At the end of the month, the society's current arrangements end at a Dunedin City Council-leased off-site storage facility in Green Island, which the society has long shared, rent-free, with the Otago Settlers Museum.
From July 1, the city council will charge the society $5000 to continue to occupy part of the storage facility until next February, society officials said.
Next year, when the Dunedin Fire Brigade celebrates its 150th anniversary, many of the old fire engines which helped save scores of people threatened by fire over the years could need rescuing themselves.
About a dozen engines must shift to a new home at that stage. The society has long been hunting for new premises but this has become increasingly difficult.
Society president Paul Clements said the society had hoped to share a new off-site storage area with the council-owned museum, but had been advised late last year that this would not be happening.
And the society had believed it could remain at the Green Island facility rent-free until next February, but was told early this year there would be a substantial rental.
Mr Clements was frustrated and concerned.
Society members had lavished about 100,000 hours of voluntary work in restoring many old fire engines, which were being safeguarded for the people of Dunedin.
The council had itself controlled the fire brigade for 22 years from 1885 and had then played a major role in running it until 1976, society officials said.
The society was being charged for undertaking voluntary work to preserve the council's own heritage and he hoped the rental would be waived.
This money would be better spent restoring an old Dennis fire engine before the brigade anniversary, Mr Clements said.
Council community development committee chairman Cr Paul Hudson has been talking to the society about its storage needs for the past two years, and council staff have also been involved.
The restoration society was well supported by councillors, and there was "no pressure" to pay up immediately after July 1, Cr Hudson said.
The society would be given time to apply for a grant either from the council or elsewhere to meet rental costs.
It had been "unfortunate" that the society had not already sought funding this year as part of the annual planning process, he said.
