Access Self Storage
Access Self Storage is a privately held UK self-storage operator with 56–57 stores (40 in Greater London) renting secure units to personal and business customers on flexible monthly contracts, complemented by office space, records management, vehicle storage, and packaging sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Access Self Storage does
Access Self Storage Ltd is a privately held UK self-storage operator incorporated in England and Wales, headquartered at 93 Park Lane, London, with a network of 56–57 stores across England (40 in Greater London plus Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, Nottingham, Northampton, Coventry, Guildford, Reading, Basingstoke, Bracknell, Derby, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Stevenage, High Wycombe) and over 250 employees. Founded in 1990, the company rents secure self-storage units ranging from compact lockers to large room-sized spaces, alongside a portfolio of adjacent services: office space, records management, vehicle storage, warehouse and pallet storage, and a National Storage product that gives multi-site businesses a single account across multiple locations. Revenue is primarily subscription-based monthly rentals on flexible rolling contracts, with mandatory Contents Protection insurance (from £5.77/week, minimum £25/month), plus one-time sales of packing materials such as boxes, padlocks, and bubble wrap.
The business is built on a direct-to-consumer model combining a self-serve online quote and reservation system with in-store check-in and personalized sales support from local teams, supplemented by a Brentford-based call centre for inbound enquiries. Distribution is supplemented by a National Accounts capability targeting enterprise and SME customers with multi-location needs. Marketing relies on local SEO, content (moving tips, customer spotlights, community stories), organic social on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, a refer-a-friend program, and active community partnerships including Cancer Research UK fundraising. Operationally, stores feature CCTV monitoring, gated perimeters, individual unit alarms, PIN-coded access, free forklift service, and covered loading bays; the company holds the UK Government Cyber Essentials certification. Ownership is independent with no disclosed venture or private-equity backing, no mergers or acquisitions on record, and no public financials — limiting visibility into revenue, occupancy, and unit economics.
Access Self Storage firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Access Self Storage
- Legal name
- Access Self Storage Ltd
- Website
- https://accessstorage.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Access Self Storage is a privately held UK self-storage operator with 56–57 stores (40 in Greater London) renting secure units to personal and business customers on flexible monthly contracts, complemented by office space, records management, vehicle storage, and packaging sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Access Self Storage industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Self-Storage Services
- NAICS
- Lessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units (53113), Lessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units (531130), General Warehousing and Storage (493110)
- SIC
- Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Standard/Non-Climate Self-Storage (HSAKAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Business & Commercial Self-Storage (Inventory/Records) (HSAKAGAD), Self-Storage Ancillary Services (Locks, Boxes, Truck Rental, Mailbox/Package Acceptance) (HSAKAGAH), Student & Seasonal Self-Storage (HSAKAGAE), Vehicle & Equipment Storage Yards (Laydown/RoRo/Parking) (TLALAAAJ), Self-Storage Property Management (BPAJAGAM), Residential Full-Service Storage (HSAKAHAA)
Keywords
Where Access Self Storage is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices19 records
Markets served
Access Self Storage business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Storage Unit Rental: Core revenue from renting self-storage units to personal and business customers on flexible monthly rolling contracts. Revenue is recurring and subscription-based, driven by customer retention and occupancy rates across the 56-store network.
- Contents Protection (Insurance): Mandatory storage insurance product offered to all customers. Minimum coverage starts at £25/month for £4,000 of cover. This is a bundled insurance product required under terms and conditions.
- Office Space Rental: Flexible office space rental at select stores, providing another recurring revenue stream alongside storage units.
- Boxes and Packaging: Sale of packing materials including boxes, bubble wrap, tape, and padlocks (padlocks sold for £14). Available both in-store and via online shop.
- Vehicle Storage: Mid- and long-term vehicle parking plans at most stores, with designated outdoor car parking spaces in gated, fenced, PIN-coded car parks.
- Records Management: Document storage and management services for businesses, including specialist records management for commercial, public, and third sectors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | 50% off first 8 weeks for new customers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Storage insurance starting from £5.77/week |
| Subscription | Monthly | Contents Protection minimum £25/month |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Padlocks £14 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Price match promise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Access Self Storage product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Access Self Storage rents self-storage units of varying sizes (from lockers to room-sized spaces) to personal and business customers across 56 UK stores on flexible monthly rolling contracts. The core offering is supplemented by office space rental, vehicle storage, warehouse and pallet storage, records management for commercial and public sector clients, mandatory contents protection insurance, and the sale of boxes and packing materials.
Product overview
Access Self Storage operates as a self-service storage platform offering a unified portfolio of storage and business services across 56 UK locations. The core offering centers on self storage units ranging from compact lockers to large warehouse spaces, which customers access via PIN codes and padlocks. This core is complemented by a suite of add-on modules including business-specific services (Business Storage, Office Space, Records Management, National Storage, Pallet Storage, Vehicle Storage, and Warehouse Storage) and consumer-focused offerings (Student Storage, Locker Storage, Personal Storage, Renovation Storage, Ecommerce Storage, and Furniture Storage). Supporting services include Boxes and Packaging materials, Contents Protection insurance, Storage by the Box, and Telephone Answering Services. All services are delivered through a network of local store teams, with flexible pricing, no long-term contracts, and 24-hour access options at select locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Access Records Management: Records management services including specialist records management for the commercial, public and third sectors
- Access Box Storage
Products and services
- Self Storage Core self storage service offering secure, flexible storage units for personal and business customers. Units range from lockers to large room-sized spaces, with PIN-coded access and 24-hour access at most stores.
- Business Storage Storage solutions tailored for business customers requiring flexible commercial storage for inventory, equipment, stock, and operational belongings on flexible monthly contracts.
