Our privacy policy says we may. It says we "may do a credit check on you" to make "credit decisions about you and people or businesses associated with you", and that "Our search will be recorded on the files of the credit reference agency." It doesn't say whether a check is run on your booking, whether it would be a soft or a hard search, or which agency we use, so if a search on your file matters to you, call us on 0800 2545585 before you book and ask exactly that. What online booking does involve is an identity check and paying upfront: a refundable deposit of two weeks' rent at your unit's standard weekly rate, plus your first four weeks and, if you take our cover, the first Contents Protection charge.
What our privacy policy says about credit checks
Our storage terms don't mention a credit check; clause 36 points to the privacy notice. These lines are from our privacy policy, word for word:
| The policy says | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Under "Contracts", in the list of uses alongside giving you a quote and preparing a storage agreement: "do a credit check" | Credit checking is listed among the uses for setting up and running your storage agreement. |
| "credit decisions about you and people or businesses associated with you" | A check can take in a business you're connected to. |
| "These checks may also be used to help prevent and detect fraud and money laundering." | The check isn't only about whether you can pay. |
| "Our search will be recorded on the files of the credit reference agency." | If we search, the search itself goes on your file. |
| "Other credit businesses may use your information to make credit decisions about you and the people with whom you are financially associated" | If we search, other lenders can take it into account. |
| "We may also disclose information about how you conduct your account to credit reference agencies" | While you rent, how you pay may be shared. |
| Your information "may be linked to records relating to other people living at the same address or who are financially linked to you" | This matters if you share a home or finances with someone. |
The identity check is a separate step
The ID check and a credit check are different things. The policy explains the first: "we will take copies of documents that identify you so that we can comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing requirements."
Online, you verify a passport or driving licence with a selfie, and Stripe Identity, Stripe's ID verification service, matches your document to you. The online booking steps ask for photo ID, a selfie and payment details; they don't mention a credit check. Our booking guidance asks for "two forms of ID, a photo one and a copy of a recent utility bill"; if you've just moved and have no bill in your name, ask us what we accept instead. See what ID and documents you need.
If the ID check fails or you have a question before you sign, choose "Reserve a Unit" in the online booking and our team will contact you during office hours.
Will a storage booking affect my credit score or my mortgage?
According to Equifax, a soft search can only be seen by you and the company that ran it, and it doesn't affect your credit score. A hard search is visible to other companies looking at your file, and it appears when you make a formal application for credit. Too many hard searches in a short space of time could affect your score.
Which kind we would use isn't published. That matters most mid-mortgage: lenders may re-check your credit file just before releasing the mortgage funds, to make sure nothing significant has changed since you applied. So before you book, ask us on 0800 2545585 whether a search will be run and whether it's soft or hard, and tell your mortgage broker the answer.
Renting storage with bad credit, little credit history or a past bankruptcy
Our terms say the agreement comes into existence "when We notify You We have accepted Your order" (clause 3), so the decision to accept a booking is ours. What on a credit file would change that decision isn't published. If you have a missed payment, a county court judgment, an IVA, a past bankruptcy or very little history, ask us on 0800 2545585 before you book, not on moving day.
Storage is paid ahead. 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 and, if you take our cover, the first Contents Protection charge; the quote shows the exact amounts before you pay. Under clause 4, the deposit is refunded by cheque or electronic transfer within 21 days of your agreement ending, less any unpaid fees or cleaning or repair costs. After that, rent is taken in advance every four weeks, 13 payments a year. More in do I have to pay a deposit for storage?
Contents cover is needed too: "All customers require contents protection for their stored goods", either our cover or "arrange insurance at your own expense". With your own policy, we "will refund you the Goods Protection charges in full once proof of cover is supplied within 14 days of your move-in".
If you're not sure what your file shows, check it first. The ICO says you can get a copy of your personal credit file from any of the three main credit reference agencies in the UK, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, free of charge: look for the "statutory report" on their websites. If a booking is turned down after a check, ask us for the reason.
Booking for a business or for someone else: whose file?
Our terms define "You" as "the customer named in this Agreement", and the policy covers "people or businesses associated with you". So whose file could be searched depends on whose name is on the agreement.
For a business, ask before you book whether the agreement can be in the company's name, and whether the company, a director or the person signing would be checked.
If you book in your own name for a son or daughter at university, or for a parent, you're the customer named on the agreement, so any check would be on you.
Already renting with us
The policy says we "may" share how you conduct your account with credit reference agencies. If a payment is going to be late, talk to us early; what happens if you miss a storage payment explains the steps our terms allow.
What to ask us before you book
Call 0800 2545585, or use "Reserve a Unit" online, and ask:
- will a credit check be run on my booking, and if so, is it a soft or a hard search, and with which credit reference agency?
- does booking count as a credit application I should tell my mortgage broker about?
- would anything on my file, or having very little on it, change whether you can accept my booking?
- for a business: can the agreement be in the company's name, and would a director or the person signing be checked personally?
If none of this worries you, get a price online and have your passport or driving licence, a recent utility bill and your phone to hand.
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