Earnings Release • Feb 29, 2024
Earnings Release
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February 29, 2024 at 6 a.m. GMT
"Regulated Information"
Shurgard Self Storage Ltd ("Shurgard" or the "Company")
Full Year 2023 results January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023
Very strong operational performance based on:
All stores revenue growth of 9.0% (at CER)(¹) With in-place rent (+6.3%) and stable occupancy at 90.4% for our same store pool Cost savings leading to a same store NOI margin increase of 0.9pp Delivering a total company Adj. EPRA earnings growth of 12.3% Solid expansion pipeline with an additional 17.2% of our 2022 net rentable sqm (or c. 231,400 sqm) Two portfolio acquisitions that strengthen our German market position Successful equity raise (ABB) of €300 million and rock-solid balance sheet Leading in sustainability
(4) As of December 31, 2023
(1) Constant Exchange Rate
(2) Adjusted EPRA earnings per share in euros (basic) is calculated as adjusted EPRA earnings divided by the weighted average number of outstanding shares
(3) Determined by our valuation experts from Cushman & Wakefield as of December 31, 2023
(5) Net debt to underlying EBITDA ratio is calculated as the net financial debt (including leases) divided by trailing 12 months underlying EBITDA

The transactions are a further step in our growth strategy across the "Big Seven" cities in Germany, and deploys the funds raised during the Capital Raise of €300 million on November 10, 2023. We continue working on other identified targets, aiming for completion in the foreseeable future. In line with our financing strategy, we execute this ambitious, comprehensive and disciplined investment approach, within our loan-to-value (LTV) and Net Debt to underlying EBITDA guidance.
(¹) Constant Exchange Rate

"By all measures, 2023 has been a very significant milestone year in the life of our company. Our growth strategy has strong momentum, we are benefiting from the digital transformation of both the customer journey and our operations, and we are supported by a robust financial structure and committed ESG strategy. Our shareholders have benefited from this performance since we became a public company in October 2018 with the best total shareholder return ("TSR") versus major self-storage industry peers in Europe and the UK. The below data are presented at constant exchange rate (CER).
The Shurgard customer journey was transformed in 2023. The Shurgard app and store access system, rolled out during 2022 provides a consistent, intuitive, easy experience that is also more cost-efficient and margin-enhancing. Customers can use the app to manage their accounts, make payments and access their storage.
Many of our customers want to be self-sufficient in their interactions with our services, which reduces the requirement for in-person support. The change in consumer behavior and our digital enhancements have given rise to new opportunities to manage our stores more efficiently.
After careful consideration and insightful trials, Shurgard has begun to roll out a remotely managed store model in six different countries. This has allowed us to reduce staffing needs, improve productivity, and invest in different store models, like smaller stores in convenient locations, that may have been cost-prohibitive before.
Customer digitalization improvements are also being augmented by projects that affect the efficiency of our operations. In the last quarter of 2023, we laid the foundations for the installation of a new digital platform by making investments to support our digital shift over the next two years. This will improve enterprise productivity and generate new data that will give much better visibility across the financial and operational landscape. The system will support the growth of our estate as we scale up the number of properties, transactions, and of course the data generated. It will provide reliability for the future and underpin our economies of scale.
Our new Data & AI team will have the financial and operational data generated by our systems, an increasing volume of anonymized GDPR-compliant customer data, and information on store management and energy efficiencies from the building management systems at their fingertips. The team can collect, collate, and analyze the data to find better ways to provide the best service for our customers and deliver improvements in the development process.
Shurgard's profile is unique. We are a resilient real estate business-to-consumer company with a runway of significant growth. Our geographies are well balanced and support our strategic acceleration, which started in 2022 and will reach a sustained growth rate of 90,000 sqm per annum as of 2024, equating to an additional c. 6% of our total portfolio. With more options for store size and location afforded by the new remotely managed property model, and a healthy pipeline of new developments designed to reinforce and expand a leading position in our core markets, Shurgard is demonstrating strong forward momentum.
In 2023, we added 64,600 sqm to our store portfolio via the three levers of growth – new developments, redevelopments, and acquisitions. The focus for acquisitions this year was on our German market where Shurgard used 2023 to strengthen its offer in the "Big Seven" cities. Expansion within these key cities is accelerating Shurgard towards a leadership position in the country, leveraging our platform approach that provides economies of scale.
Once again, Shurgard delivered very strong revenue growth in 2023. All store property operating revenue grew by 9.0%, building on the 11.7% and 9.5% growth achieved in 2022 and 2021. But it was not only new properties that underpinned this consistent growth, same store property operating revenue grew by 5.7% in 2023.
