<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2015-05-01</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001618563</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>National Storage Affiliates Trust</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>NSA</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001306273</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>OSGOOD STEVEN G</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>6745 ENGLE ROAD</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 300</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>OH</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>44130</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A OP Units</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-05-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>80140</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>13.10</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>80140</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>80140</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A OP Units</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>14400</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>14400</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">One year after the date of the completion of the initial public offering of the Issuer, the Reporting Person will have the right to cause NSA OP, LP (the &quot;Partnership&quot;) to redeem all or a portion of the Reporting Person's Class A common units of limited partner interest in the Partnership (&quot;Class A OP Units&quot;) for cash in an amount equal to the market value of an equivalent number of the Issuer's common shares, or at the Issuer's option, common shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain adjustments.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The Class A OP Units in this row include 4,800 Class A OP Units issuable upon the conversion of 4,800 vested long-term incentive plan units in the Partnership (&quot;LTIP units&quot;) and 9,600 Class A OP Units issuable upon conversion of 9,600 unvested LTIP units. The unvested LTIP units were granted to the Reporting Person under the Issuer's 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan, and vest along a schedule at certain times prior to December 31, 2017. upon the achievement of certain performance goals, or upon the completion of the Issuer's initial public offering.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Consists of the Reporting Person's pecuniary interest in Class A OP Units held by Square Foot Sunbelt LLC, for which the Reporting Person has or shares voting and investment power.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">N/a</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">The Reporting Person's total direct and indirect beneficial ownership following the reported transaction above is 94,540 Class A OP Units, which includes 4,800 Class A OP Units issuable upon the conversion of 4,800 vested LTIP units and 9,600 Class A OP Units issuable upon conversion of 9,600 unvested LTIP units.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Steven G. Osgood, by Jason Parsont, its Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-05-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
