No. Our terms don't require you to box your belongings, so furniture, bikes, garden furniture and tools can go into your unit as they are. There is one packing rule: food or perishable goods can only be stored if they're securely packed so they're protected from vermin and don't attract it. There is also one firm limit on space: everything has to fit inside your unit. Anything left in a corridor or outside your unit is treated as abandoned and can be moved, sold or disposed of straight away. Loose items still have to be allowed items: petrol, oil and gas are prohibited, so no fuel, fuel cans or gas bottles. Our terms don't say whether a fully drained petrol mower is acceptable, so call us before you bring one.
If you're storing antiques, original art or anything one of a kind, ask us before you bring it. Our terms rule out "items which are unique in nature and/or where the value to You cannot be assessed on a financial basis" (clause 18(j)), and everything you store must be insured for its replacement value (clause 31), so check the value you've insured it for too. Our pages on storing valuables and storing paintings and artwork go further.
What can go in loose
Big, solid things don't need a box. What they need is to be clean, dry and allowed.
| Item | Loose? | Before it goes in |
|---|---|---|
| Sofas, armchairs, mattresses | Yes | Cover them against dust and marks (see below) |
| Tables, wardrobes, bed frames, chests of drawers | Yes | Take off legs or knobs that could snap; wrap corners of glass or mirrors |
| Fridges, freezers, washing machines | Yes | Clean and dry inside first |
| Pedal bikes | Yes | Clean and dry |
| E-bikes and e-scooters | Yes, up to five per unit | Battery rules apply: see our e-bike page |
| Garden furniture, hand tools, a push mower | Yes | Clean off soil, and let wood and cushions dry fully |
| Petrol mowers, strimmers, generators | Call us before you bring one | Petrol and oil are prohibited, so no fuel in the machine and no fuel cans |
| Barbecue gas bottles | No | Gas is prohibited |
Garden kit is the place to check. Our terms prohibit combustible or flammable substances, "including but not limited to gas, paint, petrol, oil, cleaning solvents or compressed gases" (clause 18(c)). That rules out fuel and any can with fuel in it. The terms don't say whether a fully drained machine is acceptable, so if you want to store anything with a petrol engine, call us on 0800 2545585 before you bring it.
For a TV or other screen, our guide to storing electronics safely covers them, and storing guitars and other instruments covers cases and conditions.
What's better in a box, and why
Everything small. Kitchenware, books, clothes, toys, paperwork, cables and ornaments are better boxed for three reasons. Boxes of the same size stack safely, so you use the height of the unit. They keep dust and knocks off things you can't cover one by one. And a labelled box can be found again, where a loose pile has to be dug through.
Our double-walled boxes come in three sizes: Medium (457 x 330 x 330mm, £3.50), Large (450 x 450 x 500mm, £4.50) and Extra Large (450 x 450 x 750mm, £5.25), or £25, £35 and £45 for packs of ten. Clothes on hangers can go straight into a Wardrobe Box with a hanging rail (508 x 457 x 1016mm, £9.99). Our guide to how many boxes you'll need sizes a whole move.
Anything you store that has a built-in battery, such as a laptop, a rechargeable speaker or a cordless power tool, must be free of visible damage or faults, not stacked, and stored with room for air to circulate (clause 20.1). The clause covers any "permitted Goods that contain built-in batteries", so it covers speakers and tools as much as laptops. Box them if you like, but keep those boxes off the stacks. There is also a count limit: no more than "ten (10) laptops, tablet computers, children's toys or other similar items containing built-in batteries" per unit (clause 20(d)). The terms don't list every item that counts as similar, so if you're storing a lot of battery-powered kit, ask us before you pack it. Spare power-tool batteries can go in if they're lithium-ion and rated 160Wh or less; a removable one over 160Wh can't be stored (clause 20(a)).
If you're moving a whole house, most of your load will be boxes and the furniture goes in loose. If you're clearing a room for building work, it may be mostly furniture and a handful of boxes. A student's bike and desk chair can go in loose, with the smaller things boxed.
Covers for the things that go in loose
A box protects what's inside it. For a sofa or a mattress, a cover does that job. These are from our Box Shop:
| Cover | Price | Made from |
|---|---|---|
| Sofa Cover, 2 or 3 seater | £4.99 | Heavy-duty polythene |
| Arm Chair Cover, pack of two | £4.99 | Poly |
| Single Mattress Cover (3ft 6in) | £3.99 | Polythene |
| Mattress cover, larger size (listed as "6ft Double/Super King"; check it against your mattress) | £5.99 | Polythene |
| Dust Cover, 3m x 5m | £5.49 | Polythene |
| Furniture Blanket, 1500 x 2000mm | £5.00 | Heavy-duty textile, reusable |
| Foam Corner Protectors | £3.49 | Foam |
Prices are as listed in the shop in September 2026. The shop gives the mattress covers by bed size rather than exact measurements, so check the size against your mattress before you order.
Polythene keeps off dust, dirt and handling marks, which is what a sofa or mattress mostly needs. Plastic also holds in any moisture already there, which is why we advise against sealing damp things in plastic covers. So make sure anything you cover is completely dry. That includes canvas, gazebo covers, cushions and soft furnishings, which should be fully dry before they go in the unit or under a cover. Leave the open end of the cover loose, and use fabric, such as a furniture blanket or your own cotton sheets, for wooden furniture that is staying for months. Rugs are best rolled rather than folded and wrapped in cotton, as National Trust conservators advise for flat textiles, then kept off the floor like the furniture. Our own packing advice is to stand furniture on a pallet, to keep it off the floor. Our Box Shop doesn't sell pallets, so plan to bring your own, or a few lengths of timber or board to raise the legs. If you ask us when you book, we can tell you what your site has.
If you're storing business kit, such as event furniture or stock, our business storage page covers how units work for businesses, and how often you can visit your unit explains access.
Your goods are stored at your own risk (clause 30), and it's for you to make sure the unit suits what you store in it (clause 26). Covers and boxes are the part of that you control.
For the heavy, loose things, plan how they'll get in. Our pages on ground-floor units and whether anyone is on site to help you load tell you what to expect.
Nothing can be left outside your unit
Clause 11 of our terms says: "Any items left unattended in common areas at the Facility or outside Your Unit at any time shall be treated as abandoned and may at Our discretion be moved, sold or disposed of immediately with no liability to Us." You also mustn't leave items or rubbish in shared spaces, or block them (clause 22(g)).
So a bike leaning on the corridor wall, or the last two chairs that wouldn't fit, can't stay there. If it won't all go in, take the overflow away with you that day and call us about a bigger unit. Our size guide helps you get it right before you book, and you can change to a bigger or smaller unit later.
Loose or boxed, the same list applies
Packing never makes a prohibited item allowed. Alongside flammables, our terms rule out living creatures, weapons, chemicals, anything that gives off fumes or odours, illegal goods, cash and deeds, and "items which are unique in nature and/or where the value to You cannot be assessed on a financial basis" (clause 18(j)). Portable heaters can't be used in the unit (clause 19), and power banks can't be stored (clause 20). We can also refuse, or ask you to remove, anything we consider a safety risk (clause 27). The full list of prohibited goods is worth a look before you load.
Getting what you need
You can order covers, boxes and kits from our Box Shop for delivery to your door. At Chipping Norton, reception also sells boxes and packaging (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm). When you're ready to book, get a price online or call us on 0800 2545585. For a loading plan, our guide to packing a storage unit for a house move takes you through it.
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