An executor is the person named in a will to deal with the estate of the person who has died: gathering their money, property and possessions, paying any debts and taxes, and passing on what’s left to the people entitled to it. Being an executor doesn’t mean inheriting: GOV.UK notes you only inherit “if you’re also named as a beneficiary in the will”.
Executor or administrator?
Both are personal representatives, “legally responsible for the money, property and possessions of the person who died”, in GOV.UK’s words. Where there’s no will, an administrator does the same job. That is usually “the closest living relative”, and their authority comes when they receive the grant (letters of administration).
At Wigwam
We know this is often a hard time, and we’ll take it step by step with you.
Storing the belongings. You don’t have to wait for probate. An executor can rent a unit on behalf of the estate straight away, with the agreement in your name as executor. Storage costs you pay while dealing with the estate are generally treated as an estate expense, so keep every invoice; we email one before each payment. If there’s no will, whoever will apply to be administrator can book a unit in their own name like any customer, and a solicitor can confirm how the estate repays them.
If they already rented a unit with us. Nothing needs to happen straight away: the storage carries on as it was and the belongings stay safely in the unit. Call us before the next payment is due and we’ll agree how it’s paid. To keep things safe for the estate, before we give anyone access or change the agreement we’ll usually ask to see the death certificate and the grant of probate (or letters of administration). If you had shared access, please ring us before you visit. If the estate won’t need probate, call us and we’ll talk you through it.
When you’re ready to close the unit, email us an end date. Notice is normally 14 days, and we refund any unused days once the unit is empty.
Call us on 0800 2545585 whenever you’re ready.
Related terms
Related questions
- What happens to a storage unit when the renter dies?
- Who pays for storage while an estate is sorted out?
Further reading