Around half of operators are now using or trialing AI, with measurable gains already being achieved in marketing, enquiry handling and pricing optimisation. Operators point to time savings, staff efficiency and improved customer experience as key drivers, with early adopters already showing operational and service advantages. These examples are helping shift the industry’s focus from experimentation to implementation, as technology becomes embedded in day-to-day operations.

Operators are adapting, by blending people and technology to run smarter facilities. Most facilities remain fully staffed, but one in three now uses a partially remote model, which is a sign of evolving workforce design rather than a move toward full automation. For many operators, the goal in 2026 will be to achieve smarter, leaner operations, without losing the human touch.

Security standards and best-practice guidelines topped member priorities for security, ahead of shared intelligence and advocacy with police and government bodies. Crime across Australia and New Zealand continues to climb and operators are responding with CCTV upgrades, improved lighting and alarm systems. The SSAA has established an industry taskforce to work with federal agencies on safeguarding self storage.

High population growth and entrenched housing costs form a strong demand engine for self storage. Understanding the long-term outlook for housing prices is important when considering demand for self storage, and the signals point firmly toward sustained high costs, reinforcing the role of self storage as an accessible, flexible alternative. As long as homes, land and larger floorplates remain expensive, Australians and New Zealanders will continue to rent incremental space rather than buy it in the form of an extra bedroom, a bigger garage or a larger block.

Family and downsizer households will dominate the next decade, underpinning long-term demand for storage. Much of the projected population growth across Australia and New Zealand is concentrated in two life stages with strong storage demand drivers: the high-consumption mid-40s cohort and the downsizing mid-70s cohort.