This meeting, chaired by James John and led by Paul Levy and Arjun Mediratta from Rooks Rider Solicitors LLP – Wealth Management and Property, Commercial and Dispute Resolution Teams, respectively, explores the key legal and operational challenges facing self storage operators, landlords, and asset managers in an increasingly regulated environment. Drawing on experience advising UK and offshore clients in property and commercial disputes, they will outline practical steps to recover income, manage occupier risks, and maintain compliance.
Core Topics
- Non-Payment and Arrears Recovery
- Managing persistent late payers and abandoned units
- Enforcement options, contractual rights, and recovery strategies
- Practical use of forfeiture, lien, and sale provisions within storage agreements
- Prohibited and Illegal Items
- Identifying and responding to breaches involving banned or hazardous materials
- Operator duties and protocols when police or regulators become involved
- Limiting liability and maintaining evidence when items endanger safety or reputation
- The Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977
- When and how the Act applies to stored goods
- Drafting and serving compliant Torts notices prior to disposal
- Avoiding liability for conversion or unlawful sale
- Lease vs Licence – Structuring Occupation Agreements Correctly
- Key distinctions between leases, licences, and service agreements
- Avoiding unintended rights of occupation or security of tenure under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
- Drafting occupation terms that preserve operational flexibility and control
- Bailment and the Role of the Bailee
- Understanding that self-storage operators act as bailees—those entrusted with another’s goods for safekeeping
- The legal duty of care owed to customers under the law of bailment, even where contracts seek to limit liability
- Managing loss, theft, or damage claims and ensuring insurance and limitation clauses are properly drafted and communicated
- Practical steps to reduce exposure through clear contractual terms, documented access controls, and evidence logs
- Emerging Legal and Operational Issues
- Data protection and handling of customer information
- Insurance and limitation of liability clauses in light of recent cases
- Operational negligence, dispute-resolution trends, and reputational risk management
Paul Levy
