FAQ's

Storenextdoor connects people that have stuff to store with people that have space to spare. Storage spaces are listed by individuals with spare space in their homes or property (private or non-trade members) as well as independent businesses in the self-storage industry (Trade members). For the person looking for storage space, it offers an invaluable search tool to find local, good value space to rent. Non-trade listings are a cheaper, friendlier, insurance-covered, neighbourhood-based alternative to using commercial self storage facilities. See the About section for more information about the company or the How it Works section for a video overview of the process.

There are various reasons for needing a self storage solution but Storenextdoor particularly appeals to:

• People that are moving house, decorating or having building works
• Students who need to vacate their halls or rented accommodation during the holidays
• Sporty types who have a lot of kit but only need to use it occasionally
• Collectors or people with seasonal hobbies
• Travel fans who like to take off for a bit and need to rent out their own homes in the meantime
• Spring cleaners who just want to de-clutter and free up some space

The stuff most people store are things that they can do without for a while and tend to be everyday items that are surplus to requirement. Increasingly people will also be able to use Storenextdoor to find specialist storage for boats, cars, caravans, motorhomes, documents ...and even wine!

It is FREE to register and to have a profile and to search for listings.

Self-storage Trade members pay an annual subscription fee to list on the site. Non-trade members (i.e. individuals who list spare space in their homes) can decide on how much to charge for their space. Once a contract is up and running we take an administration fee on a monthly basis. This covers the costs of running the site and the insurance cover for that contract.

For contracts that are managed through the site we take our fee out of the monies paid by the person with stuff to store and the remainder is paid straight through to the owner of the space.

It is up to the owner of the space to set the price for their space. There are various things that will influence the price. These include:

• the size of the space
• the level of security
• the availability of other spaces in the area
• the comparative cost of 'big chain' corporate storage (we advise that prices are set below the corporate rate)
• the level and frequency of access you can provide to the stored items

You can get an estimate of how much a space is worth using our Earnings Estimator.

We use the terms 'Badgers' and 'Squirrels' to refer to the two different types of user of the Storenextdoor website. Badgers are those users who have spare space and are looking to earn a little extra income through renting this space out. Think of badgers with large, empty badger sets. Squirrels are those users who have stuff to store and need a cheap, local self-storage solution. Think of squirrels with loads of nuts to hoard.

We use these labels across the website to avoid resorting to clumsy, forgettable legal alternatives for these two different types of user.

Trade listings are those that have been posted by our Trade members i.e. independent businesses that operate existing self-storage facilities. These listings showcase spaces that Trade members have available at their business premises. Storenextdoor includes the listings in the Search and refers interested parties direct to the space owners as referrals. Once a referral is made, Storenextdoor has no further role to play in the commercial arrangement.

Private (or non-trade) listings are those that have been made by individuals who have spare space at their home or business premises. These listings are managed via the website by the owners and Storenextdoor provides a messaging service, online contract process and payment system to facilitate the relationship with people interested in renting the spaces. These listings are covered by Aviva insurance.

A typical experience of the Storenextdoor process looks as follows:

1. An individual or business owner signs up and posts a free advert. The advert includes details of the property (description, photographs, security level and access rules).
2. The person who needs storage estimates the size of the space that they need (we have a space estimator to help) and searches the listings for a space.
3. When the storage hunter finds something that is suitable they click on ‘Contact the owner about this space’ and enter the dates required plus any additional questions for the owner of the space.
4. A message is sent to the owner of the space.
If the listing has been posted by a Trade member this message acts as a referral and it is up to the owner of the space to respond to the enquiry by phone or email. The storage enquiry then continues as a business arrangement between the owner and the person that requires storage.