Ultimately, top line growth is only as powerful as the margins that turn it into profitability, and Shurgard once again expanded margins in 2023, despite a sometimes volatile and inflationary environment. All store margins rose to 66.3% in 2023 from 65.8% the previous year, as we were able to control costs through efficiencies and cost savings generated by our digitalization program and remotely managed store rollout.
The transformation of Shurgard's structure and the introduction of new board members in 2023 has strengthened our governance. In March we became a UK REIT, and in May, board member Ian Marcus was welcomed as our new independent chairman along with two new directors, Lorna Brown and Tom Boyle. The reduction of the Board to nine members, and the introduction of a new female board member in 2024, is bringing us closer to gender parity and supporting our social and governance responsibilities.
In 2023, we again topped the sector on the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), achieving five stars for the third year in a row, and were also recognized for our ESG achievements by MSCI, EPRA and Sustainalytics.
We won two new awards last year– the Golden Bridge Award for ESG Excellence from the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, and Best Financial Communication award from the Belgian Centre of Expertise for Finance Professionals. We have also been recognized for our sustainability excellence by being selected to join the BEL ESG Index.
Our ESG reporting is very thorough. The sustainability report integrated into this Annual Report contains a wealth of data and insight into the actions that merit this recognition. I encourage you to read it and see how we are making a difference.
Shurgard's accelerated development is driven by increased investment, but we remain prudent and well-capitalized. We secured a new committed €450 million short- to mid-term term loan facility and successfully completed the first equity raise since our IPO in 2018. The €300 million raised has already been put to work funding our acquisition strategy, notably in Germany in 2023, and provides further headroom for opportunities within the sector that strengthen our position in our core markets.
Looking ahead, we are confident of achieving our target of adding an additional 90,000 sqm to our portfolio in 2024, and sustaining this growth level annually. We are always mindful of the environment in which we operate, but with current momentum we expect all store revenue to grow by c. 7.5% in 2024.
Our achievements in 2023 are a demonstration of the motivation and dedication of our employees, the loyalty of our customers, the support of our shareholders and the involvement of our Board of Directors. I thank all of them on your behalf."

Compared to the same prior year period, our all store property operating revenue grew by 9.0% in 2023, delivering revenue of €357.7 million, and confirming Shurgard's resilience in challenging market conditions. All our markets contributed to that performance, with three countries (The Netherlands, the UK and Germany) delivering double-digit growth. This performance was achieved through our expansion, with 9 new stores offering 3.5% additional rentable sqm versus 2022, but also through the strong performance of our same store segment.
Same store revenue in 2023 grew by 5.7% compared to the prior year, mainly fueled by an average in-place rent increase of 6.3%, and stable average same store occupancy in the period. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium have performed robustly this quarter. As foreseen, the Nordics (Sweden and Denmark) are suffering from difficult macro conditions and a uniquely competitive environment in Sweden.
Our pipeline for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 represents 17.2% (or 231,389 sqm or c. €630.1 million) of our total net rentable sqm.
(1) The data is presented at constant exchange rate (CER)

| Amounts in € millions At closing rate Dec 31, 2023 |
Property | Region | Country | Number of projects |
Project status 1 |
Completion date |
Net sqm ('000) |
