Renting units/Garages

[Taff]

what about those storage places, like on he Storage Hunters programme? Rent an ISO container off them and drive your chod right in?

[PiperCub]

£3/week? Bloody hell, down on the south coast you wouldn't get a cupboard for that! It's more like at least £50/mth if you are lucky and if you can actually find one for rent. As others have said, a good many have been sold off/trashed for their land.

Many of the remainder are in a shit state &/or in a shit area so you wouldn't want to leave anything there anyway. Most of the ones I've seen have been a in a really poor state of repair, leaky roofs & damp walls mainly.

 

Taff - I've wondered this too, even the half-size 20 footer would be a good garage. Maybe there's some stupid regs relating to what can be stored?

[mercrocker]

I was paying more for a 8x8 storage unit at Lok N Store than I pay for a council garage. New Forest council charge me £45 per month and I think the storage unit was nearer £50 but didn't have 24hour access nor did they want vehicles in there.

 

 

Council lockups are fine if they are in a secure location. Mine are in a close surrounded by houses and a couple of the block of 6 are rented by locals in that street so they keep an eye out. The other problem you can have is people parking their cars in front of your door but again get to know the locals and at least they can tell you whose door to knock. On the same estate are a couple of blocks down back alleys behind gardens - these have been broken into a couple of times in the past.

 

Also the council don't seem to bother repairing anything so if it starts to need major repairs I will just chuck it back and rent another one.

 

Not really had a problem in 25 years of doing this although I dread to think what I have paid out in that time...

[Taff]

I've just had a mooch at the Big Yellow Container website and I have to sign up to get a quote. Bollocks to that, I'm not that interested!!

 

I'm sure there are regs about what you can put in there, and I bet working on it is frowned upon, but simple storage? Epecially if you drained it?

 

£3/week? Bloody hell, down on the south coast you wouldn't get a cupboard for that! It's more like at least £50/mth if you are lucky and if you can actually find one for rent. As others have said, a good many have been sold off/trashed for their land.

Many of the remainder are in a shit state &/or in a shit area so you wouldn't want to leave anything there anyway. Most of the ones I've seen have been a in a really poor state of repair, leaky roofs & damp walls mainly.

 

Taff - I've wondered this too, even the half-size 20 footer would be a good garage. Maybe there's some stupid regs relating to what can be stored?

[flat4alfa]

Bedfordshire Councils ask £12 a week and issue rent books

 

But the are proper padlocked with high fencing

[eifion]

About £10 a week for mine up in North Wales. One thing to remember is that these garages were generally built with the size of the average 60's car in mind. Mine is exactly the length of my XM. I can only get the garage door closed with it in if I push the car gently backwards until the rear bumper touches the back wall.

[sierraman]

It's more from a storage point of view I would have one. I wouldn't be working from it, most likely be keeping spares in it, stuff I wouldn't want cluttering the house up. Doors, engines, etc...

[mercrocker]

About £10 a week for mine up in North Wales. One thing to remember is that these garages were generally built with the size of the average 60's car in mind. Mine is exactly the length of my XM. I can only get the garage door closed with it in if I push the car gently backwards until the rear bumper touches the back wall.

Sizes do vary....Mine are in a fanned-out battery so that the middle two (mine!) have much more internal width than the others. Also the original sliding doors which went inside the garage have been removed and replaced with up-and-overs. I could get my 280SE W116 in the smallest of my other two garages and just about shut the door on it but couldn't even stand folded deck chair up next to it. Angles of approach vary as well....Trouble is they wont let you try a garage - you have to sign up and pay some rent before you get a key.

[Lord Sterling]

This is mine:

 

 

£28 a month (£7 a week) wide enough to open all doors and the 800 fits in (just) enough to close the door without drama.

 

These garages replaced the '60s built ones when the estate got a major refurbishment.

 

This is courtesy of Bournville Village Trust. Seemingly they have building new "executive" estates. I think they acquired some garages around Telford for renting out (which makes a change from Brum Clowncil's policy of demolishing every garage they have) BVT had some available around Telford a couple of years ago and probably still have some available. I can make enquiries/pass on details if anyone is interested

[Angrydicky]

I rent mine through a housing association, East Kent Housing, who manage on behalf of Canterbury City Council. Costs about £10 a week, they seemed to have plenty spare when I originally rented mine and it has a new roof and door. Can't complain really. Security wise it's kind of on the edge of a fairly rough estate, behind a block of flats but on the plus side there's a whole wall full of windows and balconies overlooking the row of garages so I've never had any break-ins and I doubt there would be any. Garage neighbour is a landscape gardener who keeps a lot of very expensive looking tools and equipment in his one so he obviously thinks it's safe.

