Protecting Your Long Term Storage Rental

Protecting Your Long Term Storage Rental

There are a number of ways to protect your long-term storage unit from theft and vandalism. Keypads at the gates, video cameras, alarm systems, and security lighting can all keep unwanted visitors away from your belongings. Most good self storage facilities have more than one of these security options for maximum protection. Some locations even employ on-site residential managers so the facility is never left unattended.

When selecting a long-term storage facility, walk around the premises and check out the security systems that are in place. Look at the layout of the facility to see if it was designed with security in mind. A good design will limit the number of access points to the storage units. Stand in the manager’s office and look out at the property. Ideally, you should have a good line of sight to the storage units and entrances to the premises. Visit the facility again after dark to inspect the adequacy of lighting around the rental units. High traffic areas should be lit continuously, but motion-triggered lights can also be effective in deterring thieves due to the sudden shock of being exposed in the act of a crime.

Ask the facility manager to demonstrate the opening of the access gate at the entrance of the property. Check out the condition of the keypad and mechanical arm. Be sure that the arm does not stay up too long as this may allow unauthorized cars to enter the facility behind a customer who has entered their access code on the keypad. Make sure that every access point to the premises is protected by some type of locked gate.

Almost all long-term storage rental facilities will have some type of alarm system. Even the older facilities have been updated with the latest technology because their customers demand security. Ask the facility manager about the alarm system’s backup power and notification procedure. If the power goes down, will the alarm stop working or is there a backup generator? Are the police called immediately or just the manager? How far away is the manager if a problem does arise in the middle of the night? Some sites have managers living on the premises so the response time is much quicker.

A video surveillance system can also go a long way in protecting your long-term storage rental unit. Even with an on-site manager, it is impossible to watch every area of the property at the same time. A good system of cameras can make it easy for the manager to scan the entire premises by glancing at a set of monitors. Video surveillance may also deter thieves if signs are posted notifying potential criminals that they are being watched.

As with the alarm system, be sure to ask plenty of questions about how the video surveillance system is operated. There are now digital systems available that provide much better clarity than the old VHS systems. These may also provide more storage space for old recordings, so the facility manager can assist police in identifying thieves if a break-in does happen to occur. Ask if the surveillance cameras are monitored on an ongoing basis or if they are only used as a reference after the fact. The most expensive video system in the world will do you no good if nobody is paying attention to what it is showing.

The responsibility for protecting your long-term storage rental does not end with the facility manager. The lock you choose for your storage unit can also do a lot to deter thieves. Unfortunately, purchasing a cheap, flimsy padlock may actually attract thieves to your space because they know it will not be difficult to break into. To protect yourself, use either a disk or cylinder latch lock.

Disk-type locks keep the shackle hidden in the lock’s design, so it is not as easy for a thief to locate and cut. However, many thieves have figured out that they can just cut the slider mechanism on the storage unit’s door and not worry about breaking through whatever lock the customer is using. If this is a problem in your area, you may need to ask the facility owner about installing a cylinder lock and latch system instead. This type of lock system embeds the entire locking mechanism within the door itself so there is nothing obvious on the outside for a thief to target. When protecting your long-term storage rental from crime, it pays to be creative and give the criminal a different look.