Direct project cost /Purchase price 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opened in 2023 | 16 | 64.6 | 143.5 | |||||
| Major redevelopments | Unterfoehring Rotterdam Almere Buiten Uppsala 3 Euston Direct access units 4 |
Munich Randstad Randstad Stockholm London - |
Germany Netherlands Netherlands Sweden UK - |
1 1 1 1 1 1 |
C C C C C C |
Dec-23 Dec-23 Dec-23 Mar-23 Jun-23 Dec-23 |
3.5 4.5 1.2 1.7 0.7 8.1 |
5.4 2.2 1.9 0.0 0.1 8.3 |
| New developments | Amsterdam Diemen Amersfoort Amsterdam Portsmuiden Chadwell Heath Chiswick |
Randstad Randstad Randstad London London |
Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands UK UK |
1 1 1 1 1 |
C C C C C |
May-23 Jul-23 Oct-23 Oct-23 Dec-23 |
4.0 3.1 7.5 6.8 6.5 |
3.2 5.4 5.4 17.9 24.5 |
| M&A / Asset Acquisitions Top Box (5 properties) 5 NRW/Frankfurt |
Germany | 5 | C | Oct-23 | 17.1 | 69.2 | ||
| Scheduled to open in 2024 | 17 | 67.8 | 195.5 | |||||
| Major redevelopments | Top Box major redevelopments Hayes Southwark Direct access units 4 |
NRW/Frankfurt London London - |
Germany UK UK - |
4 1 1 1 |
UC UC UC UC |
Q4 2024 Q4 2024 Q4 2024 Q4 2024 |
5.1 4.2 2.6 2.8 |
2.5 8.9 7.6 2.9 |
| New developments | Charlottenburg Nieuwegein Almere Veluwsekant Tottenham |
Berlin Randstad Randstad London |
Germany Netherlands Netherlands UK |
1 1 1 1 |
UC UC UC UC |
Q3 2024 Q4 2024 Q4 2024 Q2 2024 |
4.9 4.5 4.1 8.2 |
15.5 8.7 8.1 21.3 |
| M&A / Asset Acquisitions Pickens (6 properties) 6 | Berlin/Hamburg | Germany | 6 | CPA | Feb-24 | 31.3 | 120.0 | |
| Scheduled to open in 2025 | 14 | 78.3 | 230.0 | |||||
| Major redevelopments | Porte de Clignancourt Top Box Koln Poll |
Paris NRW |
France Germany |
1 1 |
UC UC |
2025 2025 |
0.6 1.5 |
5.0 4.9 |
| New developments | Dusseldorf Neuss Wangen Leinfelden 1 property 1 property (Top Box) 1 property (Top Box) 1 property 1 property 1 property 1 property 1 property 1 property |
NRW Stuttgart Stuttgart Berlin Frankfurt NRW London London London London Randstad Randstad |
Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany UK UK UK UK Netherlands Netherlands |
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 |
UC UC UC PS PS PS PS PS PS PS PS CPA |
2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 |
5.8 7.0 6.6 10.3 5.0 4.1 7.4 6.4 6.6 7.4 5.4 4.4 |
16.8 17.1 20.1 27.8 11.1 9.9 21.6 20.9 21.6 30.6 11.5 11.0 |
| Scheduled to open in 2026 | 4 | 20.8 | 61.1 | |||||
| Major redevelopments | Porte de Clignancourt | Paris | France | 1 | PA | 2026 | 0.8 | 7.2 |
| New developments | 1 property 1 property 1 property |
Frankfurt Frankfurt Stuttgart |
Germany Germany Germany |
1 1 1 |
PS PS PS |
2026 2026 2026 |
7.3 5.9 6.7 |
20.9 13.3 19.7 |
1 CPA = signed conditional purchase agreement and building permit process ongoing, PS = building permit submitted, UC = under construction and C = completed
2 Including development fees but excluding absorption costs.
3 Redevelopment project part of the 2022 acquisition of Instorage. In 2023 the Company paid €0.2 million supplement on the purchase price.
4 Direct access units across all markets.
5 The purchase price of 69.2 million includes land for major redevelopments to open in 2024 and land for the two new developments to open in 2025.
6 Three stores in Berlin and three stores in Hamburg. Shurgard signed this transaction at the end of December 2023,
conditional to customary receipt of preemption waivers for each of the properties. The first waiver has been received, with the remaining ones due by April at the latest.

o Revolving credit facility of €250 million – maturity in October 2025;

| Audited financial information | Three months ended | Twelve months ended | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in € millions except where indicated) | December, 31 | December, 31 | % var. | % var. | December, 31 | December, 31 | % var. | % var. | |
| 2023 | 2022 | CER (*) | 2023 | 2022 | CER (*) | ||||
| All store | |||||||||
| Number of stores | 275 | 266 | 3.4% | 275 | 266 | 3.4% | |||
| Closing rentable sqm (1) | 1,391 | 1,343 | 3.5% | 1,391 | 1,343 | 3.5% | |||