 

I did have some problems with a twat in a Berlingo who kept blocking my garage on a regular basis, but since leaving a note on the windscreen I haven't seen the car since! Weird, but hey ho.

[hpi_matrix]

Anyone done it? Did you draw up a contract, take a deposit etc?

 

Also how much can i expect, its a council type garage in Hoddesdon, Herts.

 

 

[Mally]

You must have a contract, even if you draw it up yourself. Other wise they will claim squatters rights.

Would say months rent as deposit, and monthly rent in advance. Kick them out first time they fail to pay.

You may need insurance in case the roof falls in on their car.

Price depends on area, size and if there is any demand.

Personally I wouldn't pay a lot for a council type place, presumably a bit below council rate unless they have a long waiting list.

 

https://www.b3living.org.uk/tenants/rent-a-garage/

[djoptix]

I rented several (not concurrently) from a local HA, they all leaked in some way, so if yours is clean and dry then it might be worth a bit more!

 

From memory, I paid between £50 and £70 a month.

 

Off topic but topical because the F1 is on. Lee Mckenzie is fiiiiiiiiit.

[dave j]

I used to rent a garage just across the road from my house, it cost 60 quid a month. The owner had a contract he got off the internet and had to pay a deposit. He gave me a months notice to quit when he sold his house. I now rent a garage off a mate for 50 quid a month - no contract or deposit!

Edit- the first garage I rented leaked badly, the 1 I am in now is dry!

[steveo3002]

just under 40£ notes here ...contract to say no repairing cars in em 

[ProgRocker]

When I lived at home I rented 2 council garages. 1 around the corner and then moved to 1 right behind the family house once it was vacated. My dad rented the next garage along from mine up but gave it up after retiring. Had to pay the higher rate for the garage as we were private residents (council tenants don't have to pay VAT on them). I think we were each paying about £30 or 35 a month back in 2003.

 

Edit: no deposit required from what I can remember. The Council Officer did want to see my driving licence and noted down my DVLA licence number.

 

I currently live in a shit coach house flat but I love having use of the garage underneith. I'm perhaps the only person on the small development who actually uses the garage for it's intended purpose.

[Split_Pin]

Draw up a contract.

 

I rented out my wifes lockup for her to a man across the road from the flat she owned and her mum lived in.

 

He knew her mum fairly well as they used to live in the flat above. He was an excellent payer.

 

When her mum died I and we needed to sell the place I had a right old war getting him out. He did not respond one bit to the fact that we had just lost her mum. Weeks of non communication before he eventually dropped the key through her letterbox. Horrible man.

[Des]

If you find the right tenant then a handshake is all the contract you need.

I'm seeking a garage to rent at the moment for a car that's been moved on twice thanks to developers, let me know if interested, Hoddesdon is only up the road from me in grotty Watford. 

[Fabergé Greggs]

It’s not a million miles away from me, and I was thinking of housing the Daf over the winter..

[pshome]

Make sure you have full contact info, proof of address etc, not just a mobile phone number. 

Friend of mine rented out his space in a large garage. Building owners decided to fix roof etc. and all cars needed to be out of the garage for the time they do the job. He couldn't get in touch with the guy who rented the space to park some old crap without registration plates there, turned out he had changed his mobile phone number. Ended up paying for the car being towed away and stored for 3 weeks. That was 2 years ago, he still is at dispute with that guy over the charges.

[Mally]

If you find the right tenant then a handshake is all the contract you need.

 

 

I have no doubt you are fine.

But you don't find out until they don't pay, or you need to get them out.

You must have a contract.

[New POD]

You need a written contract, with proof of ID, and address and contact details. Photograph his passport and proof of address, and insist payment is by standing order only.

 

You need this for when the Police raid it and find that it's a cannabis farm, in your name.

 

Have written into the contract that YOU are NOT liable for damage, caused by leaks, loss of roof, etc, and that failure to pay the rent, allows you to make contract void, and allows you to evict within 7 days without resorting to court. Anything left in garage after 7 days is up is deemed to be yours to keep.

