Nobody wants their treasured memories, souvenirs, or important papers to wind up the focus of a real crime episode. These days, everything from grandma’s armchair to out-of-season ski gear finds safe refuge in these buildings. But beneath those digital locks and roll-up doors lurks something more. Let’s pull back the curtains and examine honestly what occurs when you keep your stuff with small storage businesses. Read here!

Security first seems to be perfect. James Bond would be amazed with keypads, gates, cameras on every angle. Many contemporary buildings have motion detection, 24/7 monitoring, and separately alarmed units. Two giants in the field, Public Storage and CubeSmart, for instance, have gated entry and round-the-hour video monitoring. Operators like SC Storage in Hong Kong go even farther by giving each client specific admission codes. If the objective is privacy, they have considered it.

Still, technology isn’t everything. If nobody is observing, a skilled burglar can cut through a lock. People creep inside behind a legal user in busier areas—a stealthy behavior known as “tailgating.” Select a facility where attendants prowl around monitoring who is arriving and leaving. One highly underappreciated layer of security is staff presence. Visit unannounced to find out how deftly the security crew keeps on target.

Although it sounds boring, one of the first theft deterrents in the book is lighting. A well-lit facility deters snooping and could prod would-be criminals to try their luck somewhere else. Reputable sites so shine particularly well after dark. If a storage place seems dark, pass.

Surprisingly, the basic padlock remains either a villain or a hero. Bring your own if at all possible since disc locks or cylinder locks are more difficult to break than conventional padlocks. For double difficulty, some facilities allow users use twin-lock systems.