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BIG YELLOW SELF STORAGE Trading Statement Released : 22.07.2021 RNS Number : 0361G Big Yellow Group PLC 22 July 2021 22 July 2021 Big Yellow Group PLC ( " Big Yellow " or " the Group " ) Trading Statement The Board of Big Yellow Group PLC , the UK's brand leader in self storage , is pleased to provide the following update on trading for the first quarter ended 30 June 2021 . Results Store maximum lettable area ( " MLA " ) Closing occupancy ( sq ft ) Occupancy growth in the quarter ( sq ft ) Closing occupancy ( % of MLA ) Like - for - like closing occupancy ( 1 ) Total revenue for the quarter Like - for - like store revenue ( 1 ) Average achieved net rent per sq ft Closing net achieved rent per sq ft Quarter ended 30 June 2021 Quarter ended 30 June 2020 Change 4,984,000 4,490,000 4,688,000 3,919,000 6.3 % 14.6 % 289,000 138,000 151,000 sq ft 90.1 % 83.6 % 6.5 ppts 92.9 % 83.6 % 9.3 ppts £ 36.6m £ 31.8m 15.1 % £ 35.4m £ 31.1m 13.8 % £ 29.04 £ 28.28 2.7 % £ 28.91 £ 27.93 3.5 % ( 1 ) Excluding Camberwell ( opened July 2020 ) , Bracknell ( opened September 2020 ) , Battersea ( opened November 2020 ) and Uxbridge ( opened June 2021 ) . The 79 Big Yellow stores increased in occupancy over the quarter by 289,000 sq ft ( 5.8 ppts of the MLA ) resulting in a closing occupancy of 90.1 % ( 2020 : 83.6 % ) . Like - for - like closing occupancy was 92.9 % . The table below shows the change in occupancy by customer type over the quarter : Customer type Net sq ft change in quarter ended 30 June Net sq ft change in quarter ended 30 June Change Domestic Business Student Total 2021 169,000 sq ft 2020 35,000 sq ft 134,000 sq ft 62,000 sq ft 41,000 sq ft 21,000 sq ft 58,000 sq ft 62,000 sq ft ( 4,000 sq ft ) 289,000 sq ft 138,000 sq ft 151,000 sq ft The growth in occupancy this quarter was significantly ahead of last year , which in itself was greater than the 125,000 sq ft growth delivered in 2019 , following a strong recovery once restrictions began to ease in mid - May 2020 . We saw strong demand from domestic customers in the quarter , in part due to the stamp duty holiday tapering off from 1 July . This resulted in an acceleration of housing - related demand in June . We also saw a higher than expected pick - up in student demand in June with similar growth for the quarter to that seen last year but down from the 73,000 sq ft in 2019 .