Rent a garage or lock-up near me in Bristol

Find the Right Garage to Rent in Bristol

If you’re looking to rent a garage in Bristol, the first thing you’ll notice is that they aren’t used just for parking anymore. In places like Stokes Croft and Montpelier, garages have turned into miniature studios, storage spaces for mural equipment, and sometimes even makeshift workshops. And being so close to the heart of Bristol’s street art scene means demand for garages around here stays high all year round. Prices usually fall somewhere between £145 and £160 a month, and honestly, if you’re lucky enough to find one with a skylight or a power outlet, it’s worth booking soon. A lot of artists need natural light for their work, and hauling canvases in and out is a lot easier if you’ve got a roll-up door instead of squeezing through a tight side entrance. The only thing to watch out for is older, basement-level garages; they can be damp, and oil paints or stretched canvases don't handle humidity well.

A little further south, over in Southville, garages around North Street have found a different use. Every summer, during festival season, locals rent them out to stash carnival floats, sound systems, or even Harbour Festival gear. If you’re planning something similar, it’s worth asking if there’s 24/7 access. Plenty of festival setups happen outside standard hours, and the last thing you want is to be locked out when you need your kit.


 

Things to Look Out For

Bristol’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has added another layer to how garages are used, especially by drivers. If you’re running an older diesel vehicle, anything pre-2006 - driving into the city centre now comes with a £9 daily charge. Some drivers have started renting garages in areas like Eastville (around £133 per month) just off the M32, so they can leave their cars outside the CAZ boundary and avoid the daily fees altogether. Meanwhile, at the other end of the market, garages in Clifton and Redland, which tend to sit around £150 per month, have quietly become hotspots for EV owners. Finding a garage here with an existing power supply, or the wiring to install a charger, is rare but in serious demand.

Bristol’s geography throws a few curveballs too. Low-lying areas like Totterdown and St. Werburgh’s are close to the Avon and Frome rivers, and some garages near there flood almost every year without fail. If you’re looking in those parts of the city, it’s smart to either use raised shelving or avoid storing anything electronic altogether. Even some of the Victorian garages in Hotwells have damp issues which isn’t surprising given the age. So bringing your own dehumidifier can make a real difference.

On the flip side, garages in hillier areas like Kingsdown or Westbury-on-Trym rarely have any flood risk at all. But the lack of risk comes at a price: rentals in these areas often push upwards of £155 a month, and if you’re a vintage car collector or just someone worried about water damage, paying a bit more for peace of mind is usually worth it.


 

Tips for Renting a Lockup in Bristol

Parking is a headache all over Bristol, but especially in the older Victorian neighbourhoods like Redland and Cotham, where streets are so narrow that driveways are practically nonexistent. Garages here, typically renting for between £140 and £150 a month, are often used just to store bikes, kayaks, or even bins rather than cars. If you’re thinking of squeezing a vehicle in, it’s definitely worth measuring first; many of these garages fit a Mini Cooper comfortably, but try parking an SUV and you’ll have trouble.

There are a few smart workarounds when it comes to parking permits too. Renting a garage in BS8 (Clifton) can sometimes let you skip the £120 a year resident permit cost, but rules change street-by-street, so it’s always best to double-check with Bristol City Council. Some Bishopston renters have figured out that using a garage lets them avoid £3/day visitor permit fees too, although technically, not all landlords are thrilled about that loophole being used.

If you’re renting for a short period, timing matters. During big events like the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, demand for garages in areas like Ashton Gate spikes sharply, £160 a month isn’t unusual if you're storing vendor vans or festival gear. Same goes for Christmas, when stallholders in Broadmead scramble for short-term storage for market stock.


 

Who Can Rent a Garage in Bristol?

Just about anyone, whether it be for personal or commerical use. Over by Temple Quarter, it would be pretty common for early-stage startups, especially eco or tech businesses, to use garages as low-cost prototyping spaces. You might find everything from robotics gear to upcycled furniture projects tucked away behind those roller doors. If that’s the route you’re planning, it’s worth checking if the garage allows business use officially. Stashbee lets you filter for that on listings, which saves a lot of time.

And finally, there’s Bristol’s brewing scene. Over in Old Market, don’t be surprised if a few garages are used by microbreweries to store barrels, bottles, and brewing kit. If you’re eyeing a garage for something similar, just be mindful: garages are notorious for wild temperature swings, so you might need to insulate or ventilate depending on what you're storing.