What it costs to buy a self storage business in Australia
Self storage is the acquisition closest to owning a rent roll. Low staffing, sticky customers and income that arrives monthly whether anyone visits or not. Australian facilities list from roughly $600,000 to well past a million.
What facilities sell for
| Recent listings | Asking price |
|---|---|
| New release facility, Kangaroo Island SA, 1400m2, 100% occupancy | EOI circa low $600,000 |
| Facility, south eastern suburbs Sydney, 65+ places | $800,000 |
| Facility, lower north shore Sydney, 65+ places, annual rent $272,496, FY26 net profit circa $260,000 | $950,000 |
| Freehold and business, regional QLD, 1800m2, 43 sheds and 12 shipping containers | EOI circa $1.2m |
Read the rent roll, not the shed count
The Sydney lower north shore listing is the instructive one: $272,496 of annual rent producing about $260,000 of FY26 net profit at a $950,000 price. That is the shape of a good storage business, very high margin, because once the sheds are built the marginal cost of a tenant is close to nothing.
So ask for occupancy history rather than a current snapshot, the rent per square metre, and the churn. For context, Australian self storage rents run roughly $60 to $400 a month depending on size and location, with a medium 5 to 10 square metre unit at a national median around $217 a month.
Freehold changes what you are buying
Several listings bundle the land with the business, and that is a different transaction: part commercial property, part operating business, funded differently and valued differently. A leasehold facility is a rent roll sitting on someone else's land, so the lease term caps the value in the same way it does for any leasehold business.
Where a site has spare land, ask what it would cost to add sheds. Expansion capacity is the cheapest growth in this sector, because you already have the access, the fencing and the customers.
Financing a storage purchase
A freehold facility is property-backed lending, which is the sharp end of the market at roughly 6% to 9% p.a. because the lender holds real security. A leasehold operation funds as business acquisition against the rent roll and equipment, typically closer to 9% to 13% p.a. without property behind it.
If part of the plan is adding sheds or containers after settlement, raise it at application. A lender pricing the whole picture usually structures it better than a second approach six months later. See self storage business costs for the build-it-yourself comparison.
This is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Prices are indicative market listings, not Ventas figures, and move with the market. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a professional. All finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a self storage business cost in Australia?
Recent listings run from around $600,000 for a regional facility to $950,000 for a Sydney site with $272,496 of annual rent, and circa $1.2 million where the freehold is included.
What should I look at before buying self storage?
Occupancy history rather than a current snapshot, rent per square metre, churn, and whether the land is included. Also whether there is spare land to add sheds, which is the cheapest growth available in this sector.
What do self storage units rent for in Australia?
Roughly $60 to $400 a month depending on size, location and access, with a medium 5 to 10 square metre unit at a national median of about $217 a month.
How is a self storage purchase financed?
A freehold facility funds as property-backed lending at sharper rates because the lender holds real security. A leasehold operation funds as business acquisition against the rent roll and equipment.
Get your number from the lender panel
The figures above are indicative. Tell us what you are buying and we will come back with the real rate and repayment, usually within a day. No upfront fees and no credit check to get a quote.
Licence, freehold and funding, read together
Tell us the LPO and whether freehold is included and we will structure it, usually within a day.
This article is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Ventas Asset Lending is a finance broker, not a lender. Approvals are subject to lender assessment. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a qualified professional, including your accountant for any tax questions.