| Closing rented sqm (2) | 1,207 | 1,167 | 3.4% | 1,207 | 1,167 | 3.4% | |||
| Closing occupancy rate (3) | 86.8% | 86.9% | -0.2pp | 86.8% | 86.9% | -0.2pp | |||
| Average rented sqm (4) | 1,212 | 1,162 | 4.3% | 1,196 | 1,146 | 4.3% | |||
| Average occupancy rate (5) | 88.2% | 88.2% | 0.0pp | 88.3% | 88.5% | -0.2pp | |||
| Average in-place rent (in € per sqm) (6) | 267.9 | 260.3 | 2.9% | 3.5% | 261.4 | 252.4 | 3.6% | 5.1% | |
| Average revPAM (in € per sqm) (7) | 270.0 | 263.0 | 2.7% | 3.3% | 264.1 | 257.0 | 2.7% | 4.2% | |
| Property operating revenue (8) | 92.7 | 86.6 | 7.1% | 7.7% | 357.7 | 333.0 | 7.4% | 9.0% | |
| Income from property (NOI) (9) | 64.1 | 59.0 | 8.7% | 9.4% | 237.2 | 219.2 | 8.2% | 9.9% | |
| NOI margin (10) | 69.1% | 68.1% | 1.0pp | 1.1pp | 66.3% | 65.8% | 0.5pp | 0.6pp | |
| Underlying EBITDA (11) | 56.2 | 55.3 | 1.5% | 2.2% | 213.0 | 199.8 | 6.6% | 8.4% | |
| Adj. EPRA earnings (12) | 43.9 | 39.7 | 10.5% | 11.3% | 158.4 | 143.6 | 10.3% | 12.3% | |
| Adj. EPRA earnings per share in € (basic) (13) | 0.47 | 0.45 | 5.5% | 6.2% | 1.76 | 1.61 | 9.0% | 10.9% | |
| Same store | |||||||||
| Number of stores | 240 | 240 | 0.0% | 240 | 240 | 0.0% | |||
| Closing rentable sqm (1) | 1,201 | 1,198 | 0.2% | 1,201 | 1,198 | 0.2% | |||
| Closing rented sqm (2) | 1,074 | 1,076 | -0.2% | 1,074 | 1,076 | -0.2% | |||
| Closing occupancy rate (3) | 89.4% | 89.8% | -0.4pp | 89.4% | 89.8% | -0.4pp | |||
| Average rented sqm (4) | 1,084 | 1,084 | 0.0% | 1,085 | 1,083 | 0.1% | |||
| Average occupancy rate (5) | 90.3% | 90.4% | -0.2pp | 90.4% | 90.4% | 0.0pp | |||
| Average in-place rent (in € per sqm) (6) | 273.8 | 263.3 | 4.0% | 4.6% | 266.5 | 254.7 | 4.6% | 6.3% | |
| Average revPAM (in € per sqm) (7) | 280.9 | 271.7 | 3.4% | 4.0% | 274.7 | 264.3 | 3.9% | 5.5% | |
| Property operating revenue (8) | 84.3 | 81.4 | 3.6% | 4.2% | 329.6 | 316.6 | 4.1% | 5.7% | |
| Income from property (NOI) (9) | 59.4 | 56.5 | 5.1% | 5.8% | 222.8 | 211.5 | 5.4% | 7.1% | |
| NOI margin (10) | 70.4% | 69.3% | 1.0pp | 1.1pp | 67.6% | 66.8% | 0.8pp | 0.9pp | |
| All store property operating revenue by country | |||||||||
| France | 21.9 | 20.8 | 5.1% | 5.1% | 85.4 | 79.6 | 7.3% | 7.3% | |
| The Netherlands | 20.1 | 18.1 | 11.0% | 11.0% | 77.4 | 68.7 | 12.6% | 12.6% | |
| The United Kingdom | 18.5 | 17.2 | 8.0% | 7.6% | 71.2 | 65.9 | 8.0% | 10.1% | |
| Sweden | 11.5 | 12.0 | -4.2% | 0.3% | 46.1 | 48.4 | -4.8% | 2.7% | |
| Germany | 9.7 | 8.1 | 20.9% | 20.9% | 35.0 | 30.0 | 16.6% | 16.6% | |
| Belgium | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.1% | 6.1% | 26.9 | 25.0 | 7.4% | 7.4% | |
| Denmark | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.7% | 3.9% | 15.8 | 15.4 | 2.6% | 2.8% | |
| Total | 92.7 | 86.6 | 7.1% | 7.7% | 357.7 | 333.0 | 7.4% | 9.0% | |
| Same store property operating revenue by country | |||||||||
| France | 19.9 | 19.5 | 2.1% | 2.1% | 78.2 | 75.3 | 3.9% | 3.9% | |
| The Netherlands | 18.4 | 17.2 | 7.1% | 7.1% | 71.4 | 65.8 | 8.4% | 8.4% | |
| The United Kingdom | 16.7 | 15.6 | 6.6% | 6.2% | 64.3 | 61.2 | 5.1% | 7.2% | |
| Sweden | 11.1 | 11.9 | -6.8% | -2.3% | 44.6 | 48.3 | -7.6% | -0.3% | |
| Germany | 7.3 | 6.8 | 7.9% | 7.9% | 28.3 | 25.5 | 11.3% | 11.3% | |
| Belgium | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.1% | 6.1% | 26.9 | 25.0 | 7.4% | 7.4% | |
| Denmark | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.7% | 3.9% | 15.8 | 15.4 | 2.6% | 2.8% | |
| Total | 84.3 | 81.4 | 3.6% | 4.2% | 329.6 | 316.6 | 4.1% | 5.7% | |
| Same store average occupancy by country | |||||||||
| France | 88.9% | 89.4% | -0.5pp | 89.3% | 89.4% | -0.1pp | |||
| The Netherlands | 92.0% | 91.2% | 0.7pp | 91.7% | 90.7% | 0.9pp | |||
| The United Kingdom | 86.8% | 88.1% | -1.3pp | 87.5% | 88.3% | -0.8pp | |||
| Sweden | 90.7% | 91.1% | -0.4pp | 91.1% | 91.7% | -0.6pp | |||
| Germany | 90.7% | 91.4% | -0.6pp | 90.9% | 91.1% | -0.1pp | |||
| Belgium | 92.6% | 92.2% | 0.4pp | 92.4% | 91.7% | 0.6pp | |||
| Denmark | 92.2% | 91.6% | 0.6pp | 91.7% | 93.3% | -1.6pp | |||
| Total | 90.3% | 90.4% | -0.2pp | 90.4% | 90.4% | 0.0pp | |||
| Same store average in-place rent by country | |||||||||
