Most self-storage templates either model a static annual forecast or focus narrowly on a sale/exit scenario. This one models what an acquire-and-operate self-storage deal actually looks like: a facility bought below full occupancy that leases up toward stabilization over 12-24 months, a real unit-mix table by size and climate control instead of one blended average rent, and – the single most storage-specific mechanic in the workbook – a street rate that new move-ins pay, growing faster than the in-place rate existing tenants sit on, closing only as units turn over.
That street-rate-versus-in-place-rate dynamic is a genuine self-storage industry quirk that almost no generic real estate template captures, and it's modeled month by month via tenant turnover rather than assumed away. Ancillary Revenue adds tenant insurance/protection plans and late fees as their own real lines. The acquisition loan is sized to the LESSER of a loan-to-value test and a debt-service-coverage test, exactly how a commercial lender actually underwrites a storage acquisition – not a single assumed leverage ratio.
Year 3 DSCR clears the 1.25x lender minimum at 1.44x, computed from that acquisition structure and the occupancy ramp, not a static figure. Staffing supports either a part-time on-site manager or a fully remote call-center-plus-kiosk model – both genuinely supported operating structures in this asset class – with wages sourced to BLS data.
All 26 tabs
Change your core assumptions, and it flows through every downstream tab into a full Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow – then into DSCR & Lender Ratios, the Executive Dashboard, and every native chart.
Start Here – quick orientation before you touch anything
Disclaimer – what this model is and isn't
Help & FAQ – tab-by-tab guide and troubleshooting
Assumptions – every input, sourced and color-coded
Unit Mix & Rent Roll – size tier × count × climate-controlled × $/sqft, never one blended average rent
Occupancy & Lease-Up – starting occupancy ramps toward stabilization with move-in seasonality
Revenue Build – street rate vs. in-place rate, modeled month by month via tenant turnover
Ancillary Revenue – tenant insurance/protection plans and late fees as their own revenue lines
Staffing & Payroll – part-time on-site manager OR fully remote call-center + kiosk model
Operating Expenses – property tax, insurance, utilities, R&M, marketing, G&A, management fee
Acquisition & Financing – Sources & Uses, loan sized to the LESSER of an LTV test and a DSCR test
CapEx & Depreciation – land/building allocation and straight-line depreciation over the IRS 39-year period
Income Statement – a 12-month monthly grid plus Year 2/3 projections
Balance Sheet – balance-checked every month
Cash Flow – operating, investing, and financing activities
Actual vs. Budget Tracker – enter real results and see variance against the plan
Break-Even Analysis – fixed vs. variable costs and months to breakeven
DSCR & Lender Ratios – the 1.25x minimum a commercial lender checks, plus a stress test
Full Ratio Suite – 22 liquidity, profitability, efficiency, and leverage ratios
DuPont ROE Decomposition – margin × turnover × leverage, broken apart
Scenario Analysis – Base/Upside/Downside cases
Sensitivity Analysis – occupancy × rate grid on Net Income and DSCR
Business Valuation & Exit – direct capitalization, a DCF cross-check, and unlevered/levered IRR/MOIC
Executive Dashboard – one page for a lender or investor meeting
Funding Requirement – Sources & Uses ready for your loan packet
Settings – color legend and tab map
Built as a native .xlsx, verified across Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, WPS, and ONLYOFFICE. A planning tool, not an appraisal.
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Source: Best Practices in Real Estate, Financial Modeling Excel: Self-Storage Facility Financial Model Excel (XLSX) Spreadsheet, WebsiteGeek
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