Exhibit 31.1
 Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange
Act, as amended
  1.
    
    I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of Sovran Self Storage, Inc.;2.
    
    Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
this annual report;3.
    
    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;4.
    
    The registrants other certifying officers and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over
financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and
15d-15(f)), for the registrant and have:
 a)
    
    designed such disclosure controls
and procedures, or caused such
disclosure controls and procedures
to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to
the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made
known to us by others within those
entities, particularly during the
period in which this annual report
is being prepared;b)
    
    designed such internal control
over financial reporting, or
caused such internal control over
financial reporting to be designed
under our supervision, to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial
statements for external reporting
purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting
principles;c)
    
    evaluated the effectiveness of the
registrants disclosure controls
and procedures and presented in
this report our conclusions about
the effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and
procedures, as of the end of the
period covered by this report
based on such evaluation; andd)
    
    disclosed in this report any
change in the registrants
internal control over financial
reporting that occurred during the
registrants most recent fiscal
quarter that has materially
affected or is reasonably likely
to materially affect the
registrants internal control over
financial reporting; and
 5.
    
    The registrants other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on
our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
the registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board
of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
 a)
    
    all significant deficiencies and
material weaknesses in the design
or operation of internal controls
over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely
affect the registrants ability to
record, process, summarize and
report financial information; andb)
    
    any fraud, whether or not
material, that involves management
or other employees who have a
significant role in the
registrants internal controls
over financial reporting.
  /s/ Robert J. AtteaRobert J. AtteaChairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer