Looking for the latest insights into the UK self storage market? The UK Self Storage Annual Industry Report 2025 — based on comprehensive data collected throughout 2024 — is your essential guide to understanding market performance, customer behaviour, and future growth opportunities.
Produced by the Self Storage Association UK (SSA UK) and Cushman & Wakefield, this in-depth report is a must-read for self storage operators, investors, and business owners planning to expand or optimise their self storage facilities.
What’s Inside the 2025 Self Storage Industry Report? The report draws from exclusive surveys and feedback from:
• Self storage operators across the UK
• Current self storage customers
• General public perceptions of self storage services
This research uncovers critical trends, market challenges, and emerging opportunities that are actively shaping the future of the UK self storage industry.
Insights from the 2025 Report:
Over the last year, the self storage sector has continued to increase in size, we’ve seen a 7.2% rise in self storage space in the UK, taking the total floorspace to 64.3m square feet.
Despite declining enquiry conversion levels and a small reduction in occupancy, the industry continues to exhibit steady growth, we continue to see new stores being added and a promising pipeline for future sites.
Looking ahead, the industry continues to evolve, in terms of employment – there are now just 2.6 staff to each storage on average; in terms of technology – 68% of businesses are actively using AI; and in terms of investor interest – with greater institutional capital weighted towards the sector.
Key findings:
Annual Turnover
The industry surpassed the billion mark with an annual turnover of £1.2bn
Occupancy Rates
There has been a slight decrease in occupancy rates, down by 1% to 75.1%.
Churn Rate
The churn rate is at 97%, down by 1% compared the previous year.
Rental Returns
The average rental return has seen an increase of 6% to £29.13 per sq ft
Space Per Capita
Storage space per head of the population has risen to 0.94 sq ft, up from 0.89 sq ft but lacks behind countries such as Australia and the US
Market Expansion
There has been a 7.2% increase in storage space available over the year, with 64.3 million sq ft of self-storage space now in the UK
Regional Insights
Scotland increased occupancy by 3.3 percentage points.
Storage Types
Currently, 61% of storage solutions are internal, with the remaining 39% being container-based.
Conversion Rate
The conversion rate for new customers has fallen in all mediums.
Operational Data
15% of stores did not have a staff member permanently on site.
Technological Integration
Use of AI is up significantly, from 25% in the previous year to 68% of businesses are actively using AI, indicating a significant shift towards digitalisation.
Sustainability
Over 50% of operators are implementing LED lighting, while the second most sustainability choice is to install or upgrade solar panels.
These insights highlight the continued growth, resilience, and innovation across the UK self storage sector — powered by increasing customer demand, digital transformation, and investor confidence.
For further details about Janus International’s range of self storage solutions, please reach out at sales@januseurope.com or call +44 (0) 20 8744 9444.
To explore the full 2025 UK Self Storage Industry Report, download your copy here.
Source: SSA UK / Cushman & Wakefield
