Security Matters: What to Look For in a Secure Self-Storage Facility

Regardless of what you plan to store in self-storage, security is essential when looking for storage units in North York. Although most storage facilities offer some form of security, you want to ensure that the location you choose has more than basic or minimal security, to ensure that your belongings are protected.

In this article, we will examine what to look for in a secure self-storage facility to give you complete peace of mind.

Extensive 24/7 Interior and Exterior Digital Camera Surveillance

Surveillance cameras act as a deterrent for potential thieves, as they demonstrate that the site is under active surveillance, and illegal activities can be recorded. As a result, when thieves “case” storage facilities looking for potential targets, the number of cameras is the first thing they will notice. They will also look for camera locations, and “blind spots”. Thieves will look for these things, as good security increases chances they are more likely to be arrested, and potentially prosecuted, if their crimes are caught red handed on camera.

You should ask to see the monitoring system for surveillance cameras, to ensure that the system is actually operating and that all areas around the storage units in North York are being surveilled. It’s also important to make sure cameras are of high enough design and quality to capture details, such as facial features, or licence plate numbers for vehicles used during a crime.

Digital cameras that are being used by a self storage facility should use state-of-the-art technology to capture high quality images. Extensive 24/7 surveillance cameras should be located both on the interior and exterior of the facility to detect “inside jobs” by other self storage unit occupiers, as well as thieves from outside.

Adequate High Quality Lighting

Extensive high quality lighting is important from a security perspective, and acts as another deterrent for thieves. In addition to making you feel unsafe, inadequate lighting or dark areas in and around self storage units in North York storage units is welcoming to and a potential help for criminals, by allowing them to survey the site and find unlit areas where they can enter the facility undetected.

Extensive motion sensitive lighting is also essential for surveillance cameras to capture usable footage to help prosecute thieves. So, even if you find a facility with excellent digital camera surveillance but with inadequate lighting, the cameras can’t capture usable footage. Criminals who notice this may as a result still consider trying to enter the facility.

With high quality lighting and monitored high resolution cameras, thieves will be deterred and move on to a less secure, poorly lit storage facility. A combination of good exterior lighting and monitored surveillance cameras makes it difficult to enter the facility without an alarm being sent to a security monitoring and reporting service, who will trigger an appropriate response.

Interior lighting is also important, as it ensures you have adequate light for access and use of your storage units in North York. LED motion sensors in the facility’s corridors also show that the storage company is committed to running a cost-effective business where the savings can be passed onto you.

A Fully Fenced Property With Electronic Security Gate

Fencing creates one more obstacle to stop perpetrators in their tracks. Thieves don’t want to scale high fences that not only make it hazardous to enter the facility, but also present difficulty when they try to get away with their stolen goods.

Fencing with properly authorised digital gate entry is even better, as it ensures vehicles can’t enter the site without authorization. Access keypads using a unique code for each tenant provide protection that keeps out unauthorized individuals and vehicles.

Dependable, Sturdy Locks

All the above security measures are likely to keep thieves at bay. However, smart criminals often rent a unit in a facility to enter and wander the halls looking for opportunities to steal property. They then remove goods from other units and store them in their own unit until they feel it is safe to leave with them.

Fortunately, secure units in North York, with dependable security cameras and sturdy dependable locks ensure that anyone up to no good won’t be able to easily access your locked unit.

On-Duty Attendants

A site out in the open and without an office leaves units vulnerable to perpetrators who want to take advantage of limited supervision or security. A facility that is attended by staff to monitor the site helps keep criminals away.

A prominent office at the front of the facility sends a clear message to thieves that the site is monitored by staff who are trained to detect suspicious activity and act quickly by calling the police. When staff are on duty, they also make regular security checks to spot compromised units and ensure proper steps are taken to protect and secure your goods.

Restricted Access Hours

Often, storage unit tenants think that 24/7 access is a good thing. However, restricted access hours are actually better.

Although some people have a legitimate reason to be up and about in a self storage unit at 2 a.m., such as those who work on shifts or the odd night owl, some people wandering near a storage facility are likely looking for theft opportunities! By restricting hours, the facility helps prevent questionable people and bogus tenants from accessing storage units.

Monitored After-Hour Intrusion Alarms

After-hours monitoring helps detect perpetrators, and increases the chances that action can be taken to stop thieves before they get away with your belongings.

Monitored alarms can help offsite monitoring personnel alert local authorities when a breach in security occurs, and request dispatch by security services or police to the facility immediately, all in place to help give you peace of mind relative to your belongings.

Emergency Electricity Generators

Emergency electrical generation might not seem like a security concern; however, this is one of the most important considerations when it comes to protecting your belongings.

Backup generators are key to protecting your belongings during adverse weather conditions. During various extreme weather conditions (i.e. like a major ice storm) that we can experience in Ontario, a natural gas-powered emergency electricity generator ensures that essential building systems remain in operation. These systems, including heating, to prevent water damage to your goods from frozen pipes, and security systems, to prevent outages in site security, and function until electrical power is restored.

Clean, Well-Maintained Units and Common Areas

A clean, well maintained storage facility shows that management understands the importance of keeping their facility safe and secure, and that they will take care to protect their unit occupant belongings in their care safe as well.

Although it is not a specific security feature, maintenance does speak to the quality of service they provide across all elements of their storage facility management.

Contact the Storage Experts

If you are looking for an affordable, secure storage unit in North York , Abacus Self Storage will give you the peace of mind you need. You can call us at 289-807-1033 or contact us online for more information.