A temporary moratorium has been placed on new self-storage developments in the City of Atlanta, supported by Atlanta City Council member Dustin Hillis.
The executive order signed by Mayor Andre Dickens will allow time for the city to evaluate the impact of self-storage facilities on housing affordability and economic development.
According to industry data, 13 markets surpassed one million square feet of new self-storage developments in 2025, led by Atlanta and Phoenix, AZ.
The executive order directs the City Planning and Zoning offices to refuse new applications for permits, including building, land disturbance, and special use. It will also flag rezoning related to self-storage facilities, secure-storage facilities, and mixed-use storage facilities.
The city voted this month to advance the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative (NRI), a strategy to close opportunity gaps by investing in housing, infrastructure, and economic mobility. Concerns have emerged about a proposed self-storage facility on the West side of Atlanta. It’s a neighborhood that could potentially support housing, fresh food access, neighborhood retail, and community space.
Dickens said the order is not to eliminate self-storage facilities, but rather to be thoughtful about where they belong.
“In communities where families need housing, grocery stores, jobs and gathering spaces, we cannot afford to lose critical land without asking whether that development advances our vision for a stronger, healthier Atlanta,” Dickens said.
Dickens said the city is making a generational commitment to invest in neighborhoods that have been overlooked for too long.
Hillis said the executive order allows time to ensure zoning policies reflect the city’s priorities. The council will consider the accompanying moratorium legislation at an upcoming meeting.
Council member Jason Dozier in February introduced similar legislation to prohibit new warehousing, self-storage facilities, and distribution centers within the Beltline Overlay District.