For a private or non-trade listing (i.e. the space is in an individual's home or at their property;
5. The space owner and the storage hunter communicate using the Storenextdoor messaging service and a viewing can be arranged (if necessary).
6. If the space owner is happy to proceed with a viewing and/or with the contract they can share their address details.
7. Once both parties are happy to finalise the contract:

The Space owner will log in to:

• Confirm the dates and add any other agreed ‘special circumstances’ (if there are any)
• Accept the Terms of the Insurance
• Accept the Terms and Conditions
• Accept the Contract

The Storage hunter can then log in to:

• Set up the payment for the Contract
• Make an Inventory of items to be stored
• Accept the Terms of the Insurance
• Accept the Terms and Conditions
• Accept the Contract

Both parties can then make arrangements for delivery of the items to be stored.

Once the contract is live:

➢ Both parties automatically benefit, as named parties, from the Aviva Insurance cover (held by Storenextdoor). This cover includes £2.5k asset protection (for the stuff stored) and £2m mutual product/public liability indemnification.

➢ Contracts can be cancelled at any time during the ‘cooling off’ period. The ‘cooling off’ period ends on the seventh working day after the day on which the goods are put into storage.

➢ We send regular summaries detailing payments made and the contract duration remaining.

➢ One month before the end of a contract we send a reminder that it is due to terminate and a prompt to renew (or a notification to the tenant to remove their stuff by a final date).

➢ The tenant can give a month's notice to terminate the contract before the specified end date.

Most independent businesses that offer self-storage advertise lower rates per metre square than large 'big-chain' corporates. For non-trade listings, prices are almost always lower for the equivalent size space as the prices are set to make the most of unused space. We recommend that storage rates are set at least 25% less than commercial storage prices. Storenextdoor is essentially an open marketplace so you will often find spaces with even greater discounts than this (relative to a commercial equivalent).

For medium to long-term storage periods there are substantial savings to be made.

Yes! We are expanding outwards from the Southwest area after a successful trial. Please don't hesitate to sign up and list even if there are not many other members in your area - there soon will be!

People generally use Storenextdoor for household items: furniture, books and personal effects as well as sporting equipment and bulky objects that only need occasional use.

You can also use the site to find an empty garage or driveway to store a caravan, motorhome or boat although in this instance, the owner is required to confirm that they have their own fully comprehensive vehicle insurance. Please refer to the Insurance FAQs for full details here.

All of the Trade members have their own rules about what can be stored at their business premises.

For private or non-trade spaces the following applies:

Storenextdoor is unsuitable for storing valuable items (jewellery, antiques, gold bullion etc) or things that would be irreplaceable in the case of an insurance claim (i.e. anything of high sentimental value).

Generally, it’s important that you choose appropriate storage for the type of stuff you are intending to store i.e. if you are storing books or record collections you would look for a dry and secure attic space rather than, say, a garage that might be more variable in temperature.

You are definitely not allowed to store stolen goods, explosives, people, combustible items and anything else listed in our Excluded Items Policy.

Storenextdoor is part of the ‘collaborative consumption’ movement which is growing in the UK, and around the World, as an alternative way to make money and to buy products or services. The Internet is allowing people to make connections with other people for a mutually beneficial reason.

We are able to provide a certain amount of protection against things going wrong in the case of a private or non-trade listing (a legal contract, insurance cover and verifications in profiles); however, the bottom line is that this type of service is based on people being respectful and trusting of each other - and getting connected at a local level.

See the Staying Safe section for more information and guidance on how to minimise the risk of something going wrong.

Yes. Your profile is your chance to show that you are a friendly, trustworthy person to do business with – for private or non-trade listings, it’s more likely that people will contact you if you post a picture and give a short summary of yourself. If you really don’t want to put a picture of yourself up then your dog or your favourite pot plant can stand in for you ... but we do encourage you to give your profile some character. As we mentioned before, trust is a big factor in making this type of service work and a good first impression is an excellent start in getting to know someone.

Please note: People browsing the site are not able to see your address or your phone number on your profile. You can choose the right time to share your address and contact information i.e. only when it is needed for a visit or to finalise a contract.

For Trade listings, the minimum contract length is usually one month but please contact the business to confirm.

