Terms and conditions for a self storage business

A self storage unit is let to a customer you may not see again until they stop paying. The terms have to keep the unit a licence rather than a lease, prohibit the things that must not be stored, put insurance on the customer, control access, and set out a lawful process for dealing with a unit whose fees are months overdue. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Self storage facilities, container storage yards and business storage operators in England and Wales letting units to consumers and businesses on a rolling monthly basis, with access by code or key during stated hours.

What matters in self storage terms

A licence to store, not a lease

The terms should grant a licence to use a unit of a stated size for storage only, keep your right to move the customer to another unit and to enter the unit in an emergency or on notice, and make clear that no exclusive possession of part of the premises is granted. A business customer with exclusive possession under a lease could acquire security of tenure under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and the terms and the practice should both avoid it.

Prohibited items and use

The terms should list what may not be stored: hazardous, flammable and perishable goods, living things, illegal items, and anything that could damage other units, and should prohibit living, working or trading from the unit. The customer confirms the contents comply, and the terms give you the right to inspect and to remove or dispose of prohibited items at the customer's cost. A prohibited item stored in breach is at the customer's risk.

Insurance, risk and your liability

Goods are stored at the customer's risk, and the terms should require the customer to insure them, either through you or independently, and to declare the value. Your liability for loss or damage should be excluded except where caused by your negligence, which cannot be excluded against a consumer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and is subject to the reasonableness test against businesses under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977; the terms describe your security, fire and pest arrangements, which must meet the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, rather than promise a particular standard.

Unpaid fees, liens and sale of goods

The terms should set out what happens when fees are unpaid: interest, denial of access, and, after written notices to the customer and a stated period, the right to open the unit, sell or dispose of the goods and apply the proceeds to what is owed, with any balance returned. Against consumers that process must be fair and evidenced at every step, and the terms should say so rather than assert a bare right to sell. Because a self storage operator does not take possession of the goods, it is generally not a bailee, so the statutory power of sale in section 12 of the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 is unlikely to be available and the contractual process is what you rely on.

Access, notice and price changes

The terms should state access hours, the customer's responsibility for their own lock and code, and that access may be suspended for non-payment or emergency. Either side should be able to end the licence on stated notice, with the unit emptied and cleaned by the end date and a charge for goods left behind. Price changes need notice and a right to leave before they take effect. Business customers can be invoiced with interest on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A customer has not paid for four months. Can I open the unit and sell the contents?

Only through the process in the terms: written notices, a stated period, then the right to open, sell or dispose of the goods and account for the proceeds. Follow it exactly, document each step, and take advice before the sale itself.

A customer's goods were damaged by damp. Am I liable?

If the terms place goods at the customer's risk, require insurance, and you took reasonable care of the building, the loss falls on the customer or their insurer. If the damp was caused by a failure you should have dealt with, you are liable.

Can I raise the price mid-term?

The terms can allow price changes on notice with the customer free to leave before the change takes effect. A change without notice or without that exit is unlikely to be fair.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a garage and parking space rental business
• Terms and conditions for a removals company

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.