| France | 277.2 | 270.4 | 2.5% | 2.5% | 271.5 | 260.1 | 4.4% | 4.4% | |
| The Netherlands | 238.7 | 224.3 | 6.4% | 6.4% | 231.7 | 214.6 | 8.0% | 8.0% | |
| The United Kingdom | 381.7 | 353.5 | 8.0% | 7.6% | 366.1 | 342.3 | 6.9% | 9.0% | |
| Sweden | 239.1 | 255.3 | -6.4% | -1.9% | 239.3 | 256.4 | -6.7% | 0.7% | |
| Germany | 294.1 | 270.1 | 8.9% | 8.9% | 282.7 | 254.7 | 11.0% | 11.0% | |
| Belgium | 226.7 | 209.7 | 8.1% | 8.1% | 217.3 | 201.3 | 7.9% | 7.9% | |
| Denmark | 293.9 | 284.9 | 3.2% | 3.4% | 288.5 | 275.4 | 4.8% | 4.9% | |
| Total | 273.8 | 263.3 | 4.0% | 4.6% | 266.5 | 254.7 | 4.6% | 6.3% |
(*) Constant Exchange Rate

A management presentation will take place today, Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 12h00 GMT (13h00 CET) in London.
This event will be held at 65 Gresham St, London, EC2V 7NQ. If you have not yet registered, please email us at: [email protected]
Following the presentations attendees are invited to join the Management team for a buffet lunch.
The presentation will also be streamed live via video-webcast on the link below. A recording will be available to view on our corporate website on Friday, March 1, 2024.
Webcast link: Webinar Registration - Zoom
Webcast ID: 841 0921 7264
Shurgard is the largest provider of self storage in Europe. The company owns and/or operates 277 self-storage facilities and approximately 1.4 million net rentable square meters in seven countries: France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Denmark.
Shurgard is a GRESB 5-star and Sector Leader, has an 'AA' ESG rating from MSCI, is rated Low risk by Sustainalytics and has a EPRA sBPR Gold medal. Shurgard is part of the BEL ESG index.
Shurgard's European network currently serves c. 190,000 customers and employs approximately 750 people. Shurgard is listed on Euronext Brussels under the symbol "SHUR".
For additional information: www.shurgard.com/corporate For high resolution images: https://shurgard.prezly.com/media
Caroline Thirifay, Director of Investor Relations, Shurgard Self Storage Ltd E-mail: [email protected] M: +44 75 96 87 57 13
Notes:
This release contains "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events and developments of the management of Shurgard and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. This release contains "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events and developments of the management of Shurgard and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances (including, without limitation, as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic).
Forward-looking statements include statements typically containing words such as "will", "may", "should", "believe", "intends", "expects", "anticipates", "targets", "estimates", "likely", "foresees" and words of similar import. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the current views of the management of Shurgard, are subject to risks and uncertainties about Shurgard and are dependent on many factors, some of which are outside of Shurgard's control. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
This summarized financial information has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies as applied by Shurgard. This press release does not constitute the full financial statements. Full Year 2023 numbers have been derived from Shurgard's audited 2023 Financial Statements as included in the 2023 Annual Report, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IASB, and as adopted by the European Union, or EU. The Annual report has been published on February 29, 2024 and can be found on the Shurgard website (https://corporate.shurgard.eu/investors/reports-andpresentations).
Other reported data in this press release has not been audited.
The information contained in this press release includes alternative performance measures (also known as non-GAAP measures). The descriptions of the alternative performance measures can be found on the Shurgard website (https://corporate.shurgard.eu/resources/alternative-performance-measures )
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