Nothing changes on its own. Our terms have no clause about a customer dying, so the agreement carries on, and the four-weekly fees keep falling due, until someone gives us written notice to end it (normally 14 days). The belongings in the unit are part of the person's estate. Ending the agreement can start with a phone call and the death certificate: ask us what else we'll accept for the notice. To get into the unit or take the agreement over, our practice is generally to ask for the death certificate and the grant of probate or letters of administration as well. So the first step is to ring us on 0800 2545585, before anyone visits the unit and before a payment is missed.
We're sorry you're dealing with this. Here is what the agreement says, and what to do about it.
The agreement carries on until someone ends it
The storage agreement is in the name of "the customer named in this Agreement", and fees are taken in advance for each period (clause 5). If the agreement ends part-way through a period, our move-out FAQ says unused days after the notice period are refunded. Either side can end it by written notice (clause 41). A death doesn't end it, and it doesn't stop the fees.
If the payments came from the account holder's own card or bank account, a payment from it may not go through once the bank knows about the death, so call us before the next due date to agree what happens. When fees go unpaid, our terms allow the following, whoever the customer is:
| If a payment is missed | What the terms say |
|---|---|
| Straight away | A late payment fee, plus collection costs (clause 5) |
| Access | We can refuse access and put our own lock on the unit until the balance is paid (clause 6) |
| Offers | Any discount or free period already given becomes payable in full if a payment is missed (clause 6) |
| If it stays unpaid | After written notice by recorded delivery and email, we can sell or dispose of the goods (clauses 8 to 10) |
If a payment has already been missed, or you've found our lock on the unit, call us now. Under our terms, a sale can only follow a written notice demanding payment, and only if the debt still isn't paid (clause 8). That notice goes to the last address we were given, which may now be an empty house. If we can't reach the customer there, notice given to the other contact named on the front of the agreement counts as notice (clause 39). This is the main reason to tell us early: letters then come to you, so a missed payment doesn't go unnoticed.
Who can get into the unit now
Our terms say "Only You or Your Agents may access the Unit" (clause 14), meaning the customer and the people they authorised or brought with them. We can ask anyone for proof of identity and turn away someone who can't provide it.
After a death, the person with the right to deal with the belongings is the estate's personal representative: the executor named in the will, or an administrator if there's no will. GOV.UK says they are "legally responsible for the money, property and possessions" of the person who died from the date of death. Our terms don't cover a death, so what we ask for is our own practice. As our guide for solicitors sets out, before we hand over access or change the agreement we'll generally ask for:
- the death certificate;
- the grant of representation: a grant of probate if there's a will, or letters of administration if there isn't.
As at September 2026, GOV.UK says the grant usually arrives within 12 weeks of applying. It also says some estates don't need probate at all, and that "every organisation has its own rules". If the estate won't need probate, ring us on 0800 2545585 before anyone visits the unit and ask what we'll accept in place of a grant. Have the death certificate ready. Our published pages don't list the alternatives.
Until the grant (probate, or letters of administration) comes through, expect us to need proof of your authority before we release access to the unit. Ring us on 0800 2545585 before anyone visits. If there are personal things you need sooner, such as photo albums, ask specifically about removing those, and bring the death certificate and the will. Once you can see inside, knowing what's there helps you decide whether to keep paying for it, and whether the contents are worth storing at all or can be cleared once you're allowed to; our guide on storing things before a house clearance helps with that decision.
Access someone shared with you was given on the customer's behalf ("persons who you authorise", in our terms), and that kind of permission generally ends when the person who gave it dies. So don't use a shared key after a death: ring us on 0800 2545585 first and we'll tell you what we need. If the unit was in joint names, the surviving customer is still a customer under the agreement and should call us too. The contents now belong to the estate, and they pass under the will or the rules of intestacy. Tell us about the death first, and agree with the executor what happens to each thing.
If you're sorting out the estate
- Tell us. Ring 0800 2545585 with the name on the agreement and the site. If you don't know which site or unit it is, call us with the account holder's name and address. Give us your own address and email so notices reach you.
- Keep the fees paid, or give notice. If the unit is needed while the estate is sorted out, keep it paid. If it isn't, give written notice. If you pay from your own account in the meantime, keep the receipts. Who should pay, and from what money, is covered in who pays for storage while an estate is being sorted out.
- Check the insurance. Goods are stored at the customer's risk, and our terms require them to stay "adequately insured" for their "Replacement Value" (clauses 30 and 31). Ask us, or the insurer, whether the cover is still in place.
- Clear it by the end date. Everything must be out by close of business on the termination date, with the unit left clean (clause 41). Anything left behind can be treated as abandoned (clause 7).
- Get the deposit back. The balance, after any unpaid fees or cleaning costs, is refunded within 21 days of the agreement ending (clause 4). Our move-out FAQ says unused days on the contract are refunded after the notice period too.
If you can't get into the existing unit yet but need somewhere for the house contents in the meantime, you can rent a new unit in your own name straight away and deal with the old one once the grant arrives. Our guide on storing things before a house clearance covers that decision.
If you're the other contact on the agreement
On its own, being named as the extra contact doesn't give you access or make you the one who pays: under our terms, both sit with the customer (clauses 5 and 14). It does mean we may contact you about missed payments (clause 28), and a notice served on you can count as served (clause 39). If you hear from us, the most useful thing you can do is pass on who is dealing with the estate.
Talk to us first
Call us on 0800 2545585 (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm; times can vary by location), or use our contact page. We'll take it one step at a time with you.
If you'd like to talk to someone about how you're feeling, Cruse Bereavement Support's free helpline is 0808 808 1677 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am to 5pm, Tuesday 1pm to 8pm).
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