Welcome back to Exit & Equity, the email for serious self storage owners.

Today we’re talking about a rule every operator learns sooner or later: neglect invites trouble

Let’s go!

Quick Wins: 3 Small Changes That Make a Big Difference in Storage Security

I recently took over a self-storage facility that had been badly neglected. How bad? Roughly 80% of the units had busted latches from years of neglect — and to top it off, there was a squatter living on-site, breaking into units like it was his full-time job while the old owners ignored it. The place was dark at night, the perimeter was overgrown with brush, and it basically screamed “nobody’s watching this property.” To a criminal, that’s an open invitation. If I could see the neglect, so could every thief driving by.

Security problems often start when a facility looks like an easy target. Thieves seek out places that appear unwatched and poorly maintained. A rundown look tells them no one will notice a break-in. I knew I had to change that perception fast.

The good news? You don’t need to hire Paul Blart or drop six figures on high-tech gadgets to tighten up your storage security. At my place, three simple, affordable changes made the whole property feel like someone was finally paying attention.

Here are the three quick wins you can do with high ROI.

A dark facility is a thief's best friend. Most break-ins happen after hours when criminals know they can work unseen. Bright lights flip that equation - suddenly they're exposed, visible, and much more likely to move on to an easier target.

Solar lights are the easiest win you can get. No electrician, no trenching for wiring, no ongoing electricity costs. Expect to pay $40-60 per light in hardware, and a handyman can knock out installation in a day.

Focus on three areas: entrance gates, corners where buildings meet, and any dark spots where someone could work on a lock without being seen. These are the places where criminals feel comfortable taking their time.

The impact is immediate. Your property goes from having pitch-black gaps to being fully visible after sunset. If someone's trying to break into a unit, they're doing it under a spotlight. Most won't even try.

Bonus: your tenants will feel safer visiting their units in the evening. That's not just security - it's customer experience.

Overgrown vegetation isn't a landscaping problem - it's a security liability. Thick brush and untrimmed trees create hiding spots where criminals can work on locks unseen. Worse, it signals neglect. A property that looks abandoned attracts exactly the kind of attention you don't want.

If your facility has years of overgrown trees and brush, hire a professional tree service for a full cleanup. Yes, it's expensive - expect anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000+ depending on property size and how bad the situation is. But you're not paying for aesthetics. You're eliminating tactical advantages for thieves.

Once the brush is cleared and trees are trimmed back, you should be able to see across your entire property. Every building, every door, every fence line visible with no obstructions. No convenient hiding spots. No blind corners where someone can take their time working on a unit.

This visible maintenance sends two critical messages: First, to criminals - "there's nowhere to hide here, and someone's clearly watching this place." Second, to tenants - "this facility is professionally managed and secure."

The ongoing cost is manageable. Budget $500-$1,000 annually to keep vegetation trimmed back and