Updated for 2026 by Men In Trucks Moving Inc. — Ottawa’s licensed, insured movers and storage operators since 2010.

Whether you’re between homes, downsizing a senior, holding a closing date, or storing a portion of an office relocation, secure storage is one of the most underrated parts of a smooth move. This page explains how our secure storage works in Ottawa and Gatineau, what it costs, how billing is structured, what’s covered by our $2,000,000 cargo and liability insurance, and the access policies you need to know before you book.

Two Storage Options for Two Different Customers

Most Ottawa moving companies offer one storage product. We offer two, because a between-moves customer doesn’t have the same needs as a long-term archive customer.

1. Vaulted Storage (For Move-In / Move-Out)

Your belongings are loaded into wooden moving vaults — sealed, palletized, individually labelled, and stacked inside our climate-controlled 10,000 sq ft warehouse. This is the right product when:

• Your closing dates don’t line up
• You’re staging a sale and need furniture out
• You’re moving long-distance and we’re consolidating loads
• You don’t need access between drop-off and final delivery

Vaulted storage is billed monthly, per vault. The advantage: no double-handling. Same crew that loaded the truck loads the vault, and the same vault gets delivered intact to your new home. We don’t shuffle items between trucks and self-storage units.

2. Self-Access Storage

If you need to retrieve items mid-stay (laptop, seasonal clothing, kid’s bike), we book you into a self-access locker at one of our partner facilities. We deliver, you access on your schedule, we pick up when you’re ready. This is heavier on labour fees on each end but pays off when access matters.

Not sure which fits? Our quote team will ask three questions and recommend the right one in writing. Get a written flat-rate storage quote — no obligation.

How Secure Storage Pricing Works

Storage in Ottawa is priced on three components: handling-in, monthly storage, and handling-out. Many moving companies bury the handling charges in fine print. We quote them upfront.

For exact numbers based on your inventory and stay length, see our Storage Units Ottawa pricing page and combined moving + storage packages.

What’s Inside the Warehouse

Our flagship warehouse at 15 Bd Fournier in Gatineau (10,000 sq ft) and our Ottawa east-end facility at 2768 Sheffield Road handle the bulk of our storage volume. Both facilities are:

• Climate-controlled — temperature and humidity managed year-round, important for wood furniture, electronics, art, and instruments
• Monitored — 24/7 video surveillance with off-site recording
• Access-controlled — staff-only floor access, no public roaming
• Insured — your goods are covered under our $2M cargo policy while in our care
• Pest-managed — quarterly professional service contract, never an issue

We don’t store hazardous materials, food, perishables, plants, or live animals. We don’t store firearms, ammunition, or anything illegal under Canadian law. If you have specialty items — antiques, fine art, instruments, collectibles — let us know at quote time so we can pad and crate appropriately. Our white-glove furniture delivery team handles the high-value pieces.

Access Policy

For vaulted storage, access requires 24-hour notice and is billed at minimum 1-hour crew time (since we have to unstack vaults to reach yours). This is by design: it’s the trade-off that keeps monthly costs low and prevents shuffling damage. If you anticipate needing weekly or monthly access, choose the self-access option instead.

For self-access storage, you get 24/7 access at your partner facility on standard rates with no notice required.

How Long Can I Store With You?

There’s no minimum and no maximum. We have customers who store for two weeks while their kitchen is being renovated, and customers who’ve been with us for over five years while a property is in probate. Monthly billing is straightforward: prepay 30 days at a time, cancel any time, no exit fees.

Storage as Part of a Long-Distance Move

Long-distance moves are where storage delivers the most value. If you’re moving from Ottawa to Toronto, Ottawa to Vancouver, Ottawa to Calgary, or anywhere across Canada, your closing dates rarely line up perfectly. Storing for two to six weeks at our Ottawa origin is almost always cheaper than scrambling for short-term housing or paying rush rates for a destination crew. Talk to our long-distance moving team about consolidating your move and storage into one written flat-rate quote.

Storage for Senior Downsizing

Many senior moves involve a downsize to a retirement community plus storage of pieces being passed down to family. We coordinate with our senior moving team to crate and store the pieces being kept, label everything by recipient, and schedule individual deliveries to each family member as they become ready to receive them. No rush, no pressure.

What to Pack vs. Leave to Us

Storage protection starts with how items are packed. We strongly recommend our professional packing service for anything going into long-term storage — improperly packed items in storage are the #1 source of damage claims industry-wide. If you’re packing yourself:

• Use new, unused boxes (ours are linked from the Moving Boxes Ottawa page)
• Wrap wood furniture in moving blankets, not plastic (plastic traps moisture)
• Drain all fuel from outdoor power equipment
• Empty and dry all coolers and refrigerators before storage
• Don’t store batteries inside electronics — they leak

Frequently Asked Questions About Secure Storage in Ottawa

Is your storage climate-controlled?

Yes. Both our Gatineau flagship and Ottawa east-end warehouses maintain temperature and humidity year-round. This matters most for wood furniture, electronics, art, leather, and musical instruments.

Can I get insurance for stored items?

Your stored goods are covered under our $2,000,000 cargo policy while in our possession. For high-value items above standard coverage limits, we can arrange supplemental rider coverage at quote time.

How long does it take to retrieve a vault?

With 24 hours’ notice, your vault is ready for delivery the next business day. Same-day pulls are sometimes possible at a rush surcharge.

Do you offer combined moving + storage discounts?

Yes. When you book your move and storage together with us, the handling-in is rolled into the move-out crew time at no extra setup fee. See combined moving and storage packages.

What’s the smallest amount I can store?

One vault. A vault holds approximately the contents of a 1-bedroom apartment. If you have less than a vault’s worth, we’ll quote a partial-vault rate or recommend a small self-access locker.

Can family members access my storage?

Only with your written authorization on file. We verify ID at every retrieval.

Ready to Book Secure Storage in Ottawa?

Get a written flat-rate quote in 60 seconds.
Request a Storage Quote
Or call 613-800-0917 — Ottawa & Gatineau, 7 days a week.

Men In Trucks Moving Inc. — licensed, insured, $2M coverage, 4.8 stars across 180+ reviews. Ottawa’s secure storage operators since 2010.