For private or non-trade listings, the minimum contract length is one month and you are charged for the service in one-month blocks thereafter. Obviously you can store your stuff for a shorter time but you will still have to pay for this one-month, minimum contract.

If you are a Business that already offers Self-storage facilities then go to the Information for Trade Members section.

If you have spare space at home or at your business (a loft, garage, undercroft or outbuilding that is within 10 metres of your property), go to the Earnings Estimator page to find out how much your space is worth.

You can also create a login create a login and get started with your listing!

For further information, download the guide: How to rent out your spare space with Storenextdoor.

The contract is a document creating legal obligations between you and the other party. It sets out the terms and conditions of the storage arrangement. It is essential to ensure that everything agreed with the other person is captured in the contract (within the 'Special Conditions' box) as it will be your point of reference in the rare event of a dispute.

A PROPOSED contract is set up by the space owner once an interested party has contacted him/her about a space. It contains the start and end dates of the proposed contract as well as the price per month as stated on the website.

A PENDING contract is when the proposed contract has been agreed by the space owner and he/she is waiting for the other party to agree to it.

A LIVE contract is produced once both parties agree to the dates, price and any special conditions that should apply to the storage arrangement.

An ARCHIVED contract is any DRAFT/PENDING contract that has been rejected prior to becoming LIVE as well as all expired, or cancelled, LIVE contracts. Essentially, the 'Archive' is your record of all 'dead', historical contract activity.

For Trade listings, please contact the self-storage business owner for details. For private or non-trade listings: the answer is 'Yes'. You are not allowed to store anything very valuable, illegal, stolen or that might cause damage to the space owner's property. This includes:

• drugs, cigarettes, tobacco and tobacco products, wines and spirits;
• explosives, combustibles and fireworks, hazardous chemicals;
• money, furs, precious metals, jewellery, precious stones;
• non-ferrous metals;
• deeds and documents (bonds, securities, loan notes, title deeds and other financial information);
• liquids, foodstuffs;
• mouldy, infested items;
• stolen or illegal goods; and
• any item with an individual value in excess of £500 (subject to separate agreement with Pavey/Aviva).

Please refer to the The Excluded Items list to download a copy of this list.

The total value of items must not exceed £2500 (or it won’t be covered by the insurance).

Failure to comply with these rules is a breach of contract. If you are concerned please refer to the Terms and Conditions for more detail.

If things do go wrong, we will help you try and resolve the issue by offering advice and mediating where we can. We strongly advise you to follow all the guidelines that we give on this website and in our downloadable guides.

On a legal level, the contracts that you undertake and your actions in relation to other Storenextdoor members are your own responsibility and we are under no obligation to take any action in the event of a dispute between you both.

Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for more information.

We use a great payment system called ‘GoCardless’ that makes it possible for direct debit payments to be made directly from, and to, bank accounts. It is a safe and secure payment system that is widely used by online companies in the UK. You can find out more about them at their website.

Occasionally, you may want to record an agreement reached that is over and above the standard terms. For example, as a Squirrel, you may have asked for your own key to an external garage and the Badger agreed to this. Or, as a Badger, you may have asked for a specific amount of notice to be provided by the Squirrel whenever they seek return access to their items in storage.

You are strongly encouraged to discuss any such requirements through the Storenextdoor messaging service. Once you are both in agreement on any such matters, if important, you will want to record them as part of the contract.

To do this, you use the 'Special Conditions' box. The best way to do this is to agree the text for this in the messaging process. Once in agreed form, the Badger can then simply copy and paste this into the contract (only the Badger has 'write access' to the 'Special Conditions' section). The Squirrel then has the opportunity to review and agree to this (as part of the process of agreeing to the overall contract).

No.

All of these fees are subsumed within the Storenextdoor service fee (which also includes the costs of Insurance Cover and operational costs of running the website). Remember, only the tenant pays this on the start of a contract AND there are NO HIDDEN FEES - it is all included in the listing price as displayed.

