It can be, especially if your business needs a modest amount of space for a flexible length of time. With us you pay one four-weekly fee for the space, there are no business rates to pay on an indoor unit, and instead of a long lease you can leave with 14 days’ notice.
What a warehouse lease involves
When you lease a warehouse, you’ll probably pay its business rates: GOV.UK lists warehouses among the properties they’re charged on. In England, small business rate relief can help: you won’t pay business rates on a property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less, if it’s the only property your business uses. Before you sign, it’s worth asking:
- how long the lease runs, and what it costs to leave early;
- what the rates bill would be, and whether you qualify for relief;
- whether there’s a service charge, and who insures the building;
- what you’ll pay for electricity, heating and water.
What self storage costs
These are the middle weekly prices across our sites’ price lists in October 2026, before any offer:
| Unit size | Middle price a week | Every four weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | £57.00 | £228.00 |
| 150 sq ft | £77.50 | £310.00 |
| 200 sq ft | £90.00 | £360.00 |
Our prices vary by site and change often, so get a price online for today’s figure. New customers pay no deposit, and you’ll need contents cover for your stock, either ours or your own business insurance.
For an indoor unit, the business rates on the building are our bill, not yours. If you’re looking at an outdoor container or one of our larger spaces, ask us how rates work there first.
Where self storage wins
- Flexibility. Our minimum stay is two weeks, and you can move to a bigger or smaller unit when one’s free, so the space can follow your stock through the year.
- Security you don’t have to arrange. Every unit has its own alarm, and our CCTV is monitored around the clock by a professional monitoring company.
- Easy access. You can get in from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, and share access with staff through smart entry.
When a warehouse makes more sense
A unit is for storage, so it can’t be an office, a shop or a workshop, and the units don’t have power sockets. There’s no forklift on site, and we don’t take in deliveries, so someone from your side meets every pallet. If your business needs forklift handling, staff working on site all day, or orders dispatched from the building, a warehouse is likely to suit you better. We’ve written more on choosing between a unit and a warehouse.
Not sure which fits? Call us on 0800 2545585, tell us what you store and how often you need it, and we’ll help you work out the right size.
Related questions
- Do I pay business rates on a storage unit?
- Can I store goods or building materials on pallets, and is there a forklift?
- Do you provide VAT invoices for business storage?
- What’s the difference between business and personal storage units?
- What is the largest storage unit I can rent?
Further reading
- GOV.UK: Business rates
- GOV.UK: Small business rate relief