The main function of self-storage facilities is to store your belongings. But it’s imperative that any company that you use does this with security at the forefront. After all, who wants to put themselves or their possessions at risk? 

The big challenge, therefore, is to know what security features to look for in a self-storage facility. You want to make the most of whatever service you use and ensure that it’s going to be adequately secure for your needs. 

Why Storage Security Should Be a Top Priority

But first, why should you bother with storage security? 

For many customers like you, it’s a matter of personal safety. Secure storage facilities reduce individual risks and keep you safe from harm. 

The other main motivation is to keep your belongings safe while you’re not there. With so many people coming and going on-site, it’s critical that each storage unit is 100% secure and protected. Theft prevention and controlled access are both critical. 

Essential Security Features Every Facility Should Have

So, what essential security features should every basic self-storage facility have (at a minimum)? 

24/7 CCTV And Active Surveillance

Kicking off, every self-storage facility should have 24/7 CCTV and active surveillance. These are both non-negotiable. There should be cameras on all the entry points and someone on-site, preferably a trained guard, watching them for signs of a security breach. 

AI assistance is okay, but there’s currently no replacement for physical presence. Knowing that a guard is on-site is a significant deterrence for thieves. 

Individually-Alarmed Units

It’s also critical the facility operates individually-alarmed units. If there is a break-in attempt or any form of tampering, systems should alert guards immediately. 

Alarms at higher levels (like for the facility as a whole) aren’t as useful. They won’t always pin-point the breach and they don’t inform you personally that there’s an issue. 

High-Quality Perimeter Fencing And Lighting

Finally, high-quality perimeter fencing and lighting should be installed at storage facilities. It should be difficult for anyone to just wander onto the site, especially those who are unauthorized. 

Look for fences that are at least fifteen feet high. Also, check that the facility is using LEDs that illuminate at night and detect threats. 

Beyond Locks and Cameras: Advanced Storage Protection

Going beyond things like alarms and CCTV, there are additional security measures that high-quality storage facilities use. 

Here’s what to look for: 

Electronic Gate Access And Digital Monitoring

Electronic gate access and digital monitoring makes it even more challenging for criminals to steal your possessions. Instead of using keys, top-level storage facilities give you a unique digital access ID nobody else can take or imitate. 

Smart Entry And Keyless Systems

Related to this are smart entry and keyless systems. These use things like your biometrics to grant entry, so you don’t need to remember keys or codes, and there’s no risk of someone else being granted access. 

On-Site Staff Presence And Maintenance Protocols

Finally, on-site staff are critical for high-functioning storage facilities. They can perform maintenance to protect your property while acting as a broad deterrent against thieves and unauthorised site users.

Maintenance inspections are particularly valuable if you’re storing delicate or temperature-sensitive items in storage. Technicians can check temperatures and potentially fix air conditioning or dehumidification systems on their rounds. They can also look for more basic issues, like leaks or pools of water, which could cause harm. 

Photo by Michał Jakubowski on Unsplash

How Secure Access Systems Protect Your Belongings

We think secure access systems are so critical for protecting your belongings, it’s worth going deeper on them. Facilities with these are far harder for criminals to breach, and you’re much more likely to be physically safe while on-site. 

For example, secure access systems control who’s able to go in specific parts of the storage facility. For example, you may only have access to an area with half a dozen storage units, and so do all other customers. 

Related to this, a lot of secure access systems have anti-passback rules to prevent “tailgating” and other practices used by criminals. Enforcing these could mean things like one-person-per-entry protocols and preventing customers from initiating multiple passes through specific doors. 

Secure access systems also do what many high-profile corporations do: track entries and exits. This way, staff can see who’s on-site at any time, helping to track things like breaches and developing accountability.

Tracking who is on-site is critical for overall security. Logs prevent criminals from blending in with the crowd. 

Look for instant lockout features as well. Just like fintech banks let customers block cards instantly, you should be able to prevent people from using your personal credentials if they’re compromised, even remotely. 

Facilities should alert any on-site staff of any breach to deescalate risks as fast as possible. Such triggers, ideally, should integrate with on-site CCTV. Suspicious activity should activate cameras, which should then be able to use AI or human security guards to detect breaches. 

Finally, if you’re not available, facilities managers should also be able to revoke access to your lock-up in the event of suspicious activity. There should be someone on-site you can trust to have the final authority to put your container on lock-down. 

Why Choosing A Trusted Facility Is So Valuable

The value of selecting a trusted facility for storing your possessions is tremendous. Not only does it give you peace of mind, but it also stops you from losing property with sentimental or personal value. 

Reputation and Customer Reviews

To find out whether a facility is trusted, be sure to check out its reputation and customer reviews. These will usually tell you everything you need to know about the quality of on-site practices. 

Regular Maintenance And Safety Inspections

Also, the presence of proper maintenance and safety protocols is a strong sign that the company is serious and professional. Don’t choose facilities that shirk these responsibilities.

Final Thoughts: Making The Right Choices

Ultimately, making the right choice of storage facility requires knowing and understanding the security practices that work. If you find a brand like us offering all of the above, we suggest you use it. 

Talk to us today to see how we can help you.