 

Actually go to a self storage place and pretend to want to rent a small unit, and ask to see their standard contract.  

[stephen01]

I rent a space off a chap I randomly meet, he turned out to be a god send as he moved both my heralds, when I moved and stores one at his or his friends yard, open air parking space £20 PCM, no contract, he's a decent sort even got a cover for the herald, charged me me like but that's only fair. 

 

If I was renting out an actual garage then I'd probably want something a little more than a hand shake, open air space on a yard, a handshake would do me. 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

About 35 years ago , me and two mates rented the integral double garage off a woman who's husband had just buggered off with his secretary. Seriously, people actually did that in real life not just Carry On Films.

We used it to store stuff too valuable to trust to Council lock ups that we sort of hi-jacked by putting our padlocks on empty ones and never paying rent.

One evening I went round to get some RS Alloys out that we'd sold in Motoring News, I was invited in for a coffee...

One thing led to another and I'd often pop in for a coffee* over a year or so. Never mentioned it to my partners in crime( bad choice of words) and she never said anything when we were all there. The husband came back eventually and we were asked to clear it out, all good things come to an end etc.

 

Fast forward about 20 years and a group of us are reminiscing about the number of old Fords we must have scrapped in our youth and the places we stored cars and parts.

My mate Dave confesses" Remember that old bird we rented a garage off?" She was probably under 40 at the time, but hey. " I was shagging her 2 or 3 times a week for the whole time we had it".

 

At that both me and Mark , the other Musketeer, sheepishly admitted to doing the same thing!

I bet she was glad of her Old Man coming back for a rest!

It has never been spoken of again.

[hpi_matrix]

Thanks for all the replies guys, just need to get the old mans rubbish out of it now!

[sierraman]

I used to just have a drive round the estate and find a council garage that was disused, stick my own padlock on it and away you went.

[djoptix]

You need this for when the Police raid it and find that it's a cannabis farm, in your name.

 

Funny you should say that. I now rent a small unit on a farm where I store bits of sound and light kit from my DJ days. It's £100 a month but has light and power (and is approx 2.5 times the size of a garage) so I consider it a bargain. Mine is the smallest unit but there are bigger ones on the same site, one of which I was offered a few months back for £400 but can't justify the expense.

 

A couple of weeks ago I went out to my unit to pick up a few bits and pieces and found said bigger unit broken into, several police cars in attendance, dogs, people in stab vests and so on. The tenant wasn't there, though there was a risk that he might be, hence the dogs. Inside they'd found a stolen BMW 5 series (which had been repainted), a large wacky baccy growing operation, and various burglary tools, etc etc When I left at about midnight they had started impounding vehicles.

 

If anyone is interested in a large unit to rent, I dare say that one will be up for grabs soon...

[Mrcento]

Hi all

 

Does anyone on here have experience of renting industrial units/small garages?

 

I currently rent a lockup where i store my Cinq, but looking for somewhere i can store/work on multiple vehicles, would like to be able to eventually make videos in etc but for the most part, a workspace.

 

I'm aware of council units as well as property/letting agents but all have their own issues, mostly related to cost.

 

The council are by far the cheapest outright but don't seem to want to know unless you have an established business.

 

Agents overall rent a little more expensive but more flexible...however up front costs are absolutely mental. All want a months rent as deposit (reasonable) plus a full quarters rent paid up front before you can even get the keys. So for even a small unit, it's £4,000 out the door before you're even in the place then recurring rent paid quarterly, not including charges, bills and the likes once you do get in. Again, perhaps not so bad for an established profitable business, but for a hobbyist/shitter budget person like myself without that backing, a no go. As is chipping in with a mate, the units even at that price are of a size where, once you include working room and equipment, 2-3 cars would be clutter.

 

I know the "farmers barn" route might be mentioned, but security of storing vehicles, tools  and ease of useable power etc a massive issue too.

 

So has/does anyone do it? If so, how did they go about it?

[New POD]

Man shed club?

 

Saw a garage in birkenhead for sale £60k

 

 

Bit far from my home as wrong side of Mersey

[lesapandre]

You may be liable for business rates if it is business premises. Check carefully even if you are not using a unit 'commercially'.