Have you ever wondered how many people relocate each year? According to the Census Bureau, around 9.8 percent of US citizens move houses annually, amounting to over thirty million homeowners. However, for the moving process to carry out smoothly, homeowners require storage units to store their belongings and personal items temporarily. By keeping their belongings safe and secure in self-storage, homeowners are free to focus on other essential tasks related to relocation. So to maintain an upward-moving demand curve, self-storage facility owners and managers need to ensure that their storage facilities are well-protected against accidents, thefts, and burglary.
If you want to succeed in the demanding self-storage market, it is a no-brainer that you need to bump up the security features of your storage units. After all, individuals who stock their belongings and items don’t want to find them damaged or lost! But, what are some steps you can take to make your storage units more secure than they ever were? Well, if you are looking for an answer to this question, then you have come to the right place. So, without further ado, let’s look at some ways to enhance your self-storage facility’s security.
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Install commercial alarms
An easy way to reduce or eliminate robberies and theft from your self-storage units is by installing commercial alarms that notify you whenever a crime is being committed inside your self-storage business premises.
In addition to alerting you whenever a breach has been detected, this type of storage unit security system allows you to control alarms remotely when you aren’t present on site. Doing so enables you to resolve notifications whenever a break-in occurs inside one of your storage units, allowing you to take quick action and inform the authorities.
Install ample lighting
Every self-storage facility owner needs to install ample lighting inside every individual self-storage unit so customers feel protected and secure if they access their storage units at night. Also, ensure that your storage facility’s office building and hallways contain ample lighting and get any broken light switches and bulbs replaced immediately. In the end, a luminous atmosphere will promote security and give your clients peace of mind that their belongings are safe and monitored at all times.
Hire security guards
While installing ample lighting is perfect for keeping an eye on your storage unit, hiring security guards will provide your facility with an added level of protection from theft and robberies, especially during the night. Furthermore, your security guards can monitor your storage facility’s entrances and exits to ensure no unauthorized entries occur and nobody steals or takes away items from the storage units. Moreover, security guards can also control difficult situations like break-ins, scuffles, etc.
Keep an eye on the items being stored
It will be in your and your storage facility’s best interest if you put certain restrictions on what customers can and cannot store inside storage units. After all, some items might be dangerous, illegal, or both. So, what are some things that aren’t suitable for storing inside rented space?
Well, you can’t let clients store flammable materials, ammunition, chemicals, and other dangerous items inside their storage units. Moreover, you can even restrict people from storing perishable items or valuables like important documents and jewelry.
Install surveillance cameras
Clients generally prefer to place their belongings in storage facilities with round-the-clock video surveillance. After all, surveillance cameras enable you to identify and prevent accidents and theft inside storage units and other areas on your business premises. That being said, there are quite a few surveillance camera options available on the market these days. For instance, if you want to go for clearly visible cameras, then opt for bullet cameras. However, if you’re looking for clandestine protection, consider installing dome cameras as they’re much more subtle. You can also get IP cameras that transmit and store security footage constantly or night vision cameras. In the end, the camera option you go for depends on your security requirements and budget, so please choose wisely!
Install motion sensors
While robbers and burglars might be able to bypass your security cameras by hiding in dead zones or blind spots, it is much more challenging to avoid motion sensors. Plus, motion sensors are usually hidden so, it is harder to avoid them. Not to mention, it will be challenging for someone to prevent capture by hiding in the dark when you’ve strategically installed motion sensors inside and around the storage units. Doing so will allow you to boost your storage facility’s security measures tenfold!
Place proper fencing
Installing proper fencing around the premises is vital to your storage facility’s security. That said, what type of fencing do you need? Well, that depends on the type and value of items being stored inside the storage units themselves and whether your storage facility is located in a high-crime location. Whatever the case may be, consider getting and installing heavy-duty, cut-resistant fencing. Moreover, such a type of fencing is also hard to climb or jump over. So install it now, even if it gives your storage facility a prison-like look.
Conclusion
Self-storage businesses tend to fail if they do not provide the level of security their customers demand. Thus, if you want to avoid business failure and instead remain lucrative, consider the measures we have mentioned above to = enforce fortress-like security inside your storage facility.