- Office Space Flexible office space rental at select store locations, offering desk space, office units, and meeting rooms with services such as telephone answering.
- Pallet Storage Warehouse pallet storage services for bulk commercial storage needs.
- National Storage Multi-site storage solution enabling businesses to manage storage units across multiple UK locations under a single account with consolidated billing.
- Records Management Document storage and management service for commercial, public, and third-sector organizations requiring secure archiving of business records.
- Vehicle Storage Secure vehicle parking for cars and commercial fleets, featuring CCTV-monitored, gated facilities with 7-day access at designated outdoor spaces in PIN-coded car parks.
- Warehouse Storage Large-scale warehouse storage solutions for businesses requiring significant space, including drive-up loading bays and forklifting services.
- Student Storage Affordable storage solutions designed for university students, particularly for summer break storage of belongings.
- Locker Storage Compact, secure storage units ideal for storing a few boxes or minimal personal items.
- Personal Storage Tailored storage solutions for individual personal items and household goods.
- Renovation Storage Temporary storage for furniture and belongings during home renovations or decorating projects.
- Ecommerce Storage Storage solutions for online retailers requiring stock inventory space with flexible access.
- Furniture Storage Storage for furniture and large household items with drive-up access and covered loading bays.
- Boxes and Packaging Sale of cardboard boxes, plastic boxes, bubble wrap, tape, secure padlocks, and other packing materials available in-store and online.
- Contents Protection (Self Storage Insurance) Storage-specific insurance coverage for stored items, starting at £5.77 per week for up to £4,000 of cover, with higher-value options up to £35,000 of cover at £15.00 per week. Mandatory for all customers.
- Long-term Storage Extended storage options with pre-pay discounts available for 2, 6, or 12-month terms.
- Temporary Storage Short-term storage solutions for moving house, travel, or other temporary needs with flexible rolling monthly contracts and seven days' notice for personal customers.
- Storage by the Box Box-based collection and storage service where customers can store items in individual boxes rather than renting full units.
- Telephone Answering Service Virtual office telephone answering service for business customers, available at select Access Self Storage store locations.
Quantifiable outcome
- First 8 weeks at 50% discount for new customers
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Access Self Storage
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Access Self Storage technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Access Self Storage partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Access Self Storage competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Safestore Holdings: UK-listed self-storage operator with ~190 stores across the UK and Paris. Closest direct competitor to Access in product mix, customer segments, and pricing model, with substantially greater scale and balance-sheet flexibility.
- Big Yellow Group: UK-listed premium self-storage operator with ~110 stores, heavily London-weighted. Competes head-to-head with Access in London and major UK metros with a similarly broad product range (storage, insurance, office space).
- Lok'n Store Group: UK-listed self-storage operator with ~40 stores, focused on the South East. Directly comparable offering to Access including business and domestic storage, with a similar flexible contract model.
- Shurgard Self Storage: European-listed self-storage platform operating across multiple EU countries. Comparable product offering (self-storage units with insurance) and provides a benchmark for how Access could scale if it expanded beyond the UK.
- Storage King: UK self-storage operator with multiple sites across England. Directly comparable product offering and customer base to Access, competing for the same personal and business storage demand.
Broad incumbents
- Extra Space Storage: US-listed self-storage REIT and one of the largest operators globally. Useful comparable for unit economics, pricing strategy, and tech-enabled customer experience trends that may eventually reach the UK.
- Public Storage: Largest US-listed self-storage REIT. While UK exposure is limited, it sets industry benchmarks for brand, scale, and operating leverage that shape competitive dynamics Access faces from international capital entering the UK.
- CubeSmart: US-listed self-storage REIT. Comparable business model and product, providing a proxy for capital allocation, technology investment, and growth strategy relevant to assessing Access's evolution.
Emerging players
- Ready Steady Store: Smaller UK self-storage operator with a handful of sites in the South East. Competes with Access on similar personal/business storage use cases but lacks Access's scale and geographic coverage.
Others
- Pickfords: UK removal and relocation services company offering short- and long-term storage alongside moving services. Adjacent competitor at the intersection of moving and storage, providing a useful comparison for Access's full-service storage positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Access Self Storage social profiles
Digital presenceAccess Self Storage compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Access Self Storage financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Access Self Storage leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Access Self Storage subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Access Self Storage funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Access Self Storage M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Access Self Storage
What does Access Self Storage do?
Access Self Storage rents self-storage units of varying sizes (from lockers to room-sized spaces) to personal and business customers across 56 UK stores on flexible monthly rolling contracts. The core offering is supplemented by office space rental, vehicle storage, warehouse and pallet storage, records management for commercial and public sector clients, mandatory contents protection insurance, and the sale of boxes and packing materials.
Is Access Self Storage a public or private company?
Access Self Storage is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Access Self Storage founded?
Access Self Storage was founded in 1990. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Access Self Storage based?
Access Self Storage is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Access Self Storage make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Storage Unit Rental is the primary driver. The others are contents Protection (Insurance), office Space Rental, boxes and Packaging, vehicle Storage and records Management.
Who are Access Self Storage's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Safestore Holdings, Big Yellow Group, Lok'n Store Group, Shurgard Self Storage and Storage King. Broad incumbents are Extra Space Storage, Public Storage and CubeSmart. Ready Steady Store is listed as an emerging player. Pickfords is listed as an others.
Does Access Self Storage have an API?
No public API is recorded for Access Self Storage.
What industry is Access Self Storage in?
Access Self Storage's product category is Self-Storage Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAKAGAB, Standard/Non-Climate Self-Storage, with a secondary code of HSAKAGAD, Business & Commercial Self-Storage (Inventory/Records). Its NAICS code is 53113 and its SIC code is 4220.