Simple Security Steps to Take When Placing Items in Storage

9 May 2016
 Categories: , Blog

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If you need to place some belongings in a storage unit, you will want to take some precautionary steps to ensure they stay safely inside at times you are not around. While locking your items in a unit gives you some security, you can go further to ensure that your unit is not broken into by a thief. Here are some ways you can increase the security of your storage unit in an attempt to keep your belongings on the inside.

Do Your Research of Self-Storage Facilities Thoroughly

It is best to take a trip to several storage facilities to check out the security they offer before you select one to use for your belongings. Ask about on-site security, as several storage unit facilities offer amenities like individual unit alarms, surveillance cameras throughout the area, and 24-hour patrolling guards. Having to use a key code entry to get inside the facility itself is helpful, too, as this type of system keeps a log of who has entered and at what time, making it less likely for a theft to occur since there is a record of this information.

Take a look at what a self-storage facility looks like at night by driving past during off hours. Observe the placement of lights in the area to see if there are spots where robbers could hide obscured from view. If the unit doors are not lit up well, move on to a new prospect for housing your items.

Place More Valuable Items in Hidden Locations

When you place valuable items in your unit, take the time to map out where to put them. These should never be put right in the front of the unit, as they would be the first thing a thief would grab if they did happen to get inside. Instead, place them in spots people would be more apt to overlook.

Wrap collectible coins in a handkerchief and tuck them into a pocket of an old pair of pants in a bin full of clothing. Put valued stamps inside an envelope, tape it into an old birthday card, and toss it in a box with many other cards. Hide larger items under piles of old material or place them in a box and then label it inaccurately to throw potential thieves off track.

Use the Right Lock to Help Keep Thieves on the Outside

If a self-storage facility requires that you use a key they provide to keep your unit locked, move on to a new facility. Their employees would have access to your items, which puts the items at risk if someone is not an honest worker. Most storage units will either have key-coded locks that you can reset with your own private number upon signing of a rental agreement or allow you to bring your own lock to slide through a loop to keep the door secure. 

If you need to purchase a lock, select a cylinder lock with a very short shackle. These locks are difficult for thieves to break open as there is not much room for bolt cutters to effectively do their job, possibly making the robber move on to other prospects as a result.

Look for a facility like Ventu Storage Center for more information about self-storage security.