Self storage
When discussing why a storage space is rented, industry experts often refer to "4Ds of life" (death, divorce, delimitation, and discombobulation; the latter can refer to either the renter relocating to another area and needing space to store items until they can be moved to the new location, or a subsequent marriage resulting in the couple having duplicate items).
[3] The first self-storage facility in Europe was started in the United Kingdom by Doug Hampson, and opened in central London in 1979.
"... it was Doug Hampson who gave Britain the modern self-storage industry, with its bright, clean corridors and endless rows of brightly-coloured doors.
[5] Modern storage facilities grew slowly through the '90s, at which time demand outpaced supply and caused a rush of new self-storage developments.
[8] More recently, in many metropolitan cities where competition among storage companies is fierce, better parcels of land near residential and commercial areas are being converted into self-storage once approved by zoning panels.
In rural and suburban areas most facilities contain multiple single-story buildings with mostly drive-up units which have natural ventilation but are not climate-controlled.
In urban areas many facilities have multi-story buildings using elevators or freight lifts to move the goods to the upper floors.
Also, complimentary rolling carts or moving dollies are sometimes provided to help the customers carry items to their units.
[14][15] This is due to the fact that self-storage is considered to be an "essential business" in many jurisdictions so during a lockdown many facilities never closed and many people were reportedly panic buying storage units to keep valuables safe from contamination.
In 2014, FEDESSA, the Federation of European Self Storage Associations, published a report about the state of the self-storage industry in Europe.
In this report, it was estimated that 975 facilities exist in the United Kingdom, 430 in France, 264 in The Netherlands, 210 in Spain, 131 in Germany, and 112 in Sweden.
Overall, the report estimates 2,391 total facilities in Europe, or about 75 million square feet of rentable storage space.
Generally, the spaces and their contents are sold "as is, where is" with no warranties or guarantees implied or provided, and the terms of sale are cash-only upon conclusion of the auction.
The purchaser of a unit takes possession of its entire contents and is responsible for removing them within a set period of time.
Certain jurisdictions require facility owners to immediately confiscate controlled items such as firearms if they are in plain sight within a delinquent unit.
