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The Forbes Advisor editorial team is independent and objective. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive payment from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. This comes from two main sources.

First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. The payments we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market.

Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles. These “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Advisor.

While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Advisor does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof.

The comparison service on our site is provided by Runpath Regulated Services Limited on a non-advised basis. Forbes Advisor has selected Runpath Regulated Services Limited to compare a wide range of loans in a way designed to be the most helpful to the widest variety of readers.

Storage insurance is a specific type of insurance policy that protects your belongings while they are held in a storage facility – and most storage companies will insist upon you having it.

Cover typically extends to items such as household furnishings and appliances, office and business equipment, machinery, and personal possessions.

Protect your home and belongings with extensive cover that matches your needs

Popular reasons for using a storage facility include freeing up space at home or storing your things when moving house or travelling for an extended period. A storage unit could also give you time to sort out a loved one’s possessions after they’ve passed away.

Here’s the nuts and bolts of how storage insurance works.

Here are some examples of what storage insurance offers protection against:

If you want to ensure your stored belongings are adequately protected against damage and theft, you’ll need to take out a specialist storage insurance policy. In fact, most storage providers will insist that you have at least this cover in place before you can rent a storage unit.

But any insurance that the storage provider itself has in place will only protect the provider’s liability if it is found to have been negligent with your items which results in them getting damaged.

Whether items in storage will be covered under your home contents insurance policy depends on the insurance provider. Most policies cover belongings whilst ‘in transit’ for when you are moving home, and some will also cover items that need to be temporarily stored.

However, this cover is usually limited to seven days so it won’t be suitable for items in long-term storage. Policies are also unlikely to cover valuable items such as jewellery, so check the terms of your policy.

If you are forced to move out of your home following an event such as a fire or flood, you might have cover for items held in temporary storage if your contents insurance includes ‘alternative accommodation’ cover. But again, there will be limits on how long this cover lasts – usually it’s around 90 days.

Some storage providers offer their own storage insurance policies that that you can buy alongside the rental unit. But you don’t have to take it. You might find a better deal by shopping around for your own standalone storage policy from a specialist provider.

If you take this route, be sure to compare quotes by checking both the price and exactly what you’ll be covered for. Most policies won’t include cover for any belongings in transit. They are also unlikely to cover certain stored items such as:

Check also whether there are any single item limits on your policy. For instance, your insurer might not cover any single item worth more than £1,000, unless it’s listed separately.

In addition, your insurer might have rules about how you store your belongings. Examples include securing your unit with a specific type of lock or keeping your possessions in waterproof containers. Failure to follow these rules could invalidate your cover.

The amount you pay for storage insurance will depend on factors such as the total value of your items (the sum insured), whether you have any items that need to be listed separately, and the length of time you require storage.

It’s important not to be underinsured, so make a list of everything you want to put into storage, estimate how much each item would cost to replace, and then tot up the total cost to ensure you get the right level of protection.  

Your provider may well inform you of when your policy is about to expire and you can simply apply to extend it if required. In other cases, you’ll need to re-apply for a completely new policy.

Check the terms of your cover before taking out a policy to check what your options will be.

Specialist storage insurers will only cover items that are stored in official storage facilities. This means if you’re thinking about keeping some of your belongings in a friend’s garage, for example, you won’t be able to find cover.

Your belongings won’t be covered by your own home insurance policy either, but they might be covered by your friend’s home contents insurance, depending on exactly what you’re storing and where. If it’s a garage for example, it will usually need to be within the boundaries of the property.

Check with your friend to see if their home contents insurance provides sufficient cover, and whether there are any limits. Again, expensive items might need to be listed separately on the policy for an additional cost.

There are online services which connect people looking for storage space with those who want to rent it out. These usually include a basic level of insurance cover – with Stashbee for example, items are insured up to £1,000.

I've been writing about personal finance issues for many years across a wide range of websites, magazines and newspapers. My role is to demystify financial products, explain people's options and help them make the most of their money.