Car Storage Units: Sizes, Costs and the Rules
You can keep a car in some storage units, but not in most self-storage rooms. The big indoor self-storage chains generally don't allow cars in their rooms, because a car brings petrol, oil and a battery. Drive-up units, lock-up garages and shipping containers on secure sites often do take cars, typically for £120–£350 a month. Before you sign, check four things: that cars are allowed, the door width, whether there's power, and whether the car has to be taxed.
This guide covers what size you need, what each kind of unit costs, what the small print usually says, and when a unit is the wrong answer.
The short answer
| Option | Takes a car? | Typical cost a month | Power for a battery charger? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor self-storage room | Usually not | Priced by floor area | Rarely |
| Drive-up unit or lock-up garage | Often | ~£133 average for a private lock-up | Sometimes |
| 20ft shipping container on a secure site | Often | £120–£350 (about £150 outside London) | Rarely |
| Space at a car storage facility | Yes, it's what they're for | From a median of about £144 | Usually, as standard at managed sites |
Lock-up figure: Stashbee's listings. Container figures: published prices from Storage Masters (Mansfield, £150 a month including VAT for a 20ft container) and Wow Storage (London, £120–£350). Car storage figure: the median starting price across facilities listed on Motorkeep that publish one.
Can you store a car in a self-storage unit?
It depends entirely on the operator, and the answer at the big chains is usually no for the room itself.
Big Yellow is a useful example because it publishes its rules. Its guide to self storage lists what you can't bring into a room, and the list includes petrol, oil, batteries and tyres — which between them describe a car. Big Yellow does take vehicles, but on a separate product: a parking space under its own vehicle parking licence. That licence says:
- any vehicle parked must be "fully taxed and licensed";
- "We do not provide insurance for your vehicle", and the vehicle must stay insured while it's on site;
- you can't charge a vehicle battery in the car park.
Other operators set their own rules, and smaller independent sites — especially those with drive-up units or containers — are more likely to accept a car in the unit itself. The point is to read the licence, not the advert. If a site's terms say nothing about vehicles, ask, and get the answer in writing.
What size storage unit do you need for a car?
For most cars, 10ft by 20ft — 200 sq ft, or about 3.05m by 6.10m.
A Volkswagen Golf is a fair benchmark for a family hatchback: Volkswagen gives its length as 4,282mm and its width as 1,789mm without the door mirrors. In a 20ft-long unit that leaves enough space to walk round the car and open the boot. Here's how the common sizes work out:
| Unit size | Floor area | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| 10ft × 10ft (3.05m × 3.05m) | 100 sq ft | Almost no cars; a two-seat Smart is the exception |
| 10ft × 15ft (3.05m × 4.57m) | 150 sq ft | A small hatchback, with very little room to move |
| 10ft × 20ft (3.05m × 6.10m) | 200 sq ft | Most cars, with space around them |
| 20ft container (5.90m × 2.35m inside) | ~150 sq ft | Most cars, but tight across the width |
Two measurements matter more than the floor area:
- The door opening. A roller door narrower than the unit is common. You need the car's width with mirrors folded, plus a margin to steer it in straight.
- The height, if you're storing a van, a pick-up or anything with a roof box.
Measure your car, ask the operator for the door width, and allow at least 20–30cm either side.
Can a car fit in a shipping container?
Yes — most cars fit in a standard 20ft container, and containers on secure sites are one of the most common ways to store a car cheaply.
A standard 20ft container measures about 5.90m long, 2.35m wide and 2.39m high inside, with a door opening of roughly 2.28–2.34m wide (manufacturers vary slightly). The length is generous. The width isn't: a Golf at 1.79m leaves about 28cm either side, which isn't enough to open a car door properly. In practice you drive in, then climb out through a part-opened door or the boot, and do the reverse to collect it. Larger cars may not leave enough room to get out at all.
The other issue with containers is damp. A steel box heats and cools quickly, and moisture in the air condenses on the inside of the roof and walls when it does. A container that's well ventilated and sited on hardstanding is much better than one that isn't. Our guide to car mould and condensation explains why a car shut in a damp space for a winter can come out mouldy, and what to do about it.
What a car storage unit costs
Published prices for car-sized units vary more by location than by anything else:
- 20ft container on a secure site: £150 a month including VAT at Storage Masters in Mansfield; £120–£350 in London, according to Wow Storage.
- Private lock-up garage: about £133 a month on average, and around £218 in London, according to Stashbee's listings. Council garages are cheaper still — see how much it costs to rent a garage.
- A space at a car storage facility: the median starting price across the facilities on Motorkeep that publish one is about £144 a month. Managed, climate controlled storage typically costs £175–£300 a month plus VAT, and £250–£400 in the South East.
The comparison that surprises people is the last one. Outside London, a container and a basic space at a facility built for cars often cost about the same. The difference is in what you get for the money, which is the next section. For a fuller breakdown of storage prices by region, see what car storage costs.
What a storage unit doesn't give you
A unit is a space. What it usually lacks is everything that keeps a stored car healthy:
- Power. Without a socket you can't keep a battery conditioner connected, and a modern car's battery can run flat in two to four weeks. You'll need to take the battery out and charge it at home, or accept a flat one in spring.
