Every storage company has a list of prohibited items in its terms. The details vary, but almost every UK store bans the same core categories, usually for safety, hygiene or legal reasons. Breaking the rules can void your insurance and your contract, so it is worth checking before you pack.
Almost always banned
- Flammable and hazardous items: petrol, diesel, gas bottles, paint thinners, fireworks, chemicals and solvents.
- Food and perishables: anything that can rot or attract pests, including pet food.
- Living things: plants and animals of any kind.
- Illegal items: stolen goods, drugs and unlicensed weapons.
- Waste: rubbish or anything you are effectively dumping.
- Anything that smells or leaks and could affect other customers' units.
Often restricted - ask first
- Vehicles and motorbikes: some stores allow them with the fuel drained and battery disconnected, many do not.
- Lawnmowers and garden machinery: usually fine once drained of fuel.
- Cash, jewellery and valuables: often allowed but excluded from insurance above a set value.
- Firearms: only where the store and your licence allow it.
Why the rules matter
Storage buildings and container yards hold hundreds of other people's belongings. One leaking can of fuel or a sack of rotting food can cause a fire or an infestation that affects everyone. Insurers will not cover losses caused by prohibited items.
Storing tools or garden equipment? A container yard is often the better fit - see our container vs indoor guide.
