Your tenants are only storing items they care enough about to save. As a self storage operator, you need to reassure them that their items will be safe in your care.
Facility owners can prevent arson, vandalism, and theft by installing effective security systems. These give you a great way to stand out agains the competition, as well as keeping your tenants safe.
Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Self storage businesses need to plan and budget appropriately for a robust, state-of-the-art security system before the first rental moves into the facility.
People do not usually prioritize video surveillance, access control systems, fire-detection systems, and automated security gates at a new storage location. In many cases, operators cut funding for these security items completely!
This is usually because construction costs have gone too high, depleting the budget.
Although the need to stay within budget is entirely understandable, cutting corners on security systems can leave you with a facility where no one wants to store.
Our Operator's Toolkit has free forms and templates to help you keep your facility secure, like our Lock Cut Authorization Form!
Security is non-negotiable for your tenants. If they don't feel safe leaving their stuff at your facility, they simply won't do so - and there goes your business. But you don't have infinite money to build Fort Knox, so how do you make the best of it?
Here are a few general guidelines to ensure you get the most out of your security budget.
Always bear in mind that every facility or site has unique needs and requirements. Before setting any final budget, speak to a trained and experienced access control and security professional.
Ask (and answer) the following key questions:
These questions can help focus on what various needs and the scope of security a facility requires.
In most cases, security costs should be 3%-5% of the total construction budget.
The average cost for access control hardware is in the range of $7700-$30000 per system.
It is best to have a keypad at all entry points, exits, doors as well as elevator doors to minimize risk.
The security system at each site should at least include entry and exit keypads with stands, intercoms, and a controller.
Check out our security code best practices article for more!
The average spend is in the range of $300 to $400 per camera. Ideally, operators should install cameras at the management office, all entry points, as well as any other essential areas.
Think about where your customers spend most of their time - these areas should be well-covered by cameras.
This budget item should cover the expenses of the camera as well as installation.
The average cost is between $50 and $250 per door. The least expensive solution is hardwired door alarms; wireless alarms tend to fall somewhere in the middle while, in most cases, electronic locking solutions are usually the most costly.
In a self storage facilities, the standards are higher than you'd see for residential locks - disc locks
Because of the abundance of products available on the market, there is a significant price variance. This is an area you can splurge in to set yourself apart from the market, or go smaller to stay within your budget.
Read more about self storage unit locks here!
You can expect to pay between $8,500 and $35,000 for a gate, accompanying gate operator, and installation.
You'll be choosing between four main types of gate:
You'll need some type of automatic gate to be competitive with the other facilities around you; that said, the extra security is almost always worth the cost regardless of what the facilities around you have.
A facility layout may also dictate which system and gate are best for the real estate and configuration. There are many different kinds of gates and gate operators on the market. Hence, the costs may vary considerably.
Many of these security features will come with self storage software that helps them run smoothly - usually, it's worthwhile to keep paying the subscription for these, especially if they offer service too. For example, if your gate gets hit by a customer, you want the gate company to be ready to get you operational as soon as possible.
Asking questions about the space and customer preferences can help guide the planning of security system decisions. To optimize any budget when constructing a new self storage facility, you need to understand what you're getting and what you're opting not to get. Every dollar has an opportunity cost - if you're upgrading your security, that means you're not spending that money on marketing, for example.
Luckily, the self storage industry is a tightly-knit community that has a ton of resources and information sources. When you have made these considerations, you can consult trained and experienced security professionals to provide the best service and benefit to your clients.
For more self storage articles, take a look at:
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