About Self-Storage

What is Self Storage?

"Self Storage" is the term applied to facilities offering the rental of safe, secure and easily accessible storage units where the tenant would apply their lock and has sole controlled access to his containment unit. "Self Storage" is in essence the rental of "air space" or storage space without physical boundaries. While many types of structures have been utilized such as warehouses, garages, car dealerships, and other previously-used or existing buildings, the most common types of facilities were specifically designed for this purpose. We have designed and built our own storage units with safety and accessibiltiy in mind to offer you the convenient value for money.

Background and History of Self Storage

The concept of "Personal Storage" originates in the United Kingdom, when British financial institutions were required to safeguard valuables for clients who would embark on extended voyages. Overcrowded storage facilities quickly encouraged bankers to seek alternative "storage space" in lofts from moving companies. In the 1850’s, the first warehouse specifically constructed for household / personal items was built. In the mid 1960’s, Texas saw the first self storage facilities as we know them today. Becoming immediately successful, development of facilities spread quickly throughout the United States and Canada, with facilities now being constructed in Australia, Europe and South Africa.

Self Storage has evolved as a financially viable real estate form and is now prevalent throughout the world in countries such as South Africa, USA, UK and a multitude of other foreign countries. While still viewed by many in the real estate industry as an "ugly duckling", self storage has consistently proven its value as a basic real estate product with many unique and useful characteristics.

Estimates of the overall number of self storage facilities operating in South Africa varies greatly. Industry experts estimate approximately 45,000 active storage facilities in operation throughout South Africa. Other sources estimate a figure closer to 50,000 storage facilities.

Business Storage

As the population became more familiar with self storage, the need for offsite storage expanded to fulfill the growing need for the businesses community, storing files, medical records, excess inventory, equipment, etc. In some areas business storage accounts for 30 percent or more of the total tenancy of the facility. Easy access, convenient office hours, short term rental agreements and no long term commitment to pay for space which may not be needed in the future, make the self storage facility extremely attractive to retailers, contractors, home based businesses, manufacturer’s and pharmaceutical companies, and so on...

Legal Procedures and Requirements

Self storage exists without a legal status. Because individual storage units are rented or leased and the facility operator does not assume "care, custody or control" of the goods stored, self storage is not a warehouse operation. The traditional landlord and tenant relationship is not workable in most areas because of the expensive eviction proccess and time consuming legal process that needs to be followed with problematic tenants.

Self Storage Association (‘SSA’)

Self storage has progressed as an industry largely due to the formation of the Self Storage Association in the mid-seventies. Like most associations, the SSA brought people together and created a forum for the sharing of experiences, observation of trends and the aggregation of a market which encouraged the development of many products and services tailored to self storage operations.