How to Find Storage Units With Electricity: When Storage Units Have Electrical Power Outlets

KEY TAKEAWAYS

▸ Most storage units don’t have electrical outlets, but some facilities offer them as a premium feature, particularly in climate-controlled or business-focused units.

▸ eCommerce sellers, contractors, and small businesses use powered units for inventory management, charging tools, and running equipment like scanners or dehumidifiers.

▸ Some storage facilities limit outlets due to infrastructure costs, fire hazards from unmonitored devices, and to prevent illegal habitation of units.

▸ To find storage units with electricity, look for newer facilities with climate control, security features, and business storage options to increase your chances.

When you need extra space for the stuff you can’t keep at home, holding furniture during renovations, or keeping moving boxes and moving supplies between moves, a storage facility offers flexible and convenient storage solutions.

But what happens when your storage needs go beyond simple space? What if you need to charge a battery during motorcycle or boat storage, power a light for sorting eCommerce inventory, or keep temperature-sensitive items in an environment with climate control?

That’s where a self-storage unit with an electrical outlet comes into the mix.

This guide explores the benefits of renting a storage unit with electricity. We explore the reasons why you might need a storage unit with electricity, and how to find one. We also dive into which units don’t have electricity and why. 

Finally, we’ll reveal how to leverage SpareFoot’s special storage search tool to help you search for “self-storage near me” with specific features like electrical outlets.

Do Storage Units Have Outlets?

Some storage units do have electrical power outlets, but it’s not a standard feature. Most modern storage facilities offer a range of amenities, and an in-unit electrical outlet is typically considered a premium add-on. The vast majority of standard storage units do not include power outlets.

However, the demand for electricity access is growing, and many forward-thinking facilities are offering this rare and elusive amenity. 

You’re more likely to find this amenity in facilities that also offer other premium features, like advanced security measures and surveillance cameras, climate control, convenient drive-up access for heavy items, or even 24-hour access.  These more modernized units are designed for tenants with specific requirements that go beyond basic storage.

Finding them requires a proactive approach. While searching online for “storage with electricity near me” is a good start, the most effective method is to contact local facilities directly. Their customer service team or an on-site manager can give you a straight answer to questions like:

• Is there a dedicated outlet inside the unit, or is power access available in a common area?
• Is there an additional fee for electricity usage?
• Are there any restrictions on what can be plugged in or how much power can be used?

While you’re discussing your needs, you can also use the facility’s storage unit size guide to ensure you select a unit that’s not just powered, but also the perfect dimension for your belongings. After all, unit sizes range from small 5×5 to large 10×30 self-storage units.

Why You May Need a Storage Unit With Electricity

The majority of self-storage renters don’t need access to an electric outlet. But for a growing number of individuals and businesses, access to electricity is needed to transform their simple storage space into the dynamic, functional environment they need. 

The reasons for needing a powered self-storage unit range from maintaining valuable equipment to streamlining business operations.

Business Storage

The number one reason renters might want a powered unit with electricity is for business storage. The rise of eCommerce, online shopping, and remote work has led many small businesses to use storage facilities for long-term business storage.

A unit with power outlets can serve as a mini-warehouse or a logistical hub for a small enterprise.

• Inventory Management: Online sellers can use electricity to power lights for sorting and packing eCommerce inventory, use barcode scanners, and charge laptops used for managing stock.
• Equipment Maintenance: Contractors and tradespeople can store their power tools and equipment, using the outlets to charge batteries overnight so they are ready for the next job.
• Specialized Storage: Businesses storing sensitive items like electronics or pharmaceuticals can benefit from climate-controlled storage units. An electrical outlet allows for additional environmental control, such as a dedicated dehumidifier or refrigerator for storing wine. 
• Remote Work & Staging: A powered unit can act as a temporary base of operations for event planning teams or a place for real estate agents to store the furniture they stage for open houses. Power outlets let some tenants use storage units as an office space.

Note: Keep in mind that you can only use it as a full-time office space unless the lease explicitly states such allowances. You can ask your facility manager as well, but make sure you get official, written permission.

Personal Storage

Some storage facilities allow tenants to use their units for more than just extra storage space. Performing these tasks and hobbies in their units requires electricity:

• Vehicle Storage: One of the most common uses is for Vehicle Storage. Whether you’re fixing up a luxury car, using the unit for boat storage, or maintaining an RV during the off-season, a trickle charger is essential for maintaining battery health during long-term storage. A powered unit makes this simple.
• Hobbyists and Collectors: Woodworkers can repair furniture with power tools, and DIY enthusiasts can keep batteries for their tools charged and ready. Musicians can store valuable musical instruments in climate-controlled units and use them for band practice sessions, and podcasters can make their podcast recordings.
• Making Art and Protecting Valuables: For delicate items like antiques, artwork, or electronics, a powered unit allows you to run lights so you can paint at night, and a personal dehumidifier for an extra layer of protection against moisture, especially in humid climates. Not all indoor units may not have internal outlets, some facilities provide shared access in hallways for such temporary needs.

Any hobbyists or artists out there looking for self-storage with power outlets can give our storage unit finder a try and locate a nearby storage unit with electricity in a few easy steps.

