Financing is one of the most important considerations when acquiring a self-storage facility. Whether you’re purchasing your first property or expanding an existing portfolio, understanding the available financing options can help you structure a successful acquisition. One of the most common funding sources is a traditional bank loan. Banks often provide competitive interest rates and repayment terms for stabilized facilities with strong occupancy and cash flow. Investors with solid credit and a sufficient down payment are often able to secure favorable financing. For owner-operators, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans can…
Category: Sponsored
Back To The Basics?
For many decades, self-storage was a remarkably simple business. The product was almost always the same: a single-story, drive-up facility on a piece of well-located land, built efficiently, operated leanly, and supported by a fixed-cost base that allowed operators to absorb economic cycles with minimal disruption. It was, in many ways, a beautiful business model. Low overhead, sticky tenants, modest reinvestment requirements, and steady cash flow. The asset class earned its reputation as one of the most durable in commercial real estate precisely because it kept things simple. That simplicity…
10 Ways to Prevent Tenants from Living in Your Self-Storage Facility
Self-storage facilities are designed to store belongings—not serve as housing. However, operators occasionally encounter situations where tenants attempt to use storage units as living spaces. Beyond violating lease agreements, this practice can create serious safety, legal, insurance, and liability concerns for facility owners. Living in a storage unit can increase the risk of fire, property damage, criminal activity, health hazards, and injuries, all of which can expose owners to significant risk. Fortunately, there are several proactive steps operators can take to discourage unauthorized occupancy and maintain a safe, professional facility.…
The Gap Between What Self Storage Sellers Want and What Buyers Will Pay is Finally Starting to Close
Transaction volume in self-storage has been slower than buyers and sellers would both like. Capital is ready to deploy, and assets need to trade. But the gap between what sellers believe their properties are worth and what buyers are prepared to pay has kept a significant portion of the market on hold. That standoff is starting to shift, and not entirely by choice. Tom de Jong, Executive Vice President at Colliers and Founding Principal of the De Jong Self Storage Team, has tracked this across dozens of active deals over…
How Far Are Customers Willing to Travel for Self-Storage?
When evaluating a self-storage investment, one of the most important questions to ask is: How far are customers willing to travel to access their storage unit? Understanding tenant travel patterns can help owners, operators, and investors make better decisions about site selection, marketing strategies, facility amenities, and pricing. While convenience remains a major factor for most renters, customer behavior shows that many are willing to travel farther when a facility offers the right combination of value, security, and features. Let’s take a closer look at how far tenants are willing…
White Label Storage Welcomes Austin Rockman as AI Lead
White Label Storage is excited to announce the addition of Austin Rockman as the company’s new AI Lead, joining the team in May 2026. As White Label Storage continues investing in automation, operational intelligence, and AI-driven technology initiatives, Austin’s role will help accelerate the company’s ability to explore and implement emerging tools that support both internal operations and the customer experience across its growing portfolio. Austin brings a unique blend of technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and hands-on experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning systems. His background spans AI infrastructure,…
6 Proven Ways to Turn Around an Underperforming Self-Storage Facility
Not every self-storage facility performs as expected. Whether occupancy has stalled, expenses are rising, or revenue growth has slowed, an underperforming property doesn’t have to stay that way. The good news is that many struggling facilities can be improved with a few strategic changes. By focusing on operations, revenue management, marketing, and customer experience, owners can often increase Net Operating Income (NOI) and significantly improve property value. Here are six proven ways to turn around an underperforming self-storage facility. 1. Audit Your Financials The first step is understanding exactly where…
StorTrack Market of the Month: Chicago, IL
Chicago is a market where the underlying fundamentals tell a subtler story than pricing trends alone would suggest. The market is relatively mature with 12.4 million rentable square feet across 171 facilities and only one project currently under development. Yet despite this scale, Chicago remains structurally undersupplied at just 4.6 square feet per capita, equivalent to only 58% of the national average. To better understand its potential as a self-storage investment, we used StorTrack’s Explorer platform to dig into key market metrics. Market Snapshot for Chicago, IL What makes the current environment…
White Label Storage Surpasses 300 Facilities Under Management, Cementing Its Place Among the Nation’s Top Operators
White Label Storage, a leading third-party self-storage management company, has surpassed 300 facilities under management. This milestone reflects the company’s rapid growth, unwavering commitment to owner success, and standing as one of the most trusted names in the self-storage industry. The milestone comes on the heels of the company being recognized as a top-ten facility management company by Inside Self-Storage (ISS) in 2025 and reflects a trajectory of consistent, disciplined growth built on the company’s founding principle: that independent storage owners deserve institutional-quality management without sacrificing control of their business.…
Self-Storage Case Study: Kingston, NY
White Label Storage, a modern third-party self-storage management company, today announced the release of a new case study documenting the performance results achieved at a 352-unit Kingston, New York facility under its management. The case study tells the story of a newly acquired facility with strong local demand and clear upside that was struggling to meet its potential — and how the right management partnership helped ownership unlock it. After completing physical improvements to the property, the ownership team brought White Label Storage on board to modernize operations and drive…
