Under our storage terms, the risk sits with you. Goods are stored "at Your sole risk and responsibility", including any "deterioration of the Goods caused by any reason" (clause 30). We're liable for loss or damage to your goods only where it results from our negligence or breach of contract, and even then our liability is limited to £100 in total. If you're storing as a private individual rather than a business, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says a term that is unfair isn't binding on a consumer, so if you think our negligence caused the damage and the limit is unfair to you, Citizens Advice can help you look at it. That's why insuring your goods is a condition of storing with us (clause 31): the insurance, through our contents protection or your own policy, is where you'd claim for mould damage, but whether mould is covered depends on that policy's wording, so check it. Our flood guide says our contents protection policy excludes mould and damp damage, so mould from damp isn't paid either. If you've found mould, photograph it, keep the damaged items, and tell us and your insurer straight away.
What our terms say
These are the clauses that decide who carries the cost. They're in the Standard Self Storage Licence Agreement you sign when you book.
| Clause | What it says |
|---|---|
| 30 | Goods are stored at your sole risk. You bear the risk of "any and all theft, damage to, and deterioration of the Goods caused by any reason". |
| 30(b) | We exclude liability for loss of or damage to goods, "except where this results from Our negligence or breach of contract, in which case Our liability will be limited to the sum of £100 in total". |
| 30(a) | We exclude liability for business loss, including consequential loss, lost profits and business interruption. |
| 26 | You must make sure the unit is suitable for what you store in it. We make no promise that any unit suits any particular goods. We advise you to inspect the unit before you store and from time to time while you do. |
| 31 | Your goods must stay insured for their full replacement value at all times. We don't give advice on whether a policy's cover is adequate, even cover we arrange. |
| 35 | We're not liable for loss or damage from events beyond our reasonable control, such as flood, fire or a breakdown of plant or machinery. |
Two things are easy to miss. First, the £100 is a ceiling that applies only if the damage came from our negligence or breach of contract. It isn't a payment made whatever the cause. Second, the inspection in clause 26 is advice, while making sure the unit suits your goods is a requirement.
Our units aren't climate-controlled: the temperature and humidity inside aren't regulated. So how your things are prepared and packed makes most of the difference.
Where the mould came from matters
GOV.UK's guidance on damp and mould separates two kinds of damp that are useful here. Condensation damp is moisture already inside a space that cools and settles on colder surfaces, and it's the most common kind. Penetrating damp is water getting in from outside through defects in walls, roofs, windows or floors.
In storage, that gives two broad cases:
- Moisture that went in with your things. A mattress from a damp room, a sofa moved on a wet day, clothes packed before they were fully dry, or a fridge that wasn't defrosted. Under clause 30 this is your risk, and your insurance is the only route to a claim.
- Water that came in from outside the unit. A roof leak, a burst pipe, or water from a neighbouring unit. The risk to your goods is still yours under clause 30. If the water came from our negligence or breach of contract, clause 30(b) applies, with its £100 limit. If it came from something beyond our reasonable control, such as a flood, clause 35 applies. Our contents protection lists "burst pipes or water leakage" among the risks it covers. That listing doesn't by itself say whether mould that develops after a leak is paid, so check the policy wording.
Whether mould itself is covered, by our contents protection or by your own policy, depends on that policy's wording. Our guide to whether contents protection covers damp and mould goes through it, and your Summary of Insurance is the document to check.
If you're storing antiques or works of art, settle the valuation before they go in. For goods that can't be bought new, such as antiques or art, the replacement value is the current market value (see how to calculate a full replacement value), and your goods must be insured for that value at all times (clause 31). Check too whether the policy you use limits what it pays for any single item.
It works the other way too. If something you store causes damage, such as a leaking fridge soaking into the unit next door, clause 32 makes you responsible for the claims that follow. And clause 23 requires you to keep the unit clean, so if mould from your goods has marked or damaged the unit itself, we can keep your deposit, charge a cleaning fee or claim the cost of repairs.
If you've found mould
- Photograph everything before you move it: the items, the floor, the walls and ceiling of the unit, and any sign of where water came in.
- Tell us straight away, on 0800 2545585 or at the site. The terms require you to report any damage or defect as soon as you find it (clause 24), and to tell us about loss or damage to your goods as soon as reasonably possible (clause 42). Ask us to check the unit and the building around it for a leak or other source of damp, and ask for your report, and what was found, to be noted in writing. Keep your own note of when you reported it and who you spoke to.
- Keep the damaged items until your insurer says you can dispose of them. They're the evidence for a claim.
- Contact your insurer. If you have our contents protection, ask us in writing to notify a claim. We then pass it to our insurer promptly and pay you what the insurer pays out for your goods, less anything you owe us (clause 48). If you use your own policy, claim with your insurer directly.
- Move unaffected things away from the damp area, and off the floor, so the mould doesn't spread.
If you're storing for someone else, such as a parent's belongings while an estate is sorted out, the same steps apply. The person named on the storage agreement reports it to us, and the claim goes through whichever policy covers the goods.
Preventing it next time
Preventing mould starts before the unit door closes: everything clean and completely dry, packed in something that lets air through, off the floor and away from the walls. Our guide to stopping clothes going musty in storage covers it step by step, and the same rules suit bedding, soft furniture and paper. If you can't visit often, preparation matters more, because nobody will spot a problem early. You can name someone you trust to check the unit for you.
Your rights
If you store as a private individual, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to your agreement. It says an unfair term in a consumer contract is not binding on the consumer, and whether a term is fair depends on the circumstances, the subject matter and the rest of the contract (section 62). The Act protects consumers, meaning individuals acting wholly or mainly outside their trade or business, so a business storing stock doesn't have the same protection, and clause 30(a) excludes business losses.
If we can't agree on a claim, our terms say we must both first try to settle it through an independent mediator (clause 47). For free, impartial advice on your consumer rights, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Talk to us
If you've found mould or water in your unit, call us on 0800 2545585 and we'll go through it with you. If you're checking before you book, our contents protection page sets out the cover, and do I need insurance for my unit? explains how to use your own policy instead.
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