We have acted as counsel to National Storage Affiliates Trust, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the "Company"), in connection with the Company’s filing of a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-211570) and Amendment No. 1 thereto (collectively, the "Registration Statement") filed on May 25, 2016 and June 6, 2016, respectively, the related prospectus included in the Registration Statement (the "Base Prospectus") dated June 8, 2016, the preliminary prospectus supplement dated June 28, 2016 (the "Preliminary Prospectus"), and the final prospectus supplement, dated June 29, 2016 (the "Prospectus Supplement", taken together with the Base Prospectus and the Preliminary Prospectus, the "Disclosure Package") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.  Except as otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used in this opinion have the meanings given to them in the Registration Statement.

1.    the Articles of Amendment and Restatement and Declaration of Trust of the Company;

2.    the bylaws of the Company;

3.    the Limited Partnership Agreement of NSA OP, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the "Operating Partnership");

4.    a Certificate of Representations, (the "Certificate of Representations") dated as of the date hereof, provided to us by the Company and the Operating Partnership;

5.    the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package; and

6.    such other documents, records and instruments as we have deemed necessary in order to enable us to render the opinion referred to in this letter.

For purposes of rendering the opinions stated below, we have also assumed, with your consent, the accuracy of the representations contained in the Certificate of Representations provided to us by the Company and the Operating Partnership, and that each representation contained in such Certificate of Representations that is qualified as to the best of the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge or belief is accurate and complete without regard to such qualification as to the best of such entity’s knowledge or belief. These representations generally relate to the organization and method of operation of the Company as a real estate investment trust (a "REIT") and the Operating Partnership as a partnership under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").

1.    Commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2015, the Company has been organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and its proposed method of operation as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and as set forth in the Certificate of Representations will enable the Company to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code.

2.    The statements included in the Registration Statement and Base Prospectus under the caption "U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations," as modified and supplemented by the statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement under the caption "Additional U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations," to the extent they describe applicable U.S. federal income tax law, are correct in all material respects.

The opinions set forth in this letter are based on relevant provisions of the Code, Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, interpretations of the foregoing as expressed in court decisions, legislative history, and existing administrative rulings and practices of the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") (including its practices and policies in issuing private letter rulings, which are not binding on the IRS except with respect to a taxpayer that receives such a ruling), all as of the date hereof. These provisions and interpretations are subject to change, which may or may not be retroactive in effect, and which may result in modifications of our opinions. Our opinions do not foreclose the possibility of a contrary determination by the IRS or a court of competent jurisdiction, or of a contrary determination by the IRS or the Treasury Department in regulations or rulings issued in the future. In this regard, an opinion of counsel with respect to an issue represents counsel’s best professional judgment with respect to the outcome on the merits with respect to such issue, if such issue were to be litigated, but an opinion is not binding on the IRS or the courts and is not a guarantee that the IRS will not assert a contrary position with respect to such issue or that a court will not sustain such a position asserted by the IRS.