Home Leave Storage in Vietnam: An Expat Guide for Ho Chi Minh City
If you are leaving Ho Chi Minh City for home leave, a rotation or a few months abroad, you can keep your belongings in a private unit at V-Box Self Storage until you return. V-Box has 353 storage units at two facilities, Phuoc Long and Cat Lai, with private units from 4.5 m² and access 6:00-22:00 every day.
Terms run month to month: billing is at least one month, the deposit is one month’s rent, and there is no penalty for ending early. Things that suffer in heat and humidity belong in a climate-controlled unit, which stays below 25°C and below 55% humidity.
How is home leave storage different from storage during a move?
The difference is that you are not there. Someone moving flats within the city can drop by on a Sunday to grab a fan. Someone on home leave locks the unit, heads to the airport and may not open it again for months.
That raises three questions a mover rarely worries about: whether your things will survive months of heat and humidity, whether you will remember what is in each box, and whether you can end the contract cleanly if your plans change. If you are staying in the city and only need space during a move, see our guide to short-term storage while you move or renovate.
Which kind of absence suits which unit
If you leave only a few durable boxes, shared storage or a 4.5 m² private unit is usually enough. If you give up your apartment, you need a standard unit sized to your furniture, with papers and electronics in a climate-controlled unit. The table is a reference; V-Box staff can suggest a size from your list.
| Your situation | What usually stays behind | Unit to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher away for the summer break | Books, clothes, sports gear, a bicycle | 4.5 m² standard; papers and electronics climate-controlled |
| Rotational worker giving up the apartment | Bed, sofa, wardrobe, kitchenware, clothes | Standard unit for furniture, plus a small climate-controlled unit |
| Posted abroad for one to two years | Furniture, books, electronics, artwork | Standard for bulk; climate-controlled for sensitive items |
| Part-year resident who returns every year | Clothes, suitcases, family photos, keepsakes | Small private unit kept year-round; photos climate-controlled |
| Leaving just a few boxes | Durable boxed items | Shared storage, billed by m³, minimum 1 m³ |
Part-year residents, such as Overseas Vietnamese who spend a few months here each year or retirees who winter in Vietnam, face the same choice every cycle: keep a small unit year-round, or rent one only for the months you are away. If you are weighing up keeping your apartment empty between stays, compare its monthly rent with a quote for a unit sized to your things.
For a handful of boxes, shared storage from 1 m³ keeps the commitment small; it is available at both facilities, though Cat Lai has no climate-controlled shared storage.
Preparing your things for months of heat and humidity
For a long absence, especially through the rainy season, the bigger risk is usually not loss but slow damage: mold, yellowing, smells and warping. The simplest defense is to store everything clean and fully dry, put humidity-sensitive items in a climate-controlled unit, and number, list and photograph every box.
Clean and dry everything before it goes into a box
Mold usually starts with the item itself: a shirt packed slightly damp or shoes with mud on the soles will smell after months in a sealed box.
Wash and fully dry clothes and bedding, and stuff clean shoes with paper. Unplug the fridge and washing machine the day before, drain and dry them, and leave the doors slightly open in the unit. Cover leather with cotton rather than sealing it in plastic, and clear crumbs from cupboards and pockets.
Standard or climate-controlled for a long absence
Standard units have no air conditioning and suit durable things: well-packed clothes, plastic, metal, suitcases and kitchenware. Climate-controlled units stay below 25°C and below 55% humidity. They suit things that degrade in long heat and humidity: documents, photos, valuable books, electronics, cameras, leather, good wooden furniture and instruments.
A simple test: if you opened the box after a year and the item was damp, could you replace it? A set of plates, yes. Wedding albums, old letters or a guitar, no. Many people split the load, with bulky items in a standard unit and a few boxes of valuables in a small climate-controlled one. Phuoc Long has climate-controlled units of 4.5, 4.95, 9 and 9.9 m²; Cat Lai has 4.5 and 6.5 m². Check the climate-controlled unit sizes and conditions before you choose.
Pack boxes so they breathe and are easy to find
Put books and papers in small boxes, bedding and clothes in large ones, and add desiccant packs to boxes of documents and electronics.
Inside the unit, leave a narrow path, keep boxes off the walls and put heavy ones at the bottom. Things you will want on your first night back (bedding, a kettle, a change of clothes) go by the door.
List and photograph everything before you lock up
Number every box (01, 02, 03) and write the number and a short summary on two sides. Keep a list on your phone with box number, contents and whether the items are valuable. Photograph each box open before you tape it, the serial numbers of electronics, and the whole unit once it is packed.
If you buy your own goods insurance for valuable items, the photos also help with the paperwork.
What to store, what to carry and what to sell
Sort your things into three piles: store, carry and sell, which keeps the unit smaller.
- Store: furniture you shipped in or had made, winter clothes, books, artwork and anything with sentimental value.
