What Californian storage laws tell us about the state of the self storage industry

When governments start regulating pricing transparency, it usually means customers have been frustrated for a while. 

California’s recent self-storage legislation is a good example - and it may hint at where the wider industry is heading.

Most people don’t think about self-storage until they suddenly need it.

A move. A renovation. A business outgrowing its spare room. Life happens, you search quickly, compare a few prices, and pick something that feels reasonable.

But what feels reasonable on day one doesn’t always stay that way.

Over the past year, California has introduced a series of changes affecting the storage industry - most notably Senate Bill 709 (SB 709), alongside updates to the state’s price-gouging restrictions during declared emergencies and refinements to lien and auction rules. These aren’t small technical tweaks. They’re responses to patterns of customer complaints that have been building for years.

And while these laws only apply to one US state, they shine a light on how the industry has often operated - and what people increasingly expect instead.

Why are storage laws changing?

Put simply: pricing practices have come under scrutiny.

Measures such as SB 709 focus on clearer communication of rental terms, more transparent pricing structures, and stronger consumer protections when it comes to overdue payments and auctions. At the same time, California has also reinforced rules around emergency price increases, limiting how much operators can raise rates during crises like wildfires or natural disasters.

When lawmakers start stepping into pricing clarity, it’s usually because enough people have felt confused, caught out, or both.

“If a price needs three footnotes and a phone call to explain, something’s off.”

Storage isn’t alone here. Airlines, telecoms and utilities have all gone through similar phases. Storage just took longer to attract attention.

The industry pattern these laws reveal

Self-storage has expanded quickly over the last two decades. Demand rose. Facilities filled up. Operators gained a lot of flexibility in how pricing was structured.

That flexibility hasn’t always worked in the customer’s favour.

Across many markets, customers have become familiar with things like short-term teaser prices that climb quickly after a few months, deposits that weren’t obvious at checkout, extra fees for basic items like locks, and cancellation processes that feel heavier than signing up ever did. Add in restricted opening hours or paperwork that still needs printing, and the experience can start to feel dated.

None of this is illegal in most regions. It’s just the sort of thing that leaves customers slightly weary - or feeling like they missed something in the small print.

California’s new legislation doesn’t wipe these practices away overnight. What it does is nudge the industry toward something simpler: predictable pricing and clearer communication. Small shifts on paper, but meaningful ones in practice.

What this could mean beyond California

The UK and Europe aren’t mirroring these exact regulations right now. But consumer expectations tend to travel faster than legislation ever does.

People are already used to digital-first services in banking, transport and shopping. They expect to see a price, understand it instantly, and trust that it won’t quietly change next month without warning. Storage is catching up - slowly, but visibly.

It’s fair to expect that when enough customers question pricing models or cancellation barriers, governments eventually take a closer look. That’s often how regulation begins: not with theory, but with everyday friction.

That’s also why Pocket is working on the assumption that the UK market will move in a similar direction over time. Not because the law demands it today, but because customers increasingly do.

A shift from “what’s allowed” to “what feels fair”

What’s revealing about the Californian changes isn’t just the rules themselves. It’s what they represent.

They’re less about banning specific tactics and more about setting a tone. A quiet message that says: pricing should make sense the first time you read it.

Customers now expect the basics to be… basic. Signing up online without printing forms. Knowing the monthly price won’t suddenly jump after a few weeks. Being able to cancel without navigating a maze of conditions. Access that works on evenings and weekends, not just office hours.

“You shouldn’t need a magnifying glass to understand a storage contract.”

None of this is revolutionary. It’s just consistency between the promise and the experience.

What this means for customers comparing options

These developments are useful as a sense-check. When you’re looking at storage providers, the headline price is only part of the picture. What sits behind it often matters more.

If you’re scanning options, it helps to look for a few simple signals:

• Is the monthly price stable, or likely to rise quickly after sign-up?

• Are deposits required, or is it genuinely pay-as-you-go?

• Are essentials included, or added later as extras?

• How straightforward is cancellation - can it be done online without friction?

• Can you access your unit when you actually need to, including evenings and weekends?

• Is the sign-up fully online, or does it involve paperwork and in-person visits?

None of these questions are complicated, but they often reveal more than the headline price alone. A low starting number can still become expensive if it changes quickly. A slightly higher price can be better value if it stays consistent and transparent.

Where Pocket fits into this picture

Pocket’s approach has been shaped by many of the same concerns these laws are now addressing. The goal hasn’t been to react to regulation, but to remove friction from the start - the sort of friction that makes customers double-check invoices or hesitate before committing.

In practical terms, that shows up in simple online sign-up rather than paperwork, no deposits, and no hidden fees for essentials. It means avoiding short-term teaser offers that climb sharply, keeping cancellation straightforward, and offering 24/7 access instead of restricting visits to business hours.

None of this is designed to be flashy. It’s designed to be predictable. The price you see is intended to be the price you live with - not the opening move in a negotiation you didn’t realise you were entering.