Please note when you go through the GoCardless screens to set up your bank details (for payment - tenants; for receipt - space owners), you are in their website. You will see the following statement: “It's incredibly cheap. There are no set up fees, no monthly minimums, and no hidden costs. We charge just 1% of the money you collect, up to a maximum of £2.00 per transaction.” You can ignore this statement, you will not be charged this fee.

In time, we aim for better integration with the GoCardless system so that this message confusion goes away, but for the time being, please bear with us.

The Aviva Insurance Cover arranged for Storenextdoor, by our insurance advisors Pavey Group, is a significant part of the Storenextdoor service. When a non-trade or private storage contract is arranged via our website the named parties (i.e. the Space owner and the space tenant) will benefit from inclusion within this important cover.

For members with stuff to store (the space tenants), the insurance covers:

1. Theft of goods (provided the theft is reported to police and was as a result of violent or forcible entry or exit to the property).
2. Damage to the goods if caused by fire, explosion, escape of water/oil, storm, flood, falling trees, impact.
3. For theft and damage, all items that have been listed within the tenant's inventory are covered up to the value of £2,500 Indemnity replacement value per contract. This is as per the cost of replacement or repair of the property lost, destroyed or damaged (to a condition as good as, but not better or more extensive than, its condition immediately prior to the damage or loss). Any single item is covered up to a maximum of £500 on the same basis.
4. £2million of public and products liability insurance cover. This indemnifies you against (1) legal liability and (2) costs/expenses in respect of accidental personal injury, or damage to the space owner's property, which arises in connection with the storage contract.

For members with space to rent (the space owner), the insurance covers:
1. £2million of public and products liability insurance cover. This indemnifies you against (1) legal liability and (2) costs/expenses in respect of injury, or damage to your property, which arises in connection with the storage contract.

Summary of cover for the storage of cars, motorhomes, caravans and boats
Vehicles, boats and motorbikes may be stored either in a garage (providing the garage is not more than 15 metres from your house) or on a driveway or forecourt. In this instance, however, in addition to the Aviva insurance policy that is provided as part of the Storenextdoor service, the owner (the Squirrel) is required to confirm also that they have their own fully comprehensive insurance arrangements.

It should be further noted that:
1. For space tenants making any claim to theft and stored goods damage claims, there is a £250 excess charge.
2. Space owners are able to have up to four contracts running concurrently (total insured value £10,000) or five such contracts (total insured value £12,500) if a garage let (maximum one garage contract) is also included.

Further Questions:
The StoreNextDoor service is insured by Aviva (the Underwriters) and administered by Pavey Group (the Broker). If you need to discuss the terms of the insurance cover, please call Ian Yendall at Pavey Group on: 01392 880000.

The insurance documents that are summarised here are available for download in full:
1. The Insurance Policy Pack
2. The Excluded Items List 

Yes, there are listings available advertising a garage, driveway or forecourt for vehicle parking or storage.

Please note that the vehicle must be covered by its own comprehensive insurance as it will not be covered under the Storenextdoor policy.

The insurance covers private or non-trade listings only. The insurance cover is in place for the duration of any Storenextdoor contract. It is an automatic part of the service that requires no further action from you (over and above agreeing to, and operating within, the standard terms and conditions).

No. The listings from Trade members do not include insurance. For private or non-trade listings, insurance is a standard, fixed part of the Storenextdoor service/contract that benefits both parties, so having your own insurance will not make the cost cheaper.

The Storenextdoor service is insured by Aviva (the Underwriters) and administered by Pavey Group (the Broker).

If you need to discuss the terms of the insurance cover, please call Ian Yendall at Pavey Group on: 01392 880000

If you need to report or discuss a claims issue, please contact Miss Orrianda Wellington at Pavey Group on: 01392 880000

Pavey Group offices are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.15pm. If your would prefer to e-mail Pavey about your claim, please get in touch with orrianda.wellington@paveygroup.co.uk and the Pavey Group claims team will respond as quickly as possible. Please include a telephone number and the best time to call you.

People generally use Storenextdoor for household items: furniture, books and personal effects as well as sporting equipment and bulky objects that only need occasional use.