- Carry: passports and visa papers, prescription medicine, and the laptop or drives holding data you cannot replace.
- Sell or give away: cheap flat-pack furniture, old small appliances, bedding that is nearly worn out and any leftover food.
Month-to-month terms for a year that runs in cycles
Month-to-month terms mean you do not have to predict your return date. V-Box has no minimum term, but billing is at least one month, with a deposit of one month’s rent and no penalty for ending early. To end, notify V-Box before the payment date of the next period. The deposit is refunded on the 10th of the month or the last working day of the month, whichever comes first, after you clear and hand back the unit.
Suppose you expect to be away for six months, but your plans change and you are back after four. You give notice before the next payment date, clear the unit and hand it back, with no penalty. If your leave is extended instead, the unit simply carries on month by month.
Prices start from 1,460,000 VND/month for the standard 4.5 m² unit, VAT included. Climate-controlled units, shared storage and larger sizes are quoted by size, unit type and rental term. If your employer pays for storage during an assignment, V-Box issues full VAT invoices.
How is your unit looked after while you are abroad?
While you are abroad, on-site security, corridor cameras and the lock on your door look after the unit. Ngày & Đêm professional security is on site 24/7, and 59 cameras cover 100% of the corridors: 32 at Phuoc Long and 27 at Cat Lai. Should an incident occur, CCTV footage can be retrieved within 15 days, as stated in the contract. At the door itself, each unit has its own combination lock, which you lock yourself before you leave, and V-Box does not hold a master key.
Sort out insurance before you fly, not after. Customers are encouraged to buy their own goods insurance for things like cameras, instruments or good furniture, and V-Box helps with the paperwork through its partner insurer, MSIG. Your own policy is separate from the property insurance V-Box holds for the facility as required, which has a general limit set in the contract.
Steps to set up storage before you fly
Start early rather than in the last few days before your flight.
- Send a list of your things or a few photos and ask for a suggested size and unit type. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30-17:30.
- Choose a facility: our first facility in Phuoc Long Ward, on Alley 2 Thuy Loi, or Cat Lai, at 934D3 Road D, Cat Lai Ward. Both are in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Sign the contract and pay the deposit of one month’s rent. Staff speak Vietnamese and English.
- Move your things in. V-Box does not move goods itself, but it refers you to vetted packing and moving partners or helps you book one; the partner quotes its own price.
- Pack, photograph and lock the unit yourself.
Coming back is simple: you can reach the unit 6:00-22:00 any day. Open the boxes of documents and electronics first and check them against your photos.
When V-Box is not the right fit
V-Box suits people who need storage for a month or more and manage their own unit. Look elsewhere for:
- A place for suitcases for a few days before a flight: billing is at least one month.
- Someone to pack, receive, ship or deliver things for you while you are abroad: there is no fulfillment, no 3PL and no delivery.
- Storage for fresh food or anything that needs 1-2°C: climate-controlled units stay below 25°C and are not cold storage.
- Room for appliances that must keep running, such as a wine fridge in use.
Once your flight is booked, send us your list to get a quote for your home leave dates, or ask the team your questions before you fly. Call our central hotline: 0862262848, or message us on Zalo or WhatsApp at 0862264669.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I store my belongings safely in Ho Chi Minh City while I am on home leave?
You can rent a private unit at V-Box Self Storage, which has 353 units at two facilities, Phuoc Long and Cat Lai, from 4.5 m². Each unit has its own combination lock, which you lock yourself, and V-Box holds no master key. In total, 59 cameras cover 100% of the corridors, and Ngày & Đêm professional security is on site 24/7. Billing is at least one month, with a one-month deposit and no penalty for ending early, and staff speak English.
Should I keep my unit all year or rent only for the months I am away?
Both work. A small unit kept year-round saves moving everything out and back each cycle, and you can reach it 6:00-22:00 any day while you are in town. Renting only for the months away means clearing and handing back the unit when you return. Billing is at least one month either way.
Will a standard unit protect my things through the rainy season?
Standard units have no air conditioning, so they suit durable items such as well-packed clothes, plastic, metal and kitchenware. Documents, photos, electronics, leather, instruments and good wooden furniture are safer in a climate-controlled unit, which stays below 25°C and below 55% humidity. These units come in 4.5, 4.95, 9 and 9.9 m² at Phuoc Long and 4.5 and 6.5 m² at Cat Lai.
My employer pays for storage during my assignment. Can I get a VAT invoice?
Yes. V-Box issues full VAT invoices. When you ask for a quote, mention that you need one and give the unit type and your expected dates; quotes are based on size, unit type and rental term. For the standard 4.5 m² unit, prices start from 1,460,000 VND/month, VAT included.
What happens if my home leave ends early or my posting changes?
There is no penalty for ending early. Give notice before the payment date of the next period, clear your things and hand back the unit. The deposit is refunded on the 10th of the month or the last working day of the month, whichever comes first. Billing is at least one month.
