Leaving your valuable possessions in a self-storage unit and walking away may feel a little unnerving.
What if someone finds it? What if, somehow, they work their way into the storage location and take the things that matter most to you?
It’s a common fear, but one that’s easily put to rest if you invest in the right kind of self-storage. In fact, it’s fair to say that your possessions are far less likely to go missing if they’re placed in a facility whose sole job it is to keep them safe.
But how secure is self-storage?
CCTV has come a long way
CCTV systems are far more than cameras mounted onto the side of buildings. These days, they’re intelligent and backed up by a team of humans (if you invest in the right self-storage facility, of course).
The facility you choose should be monitored around the clock by CCTV, and alarmed. But there should also be a security firm on call if there’s an emergency spotted by the CCTV or reported from elsewhere.
If they’re not you, they’re not coming in
Self-storage facilities usually work on the basis of only the customer having access to the unit. Even the building’s staff can’t access them without the customer being present.
Normally, you’ll have the option to supply your own padlock or use one provided by the facility (although you shouldn’t have to pay for the latter). The same goes for container storage, which has the benefit of sitting within the perimeter of the site’s CCTV coverage along with padlocked security.
This means you and you alone have the combination and key to get into your storage unit. It’s the ultimate peace of mind.
…and then there’s the access control
Access to the building itself will also be highly regulated and controlled. This doesn’t prevent you from being able to access your storage unit 24 hours a day, but it does stop any form of unauthorised access on site.
This is usually thanks to remote access control management. It enables the self-storage team to monitor all access remotely and even grant access to customers without being present on site.
There should be a human presence on site too, though. This is why staff always man the reception to ensure that access to the facility is restricted solely to customers.
Individual alarms
Most self-storage facilities will alarm every single unit. That means your unit will sound an alarm if someone attempts to access it and you’re not present.
The benefit of this is fast, immediate confirmation of which storage unit is at risk, making it easy for onsite security staff to track it down and address the problem.
It’s this level of security that makes self-storage services invaluable. Home-owners can store their valuables confidently during the moving process and businesses can keep their most important kit and stock away from prying eyes.
We hope we’ve settled your nerves about leaving your possessions in a high-quality self-storage location.
If you still have unanswered questions, just get in touch with the SQUAB team – we’ll be happy to help.
