Self-storage is a simple business on the surface: a tenant rents a unit and pays each month. The first invoice, though, is often confusing, with a prorated partial month, a protection plan, a lock, and an admin fee all at once. Later invoices need to show the billing period, the unit, and the late-fee rules clearly. This Self-Storage Invoice Template handles both, under a header that looks like a row of orange roll-up storage doors, each numbered, with one half open to reveal stacked boxes.
Storage Facilities and Unit Rental Businesses
It suits self-storage facilities, boat and RV storage lots, wine and document storage services, container storage businesses, and landlords renting garages or sheds. The sample shows SafeKeep Self Storage invoicing a new tenant for a 10 × 15 foot climate-controlled drive-up unit that he moved into mid-month.
A Row of Roll-Up Doors
The header is a gray building wall with a darker strip of pavement at the bottom. Five unit doors, A12 to A16, stand side by side, each a bright orange roll-up door with fine horizontal ribs and a small black handle, and each with a white number plate above it. Door A15 is rolled halfway up, revealing cardboard boxes stacked inside. A white panel below the doors carries STORAGE INVOICE in Bungee and the facility’s address and phone. The footer is an orange band with the same ribbed texture, like a closed door.
The tenant block and the invoice number, billing period, and due date follow. A unit strip records unit, size, features, move-in date, and auto-pay card. The charges table, an access and late-fee note, the totals, and an orange footer complete the page.
Understanding the First Month
New tenants often ask why their first bill is higher than the advertised rent. This breakdown, based on the sample, explains it:
| Charge | Why it appears | Sample amount |
|---|---|---|
| Prorated rent | Moving in mid-month: 13 days of September | $64.57 |
| First full month | October rent, billed in advance | $149.00 |
| Protection plan | Covers stored goods up to $3,000 | $14.00 |
| Disc lock | One-time purchase, taxable | $18.00 |
| Admin fee | Waived with autopay | $0.00 |
With 8% tax on the lock ($1.44, the first invoice totals $247.01. From November, the tenant pays $163 a month: rent plus the protection plan.
Unit Sizes and What Fits
Tenants choose units by size, and it helps to describe them in everyday terms on your website and in your emails:
- 5 × 5 ft: boxes, seasonal items, a small closet’s worth.
- 10 × 10 ft: the contents of a one-bedroom apartment.
- 10 × 15 ft: a two-bedroom apartment or a small house’s furniture.
- 10 × 20 ft: a three-bedroom house, or a car.
Recording the size and features, such as drive-up access and climate control, on every invoice reminds the tenant what they are paying for.
Protection Plans and Insurance
Most facilities require tenants to protect their stored goods, either through their own homeowner’s or renter’s insurance or through the facility’s protection plan. Show the plan and its coverage limit on the invoice, as the sample does, and keep a copy of any outside insurance certificate on file for tenants who decline it.
Editing the Unit Strip and Charges
The unit strip, charges table, and totals are editor tables. Double-click them or use Edit Table Data to change the details, and add or remove charges with + Add Row and – Remove Last. Amounts are typed values, so work out prorated rent by dividing the monthly rent by the days in the month and multiplying by the days used, then update the totals.
Late Fees and Lien Notices
Storage leases usually set a due date, a grace period, and a late fee, as the sample note does: rent due on the 1st, a $20 late fee after the 5th. If rent goes unpaid for longer, state self-storage lien laws allow facilities to lock out the tenant and eventually sell the contents, after strict notice procedures. Follow your state’s law exactly and keep copies of every notice.
Access Hours and Gate Codes
The note reminds tenants of gate hours and that they use a personal code. Never print the gate code itself on an invoice, which may be seen by others; give it privately at move-in. If access hours change for holidays, mention it on the next invoice.
Recoloring the Doors
The doors, wall and boxes form one group. Orange is the classic storage color, but blue, green, or red doors work just as well to match your brand. Change the unit numbers on the plates to your own building’s numbering.
Auto pay and Monthly Invoices
This invoice fits US Letter paper. Most tenants pay by auto pay, so the invoice serves as a monthly receipt; email it on the billing date. Tenants who pay manually benefit from a reminder email a few days before the due date.
Moving Out
Ask tenants for notice before they move out, often ten days as in the sample, and check the unit is empty and broom-clean. The final invoice shows any prorated refund or cleaning charge, and the lock can be removed or left for the next tenant.
Business and Vehicle Storage
Businesses store stock, records, and equipment, and often need invoices addressed to the company with a purchase order number. For boat, RV, and car storage, record the vehicle details and plate in the unit strip and note any electricity or dump-station fees as separate lines.
Self-Storage Invoice FAQs
Do tenants need their own lock?
Yes. Only the tenant should hold the key; sell a disc lock at move-in if they don’t have one.
Can I bill several units on one invoice?
Yes. Add a row to the unit strip and a rent line for each unit.
Should rent be billed in advance?
Yes. Self-storage rent is almost always paid in advance for the coming month.
Can I show a move-in special?
Yes. Add the promotion, such as First month 50% off, as a negative line with its end date.
Is storage rent taxable?
Some states tax storage rent; many do not. Merchandise such as locks and boxes is usually taxable.
