Nothing is added at checkout: the total in your quote is what you pay, and our prices include VAT. A January 2020 post on our blog listed Chipping Norton containers "Starting at just £100 +VAT"; ask on 0800 2545585 which basis applies to your quote.
What your quote adds up to
Our online quote shows a payment summary before you pay anything. On 30 September 2026 it had three lines, "Deposit", "First 4 wks' rental" and "Insurance", then a "Total" equal to those three added together. There was no separate VAT line, and nothing appears on top at checkout.
- Deposit. When you book, you pay a refundable deposit of two weeks' rent at your unit's standard weekly rate, plus your first four weeks' rent. Under clause 4 of our terms, the deposit is refunded by cheque or bank transfer within 21 days of your agreement ending. Any unpaid fees, or the cost of cleaning or repairs, is deducted first.
- Insurance. "All customers require contents protection for their stored goods." You can either accept our contents protection cover, or "arrange insurance at your own expense".
- After the first four weeks, rent is charged automatically every four weeks, which is 13 payments a year, not 12.
Under our terms, your storage fee is "the amount set out in the Cover Sheet or as most recently notified to You by Us". Check that figure against your quote before you sign.
What clause 5(d) of our terms means
Clause 5(d) says you are responsible to pay "any government taxes or charges (including any value added tax or insurance premium tax) levied on any supplies made under this Agreement". That clause passes on any tax that applies. It doesn't say our listed prices exclude VAT, and it doesn't add anything to the total your quote shows.
Why storage carries VAT at all
Renting land or buildings is often exempt from VAT. Self storage is one of the exceptions. Since 1 October 2012, the law has treated "the grant of facilities for the self storage of goods" as a taxable supply at the standard rate, which is 20%. HMRC explains that before then, a lock-up space could be exempt while a removals firm storing the same goods had to charge VAT; the change was intended to put storage providers on the same footing.
A company that isn't VAT-registered (a business under the £90,000 turnover threshold need not register) doesn't charge VAT at all. That's why comparing prices on the same basis matters.
Comparing our price with another company's
- Read the words next to the figure. "Inc VAT" means the 20% is already in. "+VAT" or "ex VAT" means it isn't.
- Do the sum. To add VAT to a "+VAT" price, multiply by 1.2: £100 +VAT is £120. To see the VAT inside a VAT-inclusive price, divide by six: £120 including VAT is £100 of storage and £20 of VAT. On our quote, apply this to the rent line; how the deposit and contents protection appear for VAT is not published, so ask on 0800 2545585.
- If a price is unlabelled, ask the company to confirm in writing whether it includes VAT.
A "+VAT" price costs a fifth more than the same figure quoted "inc VAT", so two prices can look close and not be.
If you're a VAT-registered business
You can usually reclaim VAT on storage you use for the business, through your VAT return, but only with a valid VAT invoice. That invoice shows the supplier's VAT number and the VAT charged; for a charge of £250 or less, a simplified invoice showing the VAT rate and the VAT-inclusive total is also valid.
Whether our invoice shows VAT you can reclaim is not published. Our VAT registration number is not published either. Before you book, ask on 0800 2545585: "Will my invoice be a VAT invoice showing your VAT number?" You can check any UK VAT number, and the business it belongs to, with GOV.UK's free Check a UK VAT number service. There's more in our guide to VAT invoices for business storage.
| Your situation | What it means |
|---|---|
| Unit used only for the business | You can usually reclaim the VAT, with a valid VAT invoice. |
| Business and personal things in one unit | You can only reclaim the business share, and you need records of how you worked it out. |
| On the VAT Flat Rate Scheme | You can't reclaim VAT on purchases like storage (only on certain capital assets over £2,000). Treat the price you pay as your cost. |
How you treat storage in your accounts is a question for your accountant.
If you're not VAT-registered: households, sole traders and estates
If you can't reclaim VAT, the quote total is simply what storage costs you. That applies to private customers, sole traders and clubs that aren't registered, and executors storing a relative's belongings. If you're booking for a charity, school or public body, check the VAT treatment with your finance team.
Already storing with us: your invoices
Our terms say: "We do not normally bill for Fees but will issue an electronic invoice following payment." So you get an invoice after each payment, not a bill before it. You can pay by credit or debit card or by Direct Debit, but not by cash or cheque. If you need an invoice that shows VAT separately for your records, ask on 0800 2545585 whether yours will.
Get a price
Get a price online for your nearest site: the total in the payment summary is what you pay. If you need a VAT invoice, call 0800 2545585 and ask what it will show before you commit.
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