Why Storage Facilities May Not Offer Electricity

By now, the benefits of storage units with electricity are pretty obvious, so why don’t more storage facilities offer them? The primary reasons are rooted in cost, safety, and liability concerns for the storage facility operators. Storage unit operators have to balance amenities with affordability.

• Cost of Infrastructure: Updating an entire facility with a reliable wiring infrastructure and installing electrical outlets in hundreds of units is a significant financial investment. And as is the way of the world, this cost would trickle down to the tenants, potentially making standard units less affordable.
• Safety and Liability: Unmonitored electricity risks include overloaded circuits, faulty personal electronics causing shorts, or the use of prohibited high-draw appliances like space heaters or refrigerators, causing fire hazards.
• Discouraging Habitation: Living in a storage unit is illegal and extremely dangerous due to fire codes and a lack of proper ventilation and sanitation. By not providing electricity, facilities create a strong deterrent against unauthorized habitation.
• Sufficient Alternatives: For many tenants, the primary concern is protecting items from extreme temperatures. Modern climate-controlled units use humidity and temperature monitoring and control technology to solve this problem without the need for power outlets inside each storage unit.

Do Storage Units Have Lights?

Self-storage units may not always have electrical outlets, but most self-storage facilities do include overhead lighting as a standard feature. Both interior and exterior units come equipped with overhead lights on timed switches to help renters find and organize their things, no matter what time of day it is. Some unit lighting is on timed switches that shut off after 15 minutes.

Storage facilities often employ parking lots, hallways, and motion-sensing lighting as part of their overall security program. Other security features include:

• Video Surveillance: High-definition, 24/7 surveillance cameras and on-site security surveillance personnel.
• Electronic Gate Access: Gated access requires an individual pin code to enter the storage facility. Electronic gate code access prevents unauthorized individuals from entering the property and tracks the entry and exit times of the tenants via their personalized pin code.
• Perimeter Fencing and Alarms: A fully enclosed property that acts as the first line of defense.

A secure facility is a well-lit facility. This includes bright lighting throughout hallways, in parking lots, and along perimeter fences.

Top-tier security programs integrate this lighting with other critical measures. And whether you need a fully powered unit or a standard one, choosing a facility that prioritizes both lighting and comprehensive security ensures your belongings are not only accessible but also well-protected.

You may need to dig deeper to find a storage unit with electrical power outlets inside the unit. Luckily for you, shopping for storage units on SpareFoot makes it easy to find powered storage units.

How SpareFoot Can Help You Find a Self-Storage Unit With Electricity

Finding a storage space with electricity starts with knowing what you intend to use the space for. We suggest you tell management point-blank your intentions in person before you sign the lease. That said, rather than calling or showing up at every storage facility in town until you find one that’s cool with you using it as a work or hobby space, you can use our free SpareFoot search tool to find a facility that boasts the following features:

• Climate-controlled Units: Climate-controlled units are typically indoors. And climate control technology requires electricity. Narrowing your search down to units with climate control is a good place to start when looking for a storage unit with electricity. 
• Newer Facilities: More and more tenants are looking to use their units for more than just a glorified closet. Newer facilities often have electricity, climate control, and permits/insurance plans that allow people to use them as gyms, band practice spaces, offices, art studios, workshops, etc. 
• Security Features: Storage facilities that install modern security measures like coded gated access, camera surveillance, alarms, and on-site security are often intended for hosting valuable equipment and keeping people safe while they work. 
• Business Storage Solutions: Storage units permitted for trade and business use are typically licensed for on-site activities, which require electricity. Plus, if your neighboring unit is an office or an artist’s workshop conducting business, they won’t mind you wrenching on cars or sanding wood. 

But how do you narrow your search results for units that have these features and might have the electrical power outlets you need inside? That’s where we come in. 

An all-in-one platform, SpareFoot makes finding ready-to-rent storage units as easy as punching in your area code and selecting the features that are most important to you. 

If you’re looking for a storage unit with electricity, start by searching for the amenities listed above. You can also specify which size unit you want and other valuable amenities like drive-up access and indoor unit availability.

Our simple search tools allow you to narrow down options by zip code, distance, and specific features. In fact, we can even limit your search results to facilities that offer the first month of storage for free!

With more than 20,000 storage facilities in all 50 states, SpareFoot offers the nation’s largest selection of storage options in one place. SpareFoot can help you find the ideal storage space to convert into a self-storage gym. Reserve online or call to book a storage unit today!

Andreea Draguleasa

Andreea Draguleasa showed an affinity for foreign languages and literature at an early age and started writing when she was 6. She studied journalism, advertising, and public relations at the University of Bucharest and worked as a content writer for a tourism agency and as a journalist for a magazine in the hospitality industry until 2010. After seven years as marketing manager for a Home & Deco online shop, she realized that learning something new every day brings her the most joy, so she went back to researching and writing informative articles. Through her experience traveling the world, she's picked up tips and resources she now shares on self storage solutions. When not writing about home organizing and storage, Andreea spends most of her time reading, playing video games, and spoiling her cat.