State of Storage
7 min read
Louis Arron, Pocket Co-founder
As the co-founder of Pocket, Louis brings a background in property development and a sharp eye for the empty space hiding in city centres. He set out to turn that space into storage that’s close to home, simple to book and fair to pay for. He writes about the state of the storage industry, consumer rights and how cities can make better use of the space they have.
Table of contents
Key Insights
Why did New York change its storage rules?
What the new rules say about price rises
The industry pattern these rules reveal
What this could mean for the UK
What to check when you’re comparing storage
Where Pocket fits in
Pocket vs. traditional storage
A sign of where storage is heading
Frequently asked questions
What can you store in your Pocket?
Pocket offers secure, flexible storage for both personal and business needs.
Key Insights
New York City has introduced some of the toughest self-storage rules anywhere. From 1 November 2026, operators there must tell customers the most they will pay over the next 12 months, give 60 days’ written notice before any price rise, and publish how much they’ve raised prices in the past.
The trend: Regulators are looking closely at how storage companies raise rent on customers who have already moved in.
The problem: A low price gets you through the door, then the bill jumps once your things are inside and moving out feels like too much hassle.
The Pocket approach: Stable rates with no surprise price jumps, no deposits, no lock fees, no charge for late visits and access 24/7. We set Pocket up this way from day one because it’s how we’d want to be treated ourselves.
Most people rent a storage unit during a busy patch of life. A move, a renovation, a break-up, a business that has outgrown the spare room. You find somewhere nearby at a decent price, move your things in and get on with it.
That’s partly why price rises in storage have gone unchallenged for so long. Once your sofa, boxes and winter clothes are in a unit, moving them all somewhere else is a lot of effort. So when the bill goes up, many people just pay it.
In New York City, enough customers got fed up that the city stepped in. Its Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) now licenses every self-storage facility in the city, and a new set of pricing rules applies from 1 November 2026. The parts that matter most for customers deal with how and when operators can raise the rent on people who already store with them.
Why did New York change its storage rules?
It started with complaints. DCWP logged 232 complaints about self-storage companies in the year to March 2026.
Many followed the same pattern. Customers signed up at one price, moved in, and then watched the monthly bill climb. In some of the cases the city highlighted, a rate of around $150 a month rose to $300 or more.
In February 2026 the city sued Extra Space Storage, which runs around 60 sites in New York City and had more complaints than any other operator. Alongside the price rises, the city pointed to late fees customers hadn’t been told about, people being locked out of their units, and threats to auction belongings if surprise charges weren’t paid. Extra Space disagreed with the allegations but settled in July for $1.7 million, with $1 million of that going back to customers.
There are more than 300 self-storage facilities in New York City, and lots of New Yorkers rely on them because flats there are so small. The city’s view was that a service people depend on this much should be straightforward and fair to use.
What the new rules say about price rises
Licensing came in on 25 August 2026, and the pricing rules apply from 1 November 2026. For customers, these are the parts worth knowing.
60 days’ written notice. Operators must tell you in writing at least 60 days before your price goes up. That gives you two months to decide whether to stay, shop around or move out, instead of finding out from your next bill.
A 12-month maximum price. Once a year, operators have to tell each customer the most they will charge them over the following 12 months. Charging more than that counts as a deceptive trade practice. Operators still set their own prices, so this works as a promise rather than a fixed limit. You know your worst-case cost a year ahead, and the operator is held to it.
Price history on show. Facilities must publish the average price increase across all their customers over the previous two years. You can see how a company has treated its existing customers before you sign up.
Clear prices before you sign. Before you move in, you get a schedule of rates for your unit and any extra charges. Operators also have to post their full price list online, and they can’t collect fees that aren’t on that schedule without telling you first.
Time to leave on your own terms. Storage contracts in New York are already month to month, so customers can leave when they like. The 60-day notice makes that freedom much more useful, because people have time to plan a move before a higher price kicks in. Customers who fall behind on payments can also still ask for prescription medication and ID documents to be retrieved from their unit.
