The RV and boat storage market is poised to be the next big thing among self-storage niche sectors, as record demand for such vehicles stokes demand for facilities to store them.

"The RV/boat storage sector has all the makings of an emerging niche asset class: elevated demand fueled by demographic and social trends, strong potential for income growth, and a dearth of institutional capital that creates an opportunity to exploit for deep-pocketed investors," write Jeff Adler and Paul Fiorilla of Yardi Matrix in a new report. Yardi predicts RV/boat storage deliveries to hit a two-decade high watermark in 2022, but the analysts note "the imbalance between demand and supply should keep occupancy rates elevated and push street rates ever higher."

RV registrations hit a historic high of 571,000 in 2021, andmotorboat sales peaked at 325,000 in 2020 and fell slightly to 313,000 last year, according to Statistical Surveys. States with the most RVs registered since 2017 include Texas (256,323), California (219,896), Florida (150,196), Michigan (103,025) and Washington (100,601). States with the highest number of registered motorboats since that time are Florida (215,490), Texas (126,490), Michigan (87.585), Minnesota (71,004) and Wisconsin (67,935).