How much does storage in London cost?

If you’re looking into how much does storage in London cost, the short answer is that prices typically range from around £25 per week for a small locker up to £80 or more per week for a 100 sq ft self-storage room, and that’s before you factor in the cost of getting your things there and back. Portable container hire, where the unit is delivered to your address, often works out cheaper and considerably more convenient.

London is one of the most expensive places in the UK to store your belongings. Demand is high, floor space is at a premium, and many traditional self-storage sites pass those costs straight on to the customer. The good news is there are now several options to choose from, and the right one for you will depend on how much you need to store, how often you need access, and where in or around London you actually are.

What affects how much storage in London costs?

Storage prices in the capital are driven by a handful of clear factors. Understanding them makes it much easier to compare quotes fairly:

• Size of the unit, measured in square feet for self-storage rooms, or by length for shipping containers (typically 10ft, 20ft or 40ft).
• Location, central London facilities cost notably more than those in outer boroughs or the M25 fringe.
• Length of hire, most providers reward longer commitments with reduced weekly rates.
• Access, 24-hour drive-up access usually costs more than a managed-hours indoor unit.
• Delivery and collection, if you’re hiring a portable container, the haulage to and from your address is an important line item to compare.
• Insurance and security, most providers either include cover or require you to take out a separate policy.

Typical London storage prices in 2026

The figures below are a rough guide to current market rates. They are not quotes and will vary by provider, postcode and the time of year, but they give you a useful benchmark when shopping around:

• Small locker or box (10 to 15 sq ft): around £8 to £20 per week.
• Studio or single room contents (25 to 35 sq ft): around £25 to £40 per week.
• One-bed flat contents (50 to 70 sq ft): around £45 to £65 per week.
• Two-to-three bed house contents (100 to 150 sq ft): around £75 to £120 per week.
• 10ft portable container (about 70 sq ft volume): around £30 to £50 per week, plus delivery.
• 20ft portable container (about 150 sq ft volume): around £45 to £75 per week, plus delivery.
• 40ft portable container (about 300 sq ft volume): around £75 to £120 per week, plus delivery.

One detail that catches people out is the difference between square feet and volume. A self-storage room is measured by floor area, but a container is a full cube, so a 20ft unit holds far more than its 150 sq ft footprint suggests once you stack items inside. For renovation overflow and decluttering jobs, containers usually offer the best value per cubic metre.

When does on-site container storage make sense in London?

Most people who are actively moving home in London do not use on-site container storage, simply because they’re moving property, not standing still. Where portable container hire really earns its keep is in the situations around a move rather than the move itself, for example:

• You’ve already completed the move and need extra space to sort through belongings at your new address.
• You’re decluttering before putting a house on the market and want the rooms to show well.
• You’re renovating, extending or refitting and need somewhere weather-tight to keep furniture, appliances and tools while the work happens.
• You’re between properties and a container at a family member’s address bridges the gap.

In these scenarios, having the unit on your driveway, in your garden or on a managed site is far less hassle than driving carloads of boxes across London to a self-storage warehouse.

How Door To Store keeps London storage simple and affordable

At Door To Store we take a different approach. Instead of asking you to drive boxes across London to a self-storage warehouse, we deliver a clean, secure, weather-tight storage container straight to your door, your driveway, garden, site or yard. You load it at your own pace and we collect it when you’re done.

Every unit comes fitted with two heavy-duty deadlocks (keys provided), which are significantly harder to break than a standard padlock, so your belongings stay properly secure without you having to buy your own lock.

Our units start at 7ft by 7ft and go up to a full 40ft for larger refurbishments and commercial projects. Hire is flexible, minimum periods are short and there are no hidden surcharges for insurance, admin or rolling renewals. Many London customers find that once they add up the van hire, fuel, congestion charge and time spent ferrying boxes to a traditional facility, having the storage come to them works out cheaper as well as easier.

We’re based just outside the M25 and regularly deliver into London and the surrounding home counties, so transport costs stay reasonable even for postcodes inside the capital.

Common questions about storage costs in London

Q: Is self-storage cheaper than portable container hire?
It depends on volume. For a few boxes, a small self-storage locker can be cheapest. For a flat or house-worth of belongings, or anything bulky, a portable container is usually better value once you include transport costs.

Q: How much is storage in London for a one-bedroom flat?
Expect to pay roughly £45 to £65 per week for a 50 to 70 sq ft self-storage room, or £45 to £75 per week plus delivery for a 20ft container that you fill at your own pace.

Q: Are there extra charges to watch out for?
Yes. Ask any London provider about admin fees, padlock charges, mandatory insurance, price reviews after the first few weeks, and out-of-hours access fees. A genuinely transparent quote should make these clear up front.

Q: Can I store a car or motorbike in a portable container?
Yes, a 20ft or 40ft unit comfortably stores a car, motorbike or quad bike, along with associated tools and parts. Containers stay dry and lockable, which is ideal for vehicle storage.

Q: Do I need planning permission to keep a container at home?
For short-term storage during a renovation or declutter you normally do not, but it’s worth checking your specific situation. We’ve covered the rules in detail in our guide on whether you need planning permission for temporary storage units in the UK.

Get a no-obligation quote

Working out exactly how much storage in London will cost you comes down to your volume, your timescale and your address. We’re happy to talk it through, suggest the right size of unit and give you a clear all-in price with no surprises. Call 0800 043 9302 or visit doortostore.co.uk for a free quote.