You can also use the site to find an empty garage or driveway to store a caravan, motorhome or boat although in this instance, the owner is required to confirm that they have their own fully comprehensive vehicle insurance. Please refer to the Insurance FAQs for full details here.

All of the Trade members have their own rules about what can be stored at their business premises.

For private or non-trade spaces the following applies:

Storenextdoor is unsuitable for storing valuable items (jewellery, antiques, gold bullion etc) or things that would be irreplaceable in the case of an insurance claim (i.e. anything of high sentimental value).

Generally, it’s important that you choose appropriate storage for the type of stuff you are intending to store i.e. if you are storing books or record collections you would look for a dry and secure attic space rather than, say, a garage that might be more variable in temperature.

You are definitely not allowed to store stolen goods, explosives, people, combustible items and anything else listed in our Excluded Items Policy.

Generally, it’s important that you choose appropriate storage for the type of stuff you are intending to store e.g. if you are storing books or record collections you would look for a dry and secure attic or warehouse space rather than choose a garage or container that might be more variable in temperature. When you search for a space check out the level of security, access rules and climate conditions that are part of the listing.

If you are looking to store a car, motorbike, caravan or boat you could look for a driveway or forecourt; however, bear in mind that special insurance terms apply to vehicles (i.e. they must be comprehensively insured by their owners for the duration of the storage period).

You need to estimate the size of your space in metres. It can be a little hard to work out how much space you need when you have a random selection of stuff to store so we have provided a space estimator to help you. This can help you work out roughly the size of the floorspace that you will need. Go to the Search page and click on 'How much space do I need?' in the search box.

Yes, once you have made contact with the space owner you can arrange a viewing. Please see our Safety Section for advice on how to make your viewing trip productive and stress free (especially relevant for Private or non-trade listings).

When you find a listing that you like you can click on ‘Contact the owner about this space' to send a message to the owner. For security and privacy reasons you will not be able to see an owner's address or phone number until you have initiated a contract enquiry with them and they are happy to share their details with you (i.e. this is not relevant for Trade listings where you can contact the owner directly). Download the Guide to storing with Storenextdoor leaflet for more guidance on the process.

Yes - if that is what you have agreed with the space owner. There are various rules of access (including the regularity and the notice period required) which you can agree as part of the contract.

We are working very hard to get as many people on board as possible (rolling this out region-by-region across the UK) but as this is a new service it is going to take a few months to get fully up and running on a national level.

And, you can help us by telling everyone you know to sign up or by posting something on Facebook or Twitter!

When you find a listing you like:

1. Check whether the space is available.
2. Click on ‘Contact the owner about this space’ and enter your start and the number of months you require it for as well as any message or questions that you have for the Badger. For Trade listings you will also be asked to enter your contact details and then the arrangement proceeds as if you have approached them directly.
For Private or non-trade listings the process is as follows:
3. The space owner should reply within 24-hours. They will either reject your request or accept it and send you a message back.
4. If your request is accepted, you can then arrange a viewing (as required). If the space owner is happy to proceed, they will then share their address and contact details.
5. If all goes well and everyone is happy to proceed, the space owner will then propose a contract that includes the price and the start / end dates. You will receive notification that this has happened and you will be able to view the proposed contract. If you are happy to go ahead you can then:
   a. Make an inventory of the items to be stored.
   b. Agree the Terms & Conditions.
   c. Agree the contract (You will be asked to set up your payment details with GoCardless at this point if you haven’t already done so).
6. You can then make arrangements for delivery of the items to be stored on the agreed date.

> Once the contract is agreed you will be able to review it at any time in the 'My contracts' section of your 'My account' page.
> You will receive regular summaries detailing payments made and the contract duration remaining.
> One month before the end of a contract, you will receive a reminder that it is due to terminate and a prompt to renew (or to remove your stuff by a final date).

Download the Guide to storing with Storenextdoor leaflet for more guidance on the process.

