Councils have constantly increased pressure on both time and budgets. For many a round of budget consultations have just concluded, waiting to be ratified. With the government slowly reducing grant funding, councils are scraping together budgets based on council tax income, business rates, grant bids, and any money that can be raised through rents and the like.

Councils are trying desperately to cut costs without cutting the quality of the services.

They need storage for various reasons: the terms of most council tenancy agreements mean tenants must take all possessions and furniture with them at the end of a tenancy. If tenants don’t do this, the council has a legal obligation to store possessions for 28 days, charging tenants for both storage costs and costs for removal and disposal.

If a tenant dies, their possessions will remain in place for two weeks, but often the council is caught up trying to trace family or waiting for probate instructions.

If a property needs major work like re-roofing or asbestos removal, councils may rehome tenants, but their possessions need to go somewhere safe.

And in some cases, the council has a duty to look after and store personal belongings for people who have been made homeless or have been moved into temporary accommodation. COVID has taken its toll, and whilst official homelessness figures haven’t risen in the last Homelessness Monitor (England 2021), there were many more people in temporary accommodation.

Finding the right storage company is essential when it comes to saving money and serving tenants. Pricing of services can be difficult. Many storage companies create an initial introductory offer to attract business, but prices then escalate wildly. Councils will usually obtain several quotes, but should also look at how much it will cost for the entire storage period: especially in the current economic climate, they may end up storing items for far longer than anticipated. And there’s a hidden cost in the collection and return if council vehicles are unavailable for the purpose.

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How easyStorage can help

· If councils are regularly storing belongings, easyStorage can form a partnership with them, offering preferential rates for being a regular client.

· easyStorage seals the storage space/easyPod before possessions leave the premises, meaning claims against the council for any lost property are highly unlikely.

· Collection and return are part of the service and even packing if required.

· easyStorage offers a wide range of storage options, from individual boxes up to multiple easyPods. We also can provide packing materials with easyStorage Boxes to keep organised including boxes of all sizes, bubble wrap/blankets/paper, tape and other accessories.

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Councils already trusting our easyStorage locations in London such as Swansea Council, which is storing on behalf of a council tenant and Dagenham Council, storing on behalf of an NHS patient undertaking treatment.

Councils can discuss their options with Partnership Manager Irene Kapetanaki on 0333 344 1938.