Not for everyday reasons, and never simply because another person asks us to. Day to day, only you and the people you authorise can get into your unit (clause 14 of our terms).
Our terms do let us, and our agents and contractors, enter your unit in five set situations, shown in the table below, and break the lock if that's reasonably necessary. They include repairs, on at least 7 days' notice, and emergencies, when we tell you afterwards. If you owe us money, clause 6 lets us overlock and enter without further notice; nothing is sold without written notice first (clause 8). If you're booking at a newly opened site, ask us whether its terms differ. Businesses, people acting for someone else and existing customers each have a section below.
The five situations in our terms
Clause 17 begins: "You authorise Us and Our agents and contractors to enter the Unit in the following circumstances and to break any lock if reasonably necessary to gain entry". The circumstances are:
| Situation | Notice to you | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| To inspect, or carry out repairs or alterations to, the unit or any other part of the site | "not less than 7 days' notice" | 17(a) |
| An emergency (including for repair or alteration), or to prevent injury or damage to people or property | None beforehand; "notice as soon as practicable after the event" | 17(b) |
| We believe the unit is being used to store prohibited goods or for a prohibited purpose | The clause doesn't set any | 17(c) |
| We're obliged to by law, by the police, fire services, Trading Standards, HM Revenue & Customs, another competent authority or a court order | The clause doesn't set any | 17(d) |
| To relocate your goods, or to use our lien or power of sale or disposal under the agreement | For unpaid fees, none before entry ("without further notice", clause 6); written notice before sale (clause 8). For moving units, 14 days; not smaller unit, same fees (clause 25) | 17(e) |
In plain words: "agents and contractors" includes people working for us, such as a repairer; a lock is broken only where "reasonably necessary"; and (c) turns on what we believe, not on proof.
Our short answer to can anyone else access my unit? holds day to day; these are the exceptions.
Why the terms give us this right
A storage agreement is a licence, not a tenancy. Clause 2(d) says we "retain control, possession and management of the Facility and the Unit" and that you "have no right to exclude Us". The emergency wording shows the purpose: entry "to prevent injury or damage to persons or property".
If you're worried about privacy
None of the five situations is a general right to look around. The inspection in 17(a) is of "the Unit or any other part of the Facility"; the clause doesn't say whether goods are looked at, so ask us. Only 6(b), for unpaid fees, names inspecting your goods.
Before storing papers or family jewellery, check clause 18, which says you must not store "(i) currency, deeds and securities; and (j) items which are unique in nature and/or where the value to You cannot be assessed on a financial basis". 17(c) lets us enter if we believe prohibited goods are stored; see what goods are prohibited.
If you store stock or records for a business
The same rules apply; 17(d) names Trading Standards and HM Revenue & Customs among the authorities that can oblige us to open a unit. Your firm controls who in your team has access, and we may ask anyone you send for proof of identity (clause 14).
For a compliance file: clause 30(a) excludes our liability for "loss or damage to Your business, if any, including consequential loss, lost profits or business interruption". And clause 10(b) lets us dispose of goods that "may contain personal data belonging to You or others" at our discretion; it says "We do not need Your prior approval to take this action".
If you're acting for someone else
We can't open a unit because you ask, even for a close relative or partner. Clause 14 says "Only You or Your Agents may access the Unit", and an Agent is someone the customer authorises, or who comes with them.
Our solicitors' guide says we "will not grant the objecting party access to a unit held in the other person's name, because access follows the account, not the argument." In a genuine legal dispute over what's inside, 17(d) lets us enter when a court order obliges us to.
If the customer can authorise you, see can I share access to my storage unit? If they have died, see what happens to a storage unit when the renter dies.
If you're already a customer
You've had a notice of inspection or repairs. Clause 17(a) requires at least 7 days' notice, but clause 17 doesn't say how the notice is sent. Clause 38 lets us send "notifications regarding day to day matters" by email, or by SMS if you've agreed to it, and clause 39 says notices "to enforce rights under this Agreement" must be in writing and "delivered by hand, pre-paid post or email". Keep your contact details current (clause 28: in writing, within 48 hours of a change).
You've fallen behind on payments. Clause 6 lets us, "without further notice", refuse access, overlock the unit, and "enter the Unit and inspect and/or remove the Goods to another unit or site and to charge You for all reasonable costs of doing so". Access stays refused "until the Debt has been paid in full" (6(a)), and fees keep running: clause 6 lets us "continue to charge Storage Fees from the date the Debt becomes due until payment is made in full or the Goods are sold or disposed of". If you pay part of it, clause 5 says this "will not affect Our ability to take any action against You". Clause 28 also lets us discuss a default with the contact person named on the front of your agreement (the terms call them the "ACP").
Before goods are sold, or disposed of under clause 8's conditions, clause 8 requires written notice "by registered or recorded delivery to the postal address last notified by You to Us in writing and by email and/or by direct message on social media". Clause 10(b), on goods that may contain personal data, is separate (see the business section). Our terms don't say whether a payment plan is possible; call us on 0800 2545585 before the date on any notice. What happens if I pay late or can't afford this month's storage? sets out every step.
Something is damaged after an entry. Tell us straight away. Clause 30 limits our liability for loss or damage caused by our negligence or breach of contract "to the sum of £100 in total", and clause 31 makes it a condition that your goods stay insured for their replacement value. See how do I make a claim if something in my unit is damaged?
It's you who can't get in. See what if smart entry won't open the gate? or do I need my own padlock, and what if I lose the key?, and call us on 0800 2545585.
If we need to move your goods to another unit
Check which kind of letter you have. A notice to inspect or repair falls under 17(a): at least 7 days' notice, and your goods stay where they are. A notice to move you falls under clause 25: 14 days' notice. If the letter doesn't say which, ask us.
Clause 25 lets us move you to another unit "not smaller than the current Unit", with shorter notice than 14 days only if an incident means the unit or its section must be closed or sealed off. Your agreement then "continues on the same terms at the Storage Fees in force for the original Unit at the time of the removal": a new unit number, the same price.
If you'd rather not move, you can end the agreement instead, by written notice under clause 41, with the notice period shown on the cover sheet of your agreement (clause 25 refers to clause 40, but ending the agreement on notice is clause 41; ask us if unsure). If you're moving the goods yourself, get our written approval of the removal costs before you move; clause 25 only covers costs "approved in writing by Us before removal".
If you haven't moved by the date in the notice, we can enter and move the goods "as Your agent on Your behalf and at Your risk (except for damage caused wilfully or negligently which is subject to the limitations in Clause 30)", the £100 limit covered above. To change site by choice, see can I move my unit to a different Wigwam site?
Questions to ask us
Our terms leave these open, so ask us:
- which of these routes an inspection notice uses, and whether you'll be told after an entry under 17(c) or 17(d);
- who pays to replace a lock broken under clause 17;
- what records are kept of entry to your unit;
- if we're moving your goods, whether you can be there or do the move yourself, and how access to the new unit works.
If you've had a letter from us, call 0800 2545585 before the date on it.
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