It’s most likely that the space has already been rented by someone else or your dates may have not worked for the space owner.

The other thing to check is your profile. Have you filled it out? Does it do you credit? A good profile (photo, short description, links to social media, reviews if available) is the key to a good online introduction.

For Private or non-trade listings, the price you see advertised in the listings is the price that you pay. There are no hidden extras. The listing displays a price that includes the website administration fee as well as the Badger’s fee. The administration fee goes towards the insurance cover and the cost of running the Storenextdoor service.

For Trade listings the price can sometimes be the 'starting price' for the types of storage that is being advertised. You would need to check with the space owner to check.

Yes - for Private or non-trade spaces, the inventory is a list of all the items that you are storing and is essential for the insurance cover to be valid – it is also an important record for you in the rare case of any dispute.

You are asked to fill in the inventory as part of the contract (just before you accept it). Whilst you are encouraged to be as detailed as possible (for your own benefit), you are only required to individually list items over £250 in value. Other items can be grouped under a general heading e.g. ‘Household items’, 'Furniture' or ‘Books and papers’.

You are also able to upload photographs of your stuff once you have accepted the contract - and we strongly encourage you to do this (It helps you remember what you have put in storage as well as being a useful record in the rare case of any dispute).

Your inventory is shared with the insurance company but is not visible to the Badger.

Yes. If you are looking to store a car, motorbike, caravan or boat you could look for a garage, driveway or forecourt; however, please bear in mind that special insurance terms apply to vehicles (i.e. you must have comprehensive insurance for your vehicle for the duration of the storage period).

If in doubt give the Insurance hotline a call.

This might be relevant, say for example you want to store equipment with a replacement cover greater than £2,500.

In such circumstances, you will just need to make individual insurance arrangements with the Insurance Broker. You will need to contact Pavey Group (the Insurance Broker) to discuss your specific storage situation with them: please call Ian Yendall at Pavey Group on: 01392 880000 or email ian.yendall@paveygroup.co.uk

Once we are notified by Pavey that your special circumstance has been covered, we will email you to let you know you can continue to contract with a Badger as per normal. When you finally agree the contract, under any such separate conditions, you should attach your bespoke insurance certificate to the contract record (as part of the file/photo upload process).

As a tenant, if you need to end a contract before the stated contract end date (or a contract set to run indefinitely), you simply return to the contract (via 'My account' > 'My contracts') and click 'Cancel contract'. You can only end a contract before its full term, with 28 days notice, so you will still be charged one more monthly payment. Your can, of course, message the space owner to collect your stored items straight away.

Remember to keep the space owner fully informed with any such contract change; a courteous message in advance of the actual contract end notice - explaining your circumstances - will go a long way in keeping them happy.

For Trade listings: If you are an established business and you offer self-storage facilities you can become a Trade member. Existing trade members include farmers and smallholders that have a number of containers or outbuildings, removals companies that offer storage facilities to the public, sole traders who own a number of detached garages, and family-owned warehouse based storage companies.

For Private or non-trade listings: As long as you own your home and have current household insurance you can rent out your space. If you are a small business, or registered charity, with excess space at your premises you are also eligible.

You can rent out any room inside your house (e.g. your loft, cellar and spare rooms) You can also rent out a garage, shed or outbuilding as long as it is within 15 metres from your house and secure/lockable.

When you make your listing you will be asked to specify the level of security, access rules and climate conditions for the space.

You are also able to rent out a driveway or forecourt to store cars, motorbikes or boats; however, special insurance terms apply (i.e. vehicles must be comprehensively insured by their owners for the duration of the storage period).

We recommend that you make your listing as comprehensive as possible and provide three photographs. The more you can put in your listing, the less questions you are likely to be asked about it.

Also, the more accurate the listing, the more chance you have of renting it out to the right person at the right price.

Our downloadable leaflet How to rent out your space with Storenextdoor is a useful guide.

It’s very difficult to guess by looking at a space so we highly recommend that you take accurate measurements. We do all the measurements in metric (cm and metres) on the website.

