Unopened tins and sealed jars can go in under our storage agreement if they're packed so they can't attract vermin; tell us when you book. Fresh, chilled, frozen or opened food can't; for repacked dry goods, pet food, cooking oil or business stock, ask us on 0800 2545585 first. Clause 18(a) of our terms rules out "food or perishable goods unless securely packed so they are protected from and do not attract vermin", while our short list of prohibited goods names food without that exception, and the agreement is the document you sign. One of our guides advises leaving food out, and another says even sealed, long-life food "may be restricted". In plain words, food is securely packed when mice and insects can't get in and can't smell it. We don't offer climate-controlled storage, and you can't connect power unless we authorise it (clause 22(e)), so nothing in a unit keeps food cold.
What counts as "securely packed"
| Food | Can it go in? | How to pack it |
|---|---|---|
| Unopened tins and cans | Yes, tell us when you book | Already sealed in metal. Box them and keep the box off the floor |
| Sealed glass jars | Yes, tell us when you book | Wrap them so they can't break |
| Dry goods: pasta, rice, flour, cereal, crisps, biscuits | Ask us first | Repack into airtight, lidded rigid containers (metal or glass hold best). A lidded plastic tub beats card, but mice can chew plastic |
| Pet food, bird seed, animal feed | Ask us first | One of our guides lists pet food among items not allowed, so confirm before you bring it. If we agree, use a sealed, lidded rigid container, not the sack: cereal is a favourite food of mice, according to the British Pest Control Association |
| Cooking oil | Ask us first | Clause 18(c) lists "oil" without saying which kind |
| Food stock for a business, in volume | Ask us first | See the business section below |
| Fresh, chilled or frozen food, and opened jars labelled "refrigerate after opening" | No | Nothing in a unit can keep it cold |
| Opened packets, leftovers, food waste, anything going off | No | It will smell and rot, and clause 18(f) rules out anything that emits "fumes, or odours" |
Why metal and glass? University of California pest guidance notes that mice chew on the very containers meant to protect food from them, and our guide to whether mice can get into a storage unit compares boxes and tubs.
An empty, defrosted, clean freezer can come in: see can I store a fridge or freezer?.
Clearing a kitchen before a move
Moving house or clearing a parent's home? Our guide to what you can and can't store suggests you "use up what you can, donate unopened, in-date items to a food bank, and dispose of the rest properly before moving day". It also says sealed tins "are not formally banned", though its author would still keep them out.
Kitchen equipment stores well once it's empty and free of crumbs. For wine and other drinks, see can I store alcohol?.
Long-life food stores
Unopened tins and sealed jars can go in on the packing rule; tell us when you book. Ask us first about repacked dry goods. Our units aren't temperature-controlled, so the temperature inside follows the seasons (see do storage units get cold in winter?). GOV.UK explains that best before dates are about quality rather than safety, and that food not stored as the label says can lose quality before that date. Date your boxes and rotate them. Gas canisters, fuel and power banks can't come in (clauses 18(c) and 20(b)).
Food stock for a business, market stall or food bank
Traders, online sellers, caterers and food banks can ask to keep packaged food stock on the same packing rule. Empty jars, boxes and labels are ordinary storage.
Packing orders and collections. You can pick and pack orders from your own stock during access hours, and an arranged collection is fine if you, or someone you've given access, is there to oversee it. Clause 22 says the unit is "solely for the purpose of storage" and can't be used "as offices … or as a home, business or mailing address", and our stock guide adds that "you cannot run retail sales or a public collection point from it", so a food bank can't hand out parcels from it. We can't sign for deliveries or hold incoming goods for you, so someone from your side needs to be there to meet a donation or stock van. See can I pack orders in my unit? and can buyers collect from my unit?.
Food registration. GOV.UK says that if you "store or handle food" as a business you'll need to register with your local authority at least 28 days before trading; food banks and charities may need to register too, "even if it's free". Ask your local authority whether your unit counts as a separate site. The Food Standards Agency's guidance for food banks and charities covers storing donated food in "clean, sealed containers".
Spoilage and cover. Goods are stored at your sole risk, including "deterioration of the Goods caused by any reason" (clause 30), and must stay insured for their Replacement Value (clause 31): what the stock would cost you to replace today, not its selling price and not what you originally paid. Our terms exclude "lost profits or business interruption" (clause 30(a)); that's a question for your business insurer. Our guides say the policy excludes atmospheric and climatic damage, so don't count on it for food spoiled by heat or cold. Our Summary of Insurance isn't published online, so for how a stock claim is settled, ask us on 0800 2545585. More in how much contents cover do I need?.
If food is already in your unit
Repack it or take it home on your next visit. If you see droppings, gnaw marks or a musky smell, tell us straight away. We can enter a unit "if We believe the Unit is being used to store prohibited Goods" (clause 17(c)), and under clause 32 you compensate us for claims and costs that result from a breach.
Questions to ask us
- whether food can go in at all, given that our short list of prohibited goods names it;
- whether cooking oil counts as the "oil" in clause 18(c);
- whether stock in sealed retail cartons, a lidded pet-food bin, or home-made preserves in reused jars count as securely packed;
- whether Contents Protection covers food stock, and pest damage traced to food in a unit (it lists "Damage from moths, insects, or vermin originating externally" without defining "externally");
- whether you may register the unit with your council as food premises, since clause 22(a) says it can't be used as a "business … address";
- for a charity or food bank, which volunteers can have access (clause 14: "Only You or Your Agents may access the Unit").
Storing with us
Tell us about sealed tins and jars when you book, or call us on 0800 2545585 about anything on the ask-first list, then get a price online.
Related questions