UK Storage Statistics 2026

The self-storage industry had an annual turnover of £1.3 billion last year (SSA), making it one of the fastest-growing commercial sectors in the UK.

With self-storage becoming increasingly popular, especially with those who lack space in their own homes, figures are on the rise for those seeking convenient, flexible and affordable self-storage solutions. 

The following UK storage statistics give an overview of:

Who uses storage in the UK. 

What storage is used for.

The key factors driving people’s use of storage.

 

UK Storage Statistics At A Glance

 

The UK storage industry has also grown and evolved significantly in recent years.

With a rise in smaller homes, more flexible lifestyles and a trend for digital nomad-style living, people have demonstrated a greater need for adaptable storage solutions.

In the business world, e-commerce represents over 29% of the UK’s retail sales (ONS data) - highlighting the need for flexible storage for business inventory and stock.

In response, there has been a shift from traditional storage units to more flexible storage models such as by-the-box.

These solutions make storage affordable and accessible, allowing people to only pay for what they need to store and the duration they need to store it - a game changer for student storage, business storage and personal storage alike.

Here are some key UK storage statistics: 

There is over 64 million square feet of rentable storage space in the UK.

The UK Storage industry has an annual turnover of around £1.3 billion.

There are 3,143 self-storage sites in the UK.

75.9% of UK self-storage customers are residential users, while 24.1% of customers are businesses.

Self-storage has an average revenue of £27.40 per square foot.

 

Who Uses Storage The Most In The UK?

 

Residential users make up around 76% of self-storage customers in the UK (SSA 2026 report)

Other key demographic statistics include: 

24.1% business customers.

Ageing customer base - predominant age group 55-64 (31%).

45.1% repeat customers.

54.7% male and 41.4% female.

85.9% of customers rent a single self-storage unit.

 

Why Do People Use Storage?

 

We know that the majority of storage customers (76%) are residential users, but there are various reasons why people use storage. 

Specifically in the UK’s bigger cities, many people turn to storage units as a cheaper alternative to renting a bigger property. 

The key groups that use storage are individuals, students and businesses:

 

Individuals

Here are some of the key reasons why people use storage for personal use, according to the latest UK self-storage annual report:

27% due to a lack of space at home

22% due to moving house

14% due to an important life event

Housing-related events such as moving, downsizing and renovation play an important role. 

 

Students 

With more students going further from home to study, including international moves, there is still a demand for student storage.

Research revealed that the key factors for students and young people when looking for storage are:

Proximity to their home (68%) 

Affordability (82.9%) 

Security (51.8%).

That being said, demand seems to be lower for younger demographics around student age, with 0% demand in ages 15-19, 2% in ages 25-29 and 2% for ages 25-29.

 

Businesses

24.1% of storage renters are using storage space for business purposes, such as storing stock and equipment. 

In fact, it has become such a popular option for businesses looking to cut costs that over 680,000 businesses in the UK are currently using self-storage - saving them around 40-60% compared to traditional warehouses.

Of customers using business storage, 61% are small businesses (1-3 members of staff).

There are various reasons why businesses use self-storage, including: 

Lack of space 48%

Holding area for distribution of goods 21% 

No room at home 7%

Archive of records 7%

Seasonal stock 7%

Stock for repair/replacement 5%

To keep items close to clients 2%

Temporary storage due to natural disaster 2%

It’s also worth noting that the demand for container storage is up, with 40% of new self-storage openings in 2025 being container-based sites.

 

UK Storage Costs In 2026

 

The average storage prices for storage units are currently:

 

Storage Unit Vs Storage By-The-Box

What Storage Size Is The Most Popular?

 

A storage unit of 10x10 tends to be the most desirable, which can fit roughly the contents of a one-bedroom apartment. Increasingly, people are moving away from larger storage units and paying for wasted space. 

As people prioritise flexibility and affordability, storage by-the-box solutions are becoming more and more popular.

Rather than renting a full-size storage unit, by-the-box storage allows consumers total flexibility based on their needs.

Very few people (9%) know what the ideal unit size for their storage is, so prioritising flexible storage is becoming more popular.

 

How Long Do People Keep Items In Storage?

 

Nearly 70% of storage customers keep their items in storage for at least 2 years; nearly 20% keep their items for at least five years.

Among domestic users, 22% have had their units for more than 1 year, whereas 26% of business users rent storage units for 3-4 years.

 

What UK Regions Store The Most?

 

The need for storage and the associated prices vary greatly across the UK.

One of the key drivers for seeking storage is a lack of personal storage at home.

In certain cities, the same amount of rent gets you a smaller space with less storage, meaning more need for external storage.

For example, in a survey, 66% of Londoners expressed a need for more space in their homes compared to only 47% of those living in Yorkshire. 

The price of storage by region also varies greatly, as shown by this data: 

 

The Future Of UK Storage

 

The UK storage landscape will continue to evolve, and here are some things we might expect based on the SSA 2026 report:

Clearer demand for affordable storage solutions, with revenue per square foot falling 5.4% between 2025 and 2026.

A greater push towards sustainability, with higher usage of solar power, LED lighting and sustainable building practices across storage facilities. 

A clear growth in remotely managed storage facilities (16.2% in 2026), meaning we can predict average staffing levels to fall even further, as facilities rely on technology and AI-monitored CCTV.

Growing demand is leading to facilities becoming more competitive concerning security, convenience, affordability and services such as climate-controlled facilities.

At The Box Co., we’re UK storage experts. From finding you the right size storage to suit your needs to getting the most flexible, affordable offer, we can help.

Talk to our team of storage specialists today to get started!