Access Control and Security for Self-Storage Facilities

What is access control and security for self storage and why do I need it? The
quick answer is that access control allows you to control who enters your property
and its various sectors. There are many different ways to control access to your
property such as fences and security gates, doorways, lifts, etc. Any of these can
be controlled with an access control device. In the storage industry, the most popular
is a keypad or reader with customer-specific PIN numbers. Others are proximity cards
for customers to carry, or fingerprint readers, a form of a biometric device. Access
control also allows you to specify the time that a customer can enter the facility.
Some tenants could access during the day alone and others might be granted 24-hour
access, an attractive option for many commercial accoubts.

Access control systems can be integrated with the management software, sometimes
referred to as accounting software. This integration allows for a single point of
entry for customer information. When you “move in” the customer in the management
software, the information is automatically transmitted to the access control system,
setting the customer code and allowing access to the facility. If the customer becomes
delinquent or past due, the management software automatically notifies the access
control program and the guilty tenants are automatically locked out. This feature
increases your opportunity to collect the past due rent, helping to prevent customer
move-outs, especially after the office has closed.

To ensure tighter security, individual door alarms can also be employed. An alarm
device mounts in or outside of each unit. One unique approach to alarming each door
includes the use of a Latch Switch. It mounts on the door rail and detects the latch
as it passes through the switch. This offers a higher degree of security, is an
easier and quicker installation than standard track mounts, and it eliminates many
false alarm conditions that can occur with other methods. When a customer uses the
keypad to enter the facility, their specific alarm is turned off or disarmed. When
they exit the facility, their individual alarm is turned on or re-armed. This allows
the detection of unauthorized entry to specific units.

For example, individual door alarms protect a facility from the “inside job.”
This would be in a case of a person renting a storage space to gain access to the
facility. They then take their time cutting locks on random units and moving the
selected items to their rented space. Since individual door alarms track the unauthorized
entry and the opening and closing of units, this type of crime is very easy to detect.

Why use access control and security? There are many answers to this question
including more control of your property and more time for managers to rent storage
space, maintain your property, etc. But perhaps the biggest reason is that many
self-storage customers want better security. They’re voting with their feet by choosing
more modern facilities. Because of this, more owners are discovering that security
features provide a valuable differentiation that brings more marketing power and
more profit, a sufficient incentive for any owner.

Steve Cooper is a member of the marketing team of Digitech International Inc.,
which has provided self-storage security solutions for more than two decades. For
information, call 800.523.9504; visit
http://www.digitech-intl.com