If belongings are still in your unit after your agreement ends, our terms let us treat them as abandoned and, in the end, sell or dispose of them. It doesn't happen straight away: clause 8 says that before we sell or dispose of goods, we'll write asking you to collect them. Storage fees can be charged from the time they're treated as abandoned until they're sold or disposed of, plus any disposal costs (clause 7). Clause 8 also lets us charge "default action costs, including any costs associated with accessing the Unit". So if you've forgotten something, call us on 0800 2545585 as soon as you realise. One exception is anything left in a corridor or outside your unit: that can be moved, sold or disposed of immediately (clause 11).
At a glance
| Situation | What the terms allow | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Goods left in the unit after the end date | Treated as abandoned; sold or disposed of after a written notice to collect (see clause 10 for goods that may hold personal data). Clause 41 applies clauses 7 and 23 to "Goods and/or rubbish" | 7, 8, 23, 41 |
| Rubbish left in the unit | Cleaning fee, or reasonable costs of "disposal of refuse"; your deposit can be kept | 23, 41 |
| Items left in a corridor, common area or outside your unit | Treated as abandoned and "may at Our discretion be moved, sold or disposed of immediately" | 11 |
| Unpaid fees during the agreement | Access stopped and unit overlocked; sale or disposal after a written notice to pay (see clause 10 for goods that may hold personal data) | 6, 8 |
| Goods that won't sell, damaged goods, or goods that "may contain personal data" | Can be disposed of instead of sold, at your cost | 10 |
Forgot to empty your unit? Left something behind after your end date
Clause 41 asks you to "remove all Goods in the Unit before the close of business on the Termination Date", and applies clauses 7 and 23 to anything left after it.
Clause 7 reads: "If on expiry or termination of this Agreement for any reason, You fail to remove all Goods from the Unit, We are authorised to treat the Goods as abandoned and may sell or dispose of all Goods by any means in accordance with Clauses 8 to 10."
So a forgotten box can be treated as abandoned, but the first step is a letter asking you to collect it. Our terms don't set a number of days between that letter and a sale or disposal, and they don't say when goods start being treated as abandoned or what rate applies, so ask when you ring. How you get back in to collect after your end date, and whether a small item can be handed over at the office, aren't set out here either, so ask. If you won't be clear by the end date, see keeping your unit longer than planned.
When you come, bring proof of identity (clause 14 lets us ask for it), and look your things over: clause 42 asks you to tell us of any loss or damage "as soon as is reasonably possible".
Can a family member collect things from someone else's unit?
Clause 14 says "Only You or Your Agents may access the Unit", and the terms define an Agent as "persons who you authorise, or who accompany you, to access the Unit". If you're collecting for someone else, they need to have authorised you, so ring us first.
Can I just leave things in the unit and walk away?
Clause 41 asks you to take everything, and leaving things costs you money. Clause 7 says: "You are liable for Storage Fees for the period from abandonment to the sale or disposal of the Goods together with any costs of disposal incurred, which shall be added to the, or treated as a, Debt." See leaving the unit clean and empty.
The written notice
Clause 8: "Before We sell or dispose of the Goods, We will give You notice in writing directing You to pay (if You are in default) or collect the Goods (if they are treated as abandoned)."
It goes "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". It goes on: "If no address within the UK has been provided, We will use any land or email address or social media details We hold for You and any ACP". ACP is how the terms refer to the other contact named on the front of your agreement. A posted notice counts as received 48 hours after posting, and an email one day after sending (clause 39). If we can't reach you at your last address or email, notice served on that contact counts as given to you. So if you're moving house, give us your new address in writing: clause 28 asks for changes within 48 hours.
If you don't collect or pay, clause 8 says: "You consent to and authorise the sale or disposal of all Goods without further notice regardless of their nature, content or value." So the letter is the moment to act: call us the day it arrives.
If things are sold or disposed of
We sell "for the best price reasonably available in the open market, taking into account the costs of sale" (clause 8). The money goes "first against the cost of removal and sale of Goods and second to pay the Debt" (clause 9). Any shortfall is due "within 7 days of a written demand". If there's money left over, "We will attempt to return the excess funds to you", and otherwise "we will hold the balance for You but no interest will be payable on it" (clause 9). See how storage unit auctions work.
Some things can be disposed of instead of sold, at your cost (clause 10): goods that, in our opinion, aren't saleable, don't sell, or aren't worth selling; goods badly damaged by fire, flood or another event, and goods that "may contain personal data belonging to You or others", which could include paperwork, photos, a laptop or a phone. It adds: "We do not need Your prior approval to take this action but will send written notice to You within 7 days of assessing damaged Goods." That notice is worded for damaged goods, and clause 10 doesn't say whether the clause 8 letter comes before a personal-data disposal, so if papers or photos are still in your unit, ring us rather than wait for a letter.
If you're behind, dealing with a death, or storing for a business
If a payment has been missed, clause 6 lets us stop access without further notice and, after the clause 8 letter asking you to pay, sell or dispose of goods. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, an agreement ends by written notice (clause 41), so if the renter has simply left, fees keep falling due. What happens if I pay late or miss a payment covers the rest.
If the person who rented the unit has died, unless otherwise agreed in writing, our terms end an agreement by written notice (clause 41) and don't mention death, so tell us early: what happens to a storage unit when the renter dies.
If you store business records, note that files and laptops holding customer or staff details fall under clause 10(b): see document storage for business.
Does the law on uncollected goods apply?
Section 12 of the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 is headed "Bailee's power of sale", while our terms say we "are not a bailee, custodian or warehouseman of the Goods" (clause 2(b)); whether the Act could apply to a particular arrangement is a question for an adviser. Citizens Advice's Adviceline (England) is 0800 144 8848, usually 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Talk to us first
If something of yours is still in a unit, or a letter from us has arrived, call us on 0800 2545585 (office hours are usually 9am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays, and may vary by location), or use our contact page. Tell us what's there and when you can collect it.
Related questions
- How do I give notice to leave my storage unit?
- What happens if I pay late or can't afford this month's storage?
- Can Wigwam end my storage agreement?
This page explains our own storage terms. It isn't legal advice.