- Damp control. Most units and containers track the outside air. Corrosion and mould both speed up once the relative humidity gets past about 60–70%, which an unheated unit can sit above for most of a British winter.
- Someone checking the car. Nobody will notice a slow puncture, a leak or a mouse until you next visit.
- Insurance. The storage company insures its building, not your car. Keep your own cover in place.
- Easy access. Some sites restrict hours, and a container's doors can be hard to open fully if another unit is close.
None of that matters much for a modern car you'll use or check every couple of weeks. It matters a lot for a classic, a valuable car, or anything stored for a whole winter. Our guide to what happens if you don't drive your car sets out what to expect, month by month.
SORN, tax and insurance in a storage unit
If the car will be off the road for months, declaring SORN stops the vehicle tax and removes the legal need for road insurance. GOV.UK treats a car as off the road when it's kept on private land, such as a garage or a drive, so a storage site counts.
The catch is the operator's terms. Some — Big Yellow's vehicle parking is one — require any vehicle on site to be taxed. Check that before you make the SORN, not after.
Insurance works the same wherever the car is kept. The storage company won't insure it, so if the car is on SORN, switch to laid-up cover, which protects against fire, theft and damage for much less than a road policy. Make the SORN first, then switch the insurance; doing it the other way round leaves the car taxed but uninsured, which is an offence. Our guides to SORN and car storage and laid-up insurance go through both in detail.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Do you allow cars in the unit itself, or only in a parking area?
- What's the door opening width and height?
- Is there a power socket, and can I leave a battery conditioner connected?
- Does the vehicle have to be taxed, or can I store it on SORN?
- What are the access hours, and is there a charge for out-of-hours access?
- What security is there — gates, CCTV, alarms, staff on site?
- Is the unit dry? Ask about ventilation and whether it's on hardstanding.
- What's the notice period, and how much notice do you give before a price rise?
When a unit makes sense — and when it doesn't
A unit is a sensible choice if the car is modern, you live nearby, you'll check on it every week or two, and it's going away for a few weeks or one winter. Pick a dry unit, take the battery home or fit a solar maintainer if the unit has light, and use a breathable cover.
Car storage is the better choice if the car is a classic or valuable, it's going away for months, you won't be around to check it, or you'd rather it came back in spring exactly as it went in. A facility built for cars typically includes the power, humidity control and checks that a unit leaves to you, often for not much more money. Preparing the car properly matters either way — our guide to storing a car over winter covers the battery, tyres, fuel and paperwork.
Motorkeep is an independent introduction service for car storage; we don't own or operate any facility we list. Big Yellow's rules are quoted from its published Guide to Big Yellow Self Storage and Guide to Vehicle Parking (January 2026). Container dimensions are typical figures for a standard 20ft ISO container and vary slightly between manufacturers. Prices were checked in October 2026; always confirm terms and prices with the operator.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you store a car in a storage unit?
- Sometimes. Most indoor self-storage rooms won't take a car: Big Yellow, for example, bans petrol, oil, batteries and tyres from its rooms, and offers cars a separate parking space instead. Drive-up units, lock-up garages and shipping containers on secure sites often do accept cars. Always check the licence before you sign.
- What size storage unit do I need for a car?
- Usually 10ft by 20ft, which is 200 sq ft or about 3m by 6m. A Volkswagen Golf is 4.28m long and 1.79m wide without its mirrors, so a 20ft length leaves room to walk around it. A 10ft by 15ft unit will take a small hatchback with very little to spare. Check the door opening as well as the floor size.
- Can a car fit in a 10x10 storage unit?
- Almost never. A 10ft unit is about 3.05m deep, and most cars are 3.5m to 5m long. A two-seat Smart is a rare exception.
- Can a car fit in a 20ft shipping container?
- Yes, most cars will. A standard 20ft container is about 5.90m long and 2.35m wide inside, with a door opening of roughly 2.28–2.34m. The catch is width: a Golf leaves about 28cm either side, which isn't enough to open a door properly, so getting in and out is awkward.
- How much is a storage unit for a car?
- A 20ft container on a secure site is typically £120–£350 a month, depending on the area: one Midlands operator charges £150 including VAT, and London prices run higher. Private lock-up garages average about £133 a month. A space at a dedicated car storage facility starts at a median of about £144 a month.
- Can I keep a SORN car in a storage unit?
- Legally, yes. GOV.UK treats a car kept on private land as off the road. But check the operator's terms: Big Yellow's vehicle parking licence, for example, requires any vehicle on site to be fully taxed and licensed, which rules out a SORN car there.
- Do storage units have electricity?
- Most don't. Self-storage rooms and containers rarely have a socket, and some operators don't allow equipment to be left charging. Without power you can't keep a battery conditioner connected, so a modern car's battery can go flat within a few weeks.
- Is my car insured in a storage unit?
- Not by the storage company. Big Yellow, for example, states that it does not provide insurance for vehicles and that a vehicle must stay insured while on site. Keep your own cover in place; if the car is on SORN, laid-up insurance covers fire and theft for much less than a road policy.