You need to measure the floor space first – the length and the width of the space. Then you need to find the highest point in the room and measure the height. If the height is uneven or restricted (e.g. an attic room with a sloping ceiling) you should specify this in your description.

For Trade listings: You can make up to three listings for any one location under one subscription. This means that you can either showcase different types of storage as generic listings (e.g. containers, warehouse and vehicle storage) or make specific listings for particular spaces that you have available (e.g. Container A, Container B, Container C). For Private or non-trade listings: You are allowed to rent out up to four spaces at a time. If you are also renting out a garage/shed/outbuilding (maximum one contract) this can rise to five consecutive contracts. It is important not to go over these limits as this will be in breach of Storenextdoor's Terms & Conditions and the insurance cover will be invalidated.

You are free to set the price for your space as high or as low as you want to but here are some useful tips (more relevant for Private or non-trade members):

1. Use our earnings estimator as guidance. Base your price on the size of your space and the average price of Storenextdoor storage in your area (our calculator will do this for you). We would also recommend that you make your price markedly cheaper (say 25% lower) than the equivalent price at your nearest commercial storage unit.
2. Complete your profile. The ‘trust rating’ of your profile is an important factor in how much people are willing to choose your space (even above another that may be cheaper).
3. Enhance your space. People are more likely to pay for a good level of security, cleanliness and climate (i.e. not damp or prone to extreme temperatures). Is there anything you can do to improve what you currently have in order to make it a premium choice?

When you get a notification that someone is interested in your space:

1. You should aim to respond within 24 hours. Check whether your space is available for the dates specified. If you are not interested you can send an automated reply that rejects the enquiry
If you are a Trade member this message acts as a referral and it is up to you to respond to the enquiry by phone or email. The storage enquiry then continues as a business arrangement between you and the person that requires storage. For Private or non-trade listings:
2. If your space is available and you would be happy to rent it to the person that has made the enquiry you can click through the link in the notification email and send a reply via the messaging service on the website.
3. If you are happy to proceed and a viewing is requested, check out the profile of the person making the enquiry. If they have not provided enough information for you to be comfortable with a viewing, or to accept a contract, you can ask them more questions.
4. If you are happy to go ahead with a viewing or to accept the contract you can share your location and contact details.
5. If all goes well and you are both happy to proceed you can click on the 'Propose contract' button to:
   a. Complete the ‘Special Conditions’ box (if you want to add any terms that are particular to the contract e.g. any special access arrangements etc)
   b. Agree to the Insurance Terms
   c. Agree to the Terms & Conditions
   d. Agree to the contract.
6. The other party will then be alerted by text and email that you have agreed to the contract and prompted to review it. If they are happy they will complete and inventory, set up payments and agree as well.
You are able to message them anytime during this process.
> Once the contract is agreed by the tenant you will be able to review it at any time in the 'My contracts' section of 'My account'.
> You will receive regular summaries.
> One month before the end of a contract you will receive a reminder that it is due to terminate.

You can download the leaflet How to rent out your space with Storenextdoor for more guidance.

We take 23% of the monthly payment made by the squirrel as a service fee. This covers insurance and the costs of administering the website/service.

No. It is up to you to share your location and contact details once you are happy to proceed with a contract and have got to the stage that a viewing has been requested. You can share these details via the messaging service (so only the person you are communicating with will see them).

Once your space has been rented it will show automatically show that it is 'Unavailable’ in the listing. However, you can remove the listing yourself by selecting the listing from your 'My spaces' page within your 'My account' section and sliding the 'Show in search results' toggle to the OFF option.

The tenant is under contract to pay you monthly for the full term of the storage contract. If their automatic payment stops we will do an initial investigation to check what the problem is.

If the tenant deliberately withholds payment, they will be in breach of the contract. If the payment remains outstanding for seven days, you have the right to terminate the contract. Either you or we can do this. If we do this, we will send the tenant a warning telling them to remove their goods immediately.

Please contact us for further advice if this situation arises.

