Your storage agreement, explained

Your storage agreement uses some specific language on purpose. This article explains what it means and why it's worded the way it is.

It's a licence to occupy

Your agreement gives you a personal right to store your goods in a specific unit — a licence to occupy, rather than legal possession of the space itself. That's why StoreBay's standard agreement is written entirely in licence terms: a licence fee, an operator, and an occupier (that's you). Your operator can edit its agreement, so your signed copy is the final word. The licence is also why an operator can, for example, require you to move your goods to another unit of comparable size on reasonable notice, or keep a right to enter the unit to inspect, maintain or repair it, or in an emergency — rights that only make sense because you hold a licence, not possession of the unit itself.

What's in it

Your agreement covers:

• Your unit — its location, size, and the licence fee for it.
• Term and renewal — how the agreement continues and how you can end it.
• Coverage — whether you've chosen a waiver, and at what level; see Set up a coverage waiver.
• Access — your rights and your operator's rights to enter or restrict access, including the circumstances that can lead to overlock; see How overlock works.
• Ending the agreement — notice periods and what happens on move-out; see Give notice and end your agreement.

Signing it

Your agreement has to be signed before move-in day. It's usually signed electronically — as part of booking online, or from a link your operator emails you — and if you signed on paper, your operator records that for you. Once it's signed electronically, you can download your copy at any time from your customer portal — it's kept alongside your invoices and other documents.

Who to contact

If anything in your agreement doesn't match what you were told when you booked, contact your operator.