The industry pattern these rules reveal
None of these rules would be needed if storage pricing had always been simple.
For years, a common approach has been to win customers with a low opening price, then put that price up once they’ve settled in. In the US trade these are known as existing customer rate increases, and they’ve become a big part of how the largest operators make money.
The logic is easy to follow. Clearing out a full storage unit takes a van, a free weekend and a lot of lifting. Most people would rather pay a bit more than go through all that again, and the pricing relies on it.
Plenty of people inside the industry aren’t comfortable with it either. U-Haul brought in a one-year rate lock guarantee in March, and its chief executive has said publicly that the industry brought this regulation on itself.
What this could mean for the UK
New York’s rules only cover New York City, and there’s nothing like them in the UK at the moment.
We wrote about California’s storage laws back in February. Two of the biggest US markets moving the same way within a year says a lot about where customer expectations are heading. People are used to seeing a price for a phone contract, a flight or a gym membership and understanding exactly what they’re signing up to. Storage has been slow to catch up.
Rules like these usually arrive after customers have been frustrated for a long time. UK storage companies don’t need to wait for a regulator to start treating customers fairly.
What to check when you’re comparing storage
You don’t need to live in New York to use these rules as a checklist. Before you sign up anywhere, it’s worth asking:
Is the price you’re quoted an introductory offer, and what happens when it ends?
How much notice will you get before a price rise, and how will you be told?
Has the company put prices up for existing customers recently, and by how much?
Are there extra charges for things like a lock, admin or late access?
Do you have to pay a deposit?
Can you get to your things whenever you need them, including evenings and weekends?
How easy is it to leave? Can you cancel online?
If a provider can answer all of these clearly and quickly, that’s a good sign. If the answers come with small print, it’s worth looking elsewhere.
Where Pocket fits in
We built Pocket around the idea that storage should be simple to use and simple to pay for. A lot of what New York now requires by law is how we’ve worked from the start.
Inside Pocket Storage Bermondsey
Our pricing follows the Pocket promise: rates stay stable, with no sudden or unexpected price jumps, and the price you see is the price you pay. We don’t use low opening offers to get you through the door and then raise the price once you’ve moved in.
There are no hidden extras. You don’t pay a deposit. Entry is keyless, so there’s no lock to buy. Our sites are open 24/7, so you’ll never pay extra for visiting late at night.
Signing up takes a few minutes online with a photo ID and your phone camera. You can book and move in the same day, share access with family, friends or staff, and cancel online whenever your plans change. If anything goes wrong, our support team is a phone call away, day or night.
We want to grow because customers are happy and tell their friends about us. Making it awkward to leave has no part in that.
Pocket vs. traditional storage
New York’s rules are a useful way to judge any storage provider. Here’s how Pocket compares with the traditional model they’re aimed at.
The principles behind the law help you spot better value. Here is how Pocket compares to the traditional industry model that legislation is trying to fix.
A sign of where storage is heading
New York’s rules are among the strictest anywhere, and the industry there is still unhappy about them. The New York Self Storage Association has said it’s considering its options.
Whatever happens next, customers have made it clear what they want. A price they understand, plenty of warning before it changes, and a service that’s easy to use and easy to leave.
That’s the kind of storage we want to run. If you need space in London, you can find your Pocket and move in today.
Frequently asked questions
Do New York’s storage rules apply in the UK?
No. They only cover self-storage facilities in New York City and are enforced by the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. They’re still a useful guide to what fair storage pricing looks like wherever you are.
When do the new New York rules start?
Every self-storage facility in New York City has needed a licence since 25 August 2026. The pricing and disclosure rules, including the 12-month maximum price, apply from 1 November 2026.
What is an existing customer rate increase?
It’s a price rise for someone who is already renting a unit, often a few months after they move in. Operators know that moving a full unit is costly and time-consuming, so many customers pay the higher price rather than leave.
Does Pocket charge for locks or late access?
No. Entry to Pocket units is keyless, so there’s no lock to buy, and you can visit at any time of day or night at no extra cost.