If you are a UK tax payer you will need to declare your income to HMRC. You may need to pay tax, the rate of which will depend on how much income you earn and whether you have income from any other source. The personal allowance before you have to pay tax is currently £8,105 (2011/12) but there are other factors such as age and entitlements so check the rate table at the HMRC website and the information on self-assessment for further details on how and when declarations must be made. Income from renting out your spare room for storage does not currently qualify for a tax break under the government's Rent-a-Room scheme but we are currently planning on campaigning for it to be included.

This might be relevant if, for example, you wish to list more than one garage/outbuilding. Please call us to discuss as you might qualify as a Trade member.

Alternatively, you can make individual insurance arrangements with the Insurance Broker. You will need to contact Pavey Group (the Insurance Broker) to discuss your specific storage situation with them: please call Ian Yendall at Pavey Group on: 01392 880000 or email ian.yendall@paveygroup.co.uk

Once we are notified by Pavey that your special circumstance has been covered, we will email you to let you know you can continue to list the space and contract with a Squirrel as per normal.

If it is beyond 15 metres from your main, registered property it sits outside the standard insurance terms.

You can still use the Stonenextdoor website but, first, you will just need to make individual insurance arrangements with the Insurance Broker. You will need to contact Pavey Group (the Insurance Broker) to discuss your specific storage situation with them: please call Ian Yendall at Pavey Group on: 01392 880000 or email ian.yendall@paveygroup.co.uk

Once we are notified by Pavey that your special circumstance has been covered, we will email you to let you know you can continue to list the space and contract with a Squirrel as per normal.

As a tenant, you cannot just end a live contract before its agreed end storage date without discussion and agreement from the space owner. You should only enter into a storage contract if you are confident your space is available for the full period that you are offering.

Of course, life sometimes throws up unpredictable moments. In such an instance, please message the space owner to let them know of your situation. In such an instance, only the space owner can effectively cancel the contract - by returning to the contract (via their 'My account' > 'My contracts' screen) and clicking 'Cancel contract'.

As a minimum - in such an extreme circumstance - you should provide your space owner with 30 days notice as they will be charged one more monthly payment from the moment they 'Cancel contract'. As always, courteous messaging and explanation, in such a circumstance, is really key.

Basements and cellars can often make ideal storage spaces - especially so if fully damp-proofed. Please note, however, that for the tenant to benefit from the Storenextdoor insurance cover, you will need to ensure that any items stored in a basement or cellar are kept at least 75mm above the floor level (else any claim for damage as a result of storm, flood and escaping water will be invalidated).

The subscription fee is £10 a month payable upfront per annum e.g. £120

If you prefer to pay monthly the subscription is £15 per month. You are able to cancel at anytime.

If you want to make more than 3 listings, you need to take out additional subscription premiums.

Once you have listed your first space, we will send you an invoice to set up payment as a direct debit via our payment provider GoCardless.

A basic registration is your email address, password and mobile phone number (so that we can send you alerts to communicate about a listing and not for any other reason).

To make a listing you have to complete your profile. All of our experience and research has shown that people are more likely to do business with you on the internet if they feel they know something about you – this is your opportunity to introduce yourself!

Why not give it a go and register right away?

There is a full overview of your Storenextdoor activity in the ‘My account’ section. You can view your contracts under the 'My contracts' tab. All of your contracts will be shown here under the category headings of 'DRAFT' 'PENDING', 'LIVE' and 'ARCHIVED'. Payment notifications are sent from GoCardless (our payment provider). For tenants, they will send email notification on receipt of funds (taken on a monthly basis for term of storage). For space owners, they will email an end of month statement showing the payments made (these payments will transfer to the space owner's bank account within seven working days of the tenant's payment).

You can delete your account in the 'Settings' page of the 'My account' section. Please note that this is an irreversible action.

Once you have set up a Gocardless account, you can edit your payment information with GoCardless by clicking through the link under the 'Edit GoCardless Bank details' title in your 'Edit profile' page (see right hand side).