for your room after this, so it is advised that this is only a last resort option.

Customers are required to sign in and out of the premises or use their issued electronic fob to gain access during opening hours.

Prospective customers are required to provide 2 forms of ID one containing their photograph, such as a passport or UK driving licence and an acceptable document confirming your current address.
 
These documents allow us to check:

• Full name – forenames and last name
• Signature
• Date of birth
• Full permanent address 

You must provide original documents, not photocopies
 
List of acceptable photographic personal identification

• UK (Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Irish) passport or EU/other nationalities passport, passports of non-EU nationals, containing UK stamps, a visa or a UK residence permit showing the immigration status of the holder in the UK (copy both parts)
• UK full driving licence (or provisional photo-card driving licence with a passport)
• A HM Forces photo ID card is acceptable but bear in mind that such cards must be surrendered upon leaving the forces so only those individuals currently in the forces will hold such a card
• Student ID cards

 
List of acceptable confirmation of address documents

• Recent utility bill (gas, water, electricity or phone), or a certificate from a utility supplier confirming the arrangement to pay for the services on pre-payment terms at a fixed address. More than one utility bill may be accepted if these are from two different suppliers and utility bills in joint names can be taken
• Local authority tax bill (i.e. council tax)
• Most recent HM Revenue & Customs tax notification (i.e. tax assessment, statement of account, notice of coding)
• Financial statement (e.g. bank, building society) containing current address
• Mortgage statement from a recognised lender
• Local council rent card or tenancy agreement
• Benefit statement, book or card; or original notification letter from Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) confirming the rights to benefit (e.g. child allowance, pension)
• Insurance certificate
• UK court claim form
• TV licence
• Company letterheads & Business cards with business addresses shown or Company registration documents

All identity verification is done face to face, never over the phone or by email, as your identity cannot be fully confirmed by these methods.

Photographs are taken by web cam and retained on file once your rental contract is signed. These images require full view of your face and cannot include any family or colleagues; only the person signing the contract is allowed in the image. A new web cam image will be taken with every new contract that is signed to maintain an up-to-date identification process. This is so that new or covering staff are able to easily identify you as Safestore clients and maintain the overall security of the Safestore premises for all our customers.

You are able to give access to your room to family/friends/colleagues but their details must be added to your contract in advance and their identity verified as above.

If Safestore customers choose to supply their own Insurance, they will be required to supply a letter/policy from the insurance company specifying:

The sum insured
The cover start and end dates
The Safestore address where they are storing their goods
Safestore customers choosing to supply their own Insurance must ensure that, at a minimum, it covers the “Normal Perils” as detailed in the Safestore T&C’s. Safestore will need to take a copy of your insurance policy and retain this on file with your rental agreement. These documents will need to be supplied annually to Safestore as they expire.

If you are not able to provide the above documentation at the time of signing up to store with us, we will automatically charge you for StoreProtect Enhanced Liability based upon the value you have declared. You will then have a period of 14 days to provide the required information and sign our declaration to qualify for a full refund of any StoreProtect charges to date. 

All items placed in storage with us must be insured for their full replacement value on a ‘new for old’ basis.

Our Licence restricts our liability to you to for loss or damage to your goods to negligence only up to a maximum of £100 and requires you to arrange insurance cover for Your Goods for the Maximum Replacement Value of your property. As an alternative, we can accept an enhanced liability for loss or damage to your goods which may occur during storage.

StoreProtect is an agreement by us to accept an enhanced liability over and above our Restricted Liability under our Licence Agreement for loss or damage to Your Goods as described in the StoreProtect Addendum for an additional charge. If you opt for StoreProtect, You have the option, but not the obligation, to insure Your Goods.  If you do not opt for StoreProtect, You must provide evidence to Us that Your Goods are adequately insured for all of the Normal Perils listed in Licence Condition 19.2.2.

It is important that you declare the full replacement value as new of your goods. It is your responsibility to inform Safestore in writing if your items in storage exceed your declared value, see the Proportional Reduction condition in the Store Protect Addendum.

Please read our StoreProtect Addendum for more details of StoreProtect.

You are required to accept the appropriate option shown on Safestore’s licence agreement, check that you have inserted a correct valuation for your property and to pay all charges in full.

In respect of Business Customers’ stock and work-in-progress, you must declare the current Maximum Replacement Value for all property being stored, taking into consideration the age, quality, degree of use and consequent market value of your property when calculating the settlement.
 
In respect of all other customers, you must declare the current Maximum Replacement Value as new of all property being stored. This means the cost to replace your items with a new equivalent, not the price you paid when you purchased each item. 
 
If you are storing documents, the value declared by you must include:-

1. The value of the materials as stationary;
2. An estimated cost for the clerical labour required to reproduce or write the documents; and
3. The costs required to reproduce any information recorded.

 
You do not need to include the value of the information contained in any documentation lost or damaged, as this is not covered.
 
Please do not ask your Safestore team for guidance about your valuation. They are not valuers, and the responsibility for declaring the value is yours.

We don’t know the true replacement value of the items that you’re storing and we can’t estimate the Maximum Replacement Value to calculate the appropriate charge, so you’ll get a better idea of the cost if you contact us directly.

We do not permit the storage of: 

• Food or perishable goods unless securely packed in hard plastic or glass containers so that they are protected from and do not attract vermin
• Goods where the value to You cannot be assessed on a financial basis
• Any Goods which are contaminated with food or any other substance which may deteriorate, rot, become mouldy or attract vermin
• Lithium ion batteries exceeding a watt-hour (Wh) rating of 160 Wh UNLESS they are built-in and cannot be removed from otherwise permitted Goods
• Portable battery chargers, power banks or any similar portable power source
• More than five (5) E-Scooters, E-Bikes, E-Skateboards or any similar battery-powered vehicles in any one Unit unless the battery has been removed and is not being stored in the Unit
• More than ten (10) laptops, tablets, children's toys or other similar items containing built-in batteries in any one Unit unless agreed by Us in writing
• Plants, birds, fish, animals or any other living creatures
• Combustible or flammable materials or liquids such as gas, paint, petrol, oil or cleaning solvents
• Firearms, explosives, weapons, ammunition or any components of these
• Chemicals, radioactive materials, biological agents
• Toxic waste, asbestos or other materials of a potentially dangerous nature
• Any item which emits any fumes, smell or odour
• Compressed gases
• Any illegal substances, illegal items or goods illegally obtained such as counterfeit goods, illicit (counterfeit/smuggled) tobacco or alcohol and unlicensed or unsafe goods (such as toys, electrical goods, medicines, aerosols, cosmetics, fireworks)
• Goods which are environmentally harmful or that are a risk to the property of any person
• Items which are irreplaceable or of high value requiring specialist storage, such as currency, jewellery, bullion, furs, deeds, bonds, securities, works of art, antiques, fine wines and items of personal sentimental value
• Waste materials including any materials or goods for export deemed to be waste, such as used electrical equipment (unless tested and certified for re-use), used vehicles or used vehicle parts.

We always cooperate with the Police and HM Customs.