Safe Deposit Boxes

• A Safe Deposit Box is not an alternative to insurance – you are responsible for arranging suitable insurance for your possessions.
• The Safe Deposit Box service is subject to limitations and exclusions. See the full terms and conditions (PDF, 454KB) or please ask in the New Oxford Street, London branch.
• Safe Deposit Boxes are subject to availability and there may be times when access is restricted, for instance for essential maintenance or there may be a delay if in use.

We are unable to accept the following items for storage:

• Wills or other documents that may be needed to administer your estate on death.
• Bank notes or coins of any jurisdiction that are still in circulation.
• Plants, plant matter, animal food or other perishable goods or living organisms.
• Any items which could cause harm or damage to the box or storage system.
• Items requiring specific storage conditions, for example for preservation or because they are delicate or fragile.
• Weapons, including guns, knives and ammunition, any explosive, combustible or incendiary devices, chemicals, drugs, pollutants, gases, liquids or odorous, toxic or radioactive substances.
• Items which have been or are being used in any way to facilitate tax evasion.
• Illegal items, those resulting from illegal activity, and those that have been or may be used in connection with acts of terrorism.

Firstly, you need to check that you meet our Halifax safe deposit box eligibility criteria. If you do, register your details on our handy form and one of our friendly colleagues will call you back to make an appointment. You’ll need to complete your safe deposit box application face-to-face with a colleague at our Halifax New Oxford Street, London branch. Please don’t forget to bring a form of ID with you.

There are lots of things people chose to keep in their safe deposit box, but most tend to store possessions that are impossible to replace or hold sentimental value. A few examples include:

• Jewellery
• House deeds
• Hard drives
• Gold
• Antiques
• Family heirlooms

There are various items that you’re unable to store within our Halifax safe deposit boxes. These include items such as your will, bank notes or coins still in circulation, living organisms, or any items that are illegal or the proceeds of crime. You can find the full list of prohibited items within Condition 6 of our safe deposit box Ts&Cs (PDF, 453KB).

To ensure your valuables are as safe as possible, our safe deposit boxes can be held in the name of one person only, so if the safe deposit box is in your name, only you may access the viewing room and box. There are limited exceptions to this rule, which are covered in our full Ts&Cs (PDF, 453KB) if you’d like to find out more. The safe deposit box can only be accessed at our New Oxford Street branch during its opening hours.

Our safe deposit boxes come in three different sizes:

• Small: 24x37x4.9cm
• Medium: 24x37x11.8cm
• Large: 24x37x18.6cm

There are three different prices, depending on what size safe deposit box you choose:

• Small: £200 per year
• Medium: £325 per year
• Large: £475 per year

All prices are inclusive of VAT.

There is only one simple, annual fee for hiring a safe deposit box. This fee depends on the size of the safe deposit box you choose.

There are a few other instances where you may be charged additional costs. For example, if we are required to drill into the safe deposit box lock, because you’ve lost the keys or you don’t return both keys to us at the end of the hire period. Read through our full Ts&Cs (PDF, 453KB) for more information.

If you lose the keys to your safe deposit box, we will need to drill into the box to unlock it and then replace it with a new lock and keys. You may be required to cover the costs involved in this. A new set of keys can then be provided. Read condition 16 of our Ts&Cs (PDF, 453KB) for more information.

We don’t provide insurance cover for items stored within a safe deposit box. Our boxes are not an alternative to insurance, so it’s important to consider whether you have adequate insurance before storing any valuables with us. You should consider getting items such as jewellery valued before you take out insurance to ensure you’re covered for their full replacement value.

Our Halifax safe deposit boxes provide state-of-the-art security for your valuables; however, if the worst were to happen, then except in the limited circumstances set out in our Ts&Cs (PDF, 453KB), items are stored at your sole risk.

We don’t offer a jewellery valuation service, but there are many jewellers on the high street that can arrange a professional valuation for you. It’s worth bearing in mind that they usually charge for this service.

If you die, the person administering your estate will need to produce Grant of Representation before they can remove any items from your safe deposit box. Read condition 13 of our full Ts&Cs (PDF, 453KB).

Halifax safe deposit boxes aren’t waterproof. You should use waterproof packaging if, you think your items could be harmed by water. It’s worth noting that we won’t be liable for any damage to items stored in the safe deposit box caused by any acts outside our reasonable control (‘force majeure events’), such as storm damage. Read our full Ts&Cs (PDF, 453KB) for more information.