Guides/Salt Lake City/Self-Storage
Self-StorageSalt Lake City

Self-Storage Investment in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City's self-storage market hit its stride around 2022. Population growth from California transplants and Silicon Slopes tech workers drove demand. But supply caught up fast. Now you're seeing economic occupancy rates that tell a different story than physical occupancy. Street rates are 15-20% above in-place rates at most facilities. That gap matters when you're underwriting future income. The market's not oversupplied, but it's not undersupplied either. Revenue management platforms separate winners from losers now.

Market Context

Cap Rate Range

5.75% to 7.25% depending on location and vintage. Climate-controlled facilities with good revenue management systems trade closer to 5.75%. Older drive-up only properties hit 7%+

Current Vacancy

Physical occupancy running 88-92% valley-wide. Economic occupancy closer to 82-86% because of promotional rates and move-in specials

Rent Trend

Street rates up 8-12% year-over-year but in-place rates only up 3-5%. Operators pushing rate increases on existing tenants but meeting resistance above $1.20/SF for 10x10 units

Absorption

New supply getting absorbed in 18-24 months vs 12-18 months in 2021-2022. Market's maturing

Price Per Unit Trend

Seeing $145-$185 per rentable SF for institutional quality. Climate-controlled premiums holding at 25-30% over drive-up

Transaction Volume

Down 35% from 2021 peak but starting to recover. REITs still acquiring but being pickier. Private buyers active under $10M

Submarket Analysis

West Valley/Magna

6.75% - 7.5% cap

Vacancy

12-15% physical, 18-22% economic

Avg Rent (1BR)

$1.05-$1.15/SF for 10x10

Slower growth, price-sensitive customers

OM Tip

Show 5-year demographic trends and competing facility distances

Sugar House/Millcreek

5.75% - 6.5% cap

Vacancy

8-12% physical, 12-16% economic

Avg Rent (1BR)

$1.35-$1.55/SF for 10x10

Stable demand from density and smaller housing units

OM Tip

Document apartment development pipeline affecting future demand

Murray/Midvale

6% - 6.75% cap

Vacancy

10-14% physical, 15-19% economic

Avg Rent (1BR)

$1.20-$1.35/SF for 10x10

Mixed. Good highway access but competitive

OM Tip

Include traffic counts and visibility metrics from major arteries

Draper/South Jordan

5.5% - 6.25% cap

Vacancy

6-10% physical, 10-14% economic

Avg Rent (1BR)

$1.45-$1.70/SF for 10x10

Strong. Higher incomes, growing families

OM Tip

Show household income trends and new home construction data

Layton/Kaysville

6.25% - 7% cap

Vacancy

9-13% physical, 14-18% economic

Avg Rent (1BR)

$1.15-$1.30/SF for 10x10

Steady growth, Davis County development

OM Tip

Factor in commuter patterns and Point of the Mountain job growth

Performance by Vintage

0

P

1

r

2

e

3

-

4

2

5

0

6

0

7

0

8

9

f

10

a

11

c

12

i

13

l

14

i

15

t

16

i

17

e

18

s

19

20

n

21

e

22

e

23

d

24

25

m

26

a

27

j

28

o

29

r

30

31

H

32

V

33

A

34

C

35

36

u

37

p

38

g

39

r

40

a

41

d

42

e

43

s

44

45

f

46

o

47

r

48

49

c

50

l

51

i

52

m

53

a

54

t

55

e

56

57

c

58

o

59

n

60

t

61

r

62

o

63

l

64

.

65

66

F

67

i

68

g

69

u

70

r

71

e

72

73

$

74

2

75

5

76

-

77

3

78

5

79

/

80

S

81

F

82

83

i

84

n

85

86

c

87

a

88

p

89

e

90

x

91

.

92

93

2

94

0

95

0

96

0

97

-

98

2

99

0

100

1

101

0

102

103

p

104

r

105

o

106

p

107

e

108

r

109

t

110

i

111

e

112

s

113

114

o

115

f

116

t

117

e

118

n

119

120

h

121

a

122

v

123

e

124

125

g

126

o

127

o

128

d

129

130

b

131

o

132

n

133

e

134

s

135

136

b

137

u

138

t

139

140

o

141

u

142

t

143

d

144

a

145

t

146

e

147

d

148

149

a

150

c

151

c

152

e

153

s

154

s

155

156

s

157

y

158

s

159

t

160

e

161

m

162

s

163

164

a

165

n

166

d

167

168

p

169

o

170

o

171

r

172

173

u

174

n

175

i

176

t

177

178

m

179

i

180

x

181

.

182

183

2

184

0

185

1

186

0

187

-

188

2

189

0

190

2

191

0

192

193

b

194

u

195

i

196

l

197

d

198

s

199

200

h

201

i

202

t

203

204

t

205

h

206

e

207

208

s

209

w

210

e

211

e

212

t

213

214

s

215

p

216

o

217

t

218

219

-

220

221

m

222

o

223

d

224

e

225

r

226

n

227

228

s

229

y

230

s

231

t

232

e

233

m

234

s

235

236

w

237

i

238

t

239

h

240

o

241

u

242

t

243

244

o

245

v

246

e

247

r

248

b

249

u

250

i

251

l

252

d

253

i

254

n

255

g

256

.

257

258

P

259

o

260

s

261

t

262

-

263

2

264

0

265

2

266

0

267

268

f

269

a

270

c

271

i

272

l

273

i

274

t

275

i

276

e

277

s

278

279

s

280

o

281

m

282

e

283

t

284

i

285

m

286

e

287

s

288

289

o

290

v

291

e

292

r

293

-

294

e

295

n

296

g

297

i

298

n

299

e

300

e

301

r

302

e

303

d

304

305

w

306

i

307

t

308

h

309

310

f

311

e

312

a

313

t

314

u

315

r

316

e

317

s

318

319

c

320

u

321

s

322

t

323

o

324

m

325

e

326

r

327

s

328

329

w

330

o

331

n

332

'

333

t

334

335

p

336

a

337

y

338

339

p

340

r

341

e

342

m

343

i

344

u

345

m

346

s

347

348

f

349

o

350

r

351

.

What Your OM Needs to Address

Unit Mix Analysis

Show exact breakdown by size and type. 10x10 and 5x10 units generate highest revenue per SF

Data to Include

Revenue per SF by unit type, waiting lists by size, seasonal demand patterns

Rate Management Platform

Document current system capabilities and revenue optimization history. YieldStar and similar systems matter

Data to Include

Street rate vs in-place rate trends, promotional rate success metrics, rate increase acceptance rates

Climate Control Economics

Utah's temperature swings make climate control valuable. Show utility costs vs premium capture

Data to Include

Utility cost per SF, climate vs non-climate occupancy rates, premium achieved

Competition Analysis

Include facilities within 3-mile radius and their rate positioning. Note any planned developments

Data to Include

Competitor occupancy if available, rate comparison matrix, new supply delivery timeline

Customer Retention Metrics

Length of stay directly impacts economics. Document retention programs and effectiveness

Data to Include

Average length of stay by unit type, retention rates, seasonal move-out patterns

Expansion Potential

Land values rising fast. Show expansion possibilities or highest and best use analysis

Data to Include

Zoning details, expansion costs per additional SF, alternative development values

Investment Outlook

Short Term

Market stabilizing after rapid supply growth. Focus on operations and revenue management. Deals getting done but buyers are underwriting more conservatively. Expect 12-18 month lease-up for new facilities.

Medium Term

Population growth should absorb current supply by 2027-2028. Tech sector expansion supporting demand in better submarkets. Interest in conversion opportunities as land values rise near transit and employment centers.

Long Term

Strong fundamentals but land costs limiting new development in prime locations. Consolidation likely as smaller operators struggle with technology requirements and marketing costs. Best-located facilities benefit from reduced future competition.

Buyer Profile

REITs seeking management platform synergies. Private investors comfortable with revenue management technology. Family offices looking at 1031 exchange opportunities. Avoid buyers expecting passive management - this sector requires active operation.

Marketing a self-storage property in Salt Lake City?

DealDraft generates professional offering memorandums with market-specific data and property-type expertise built in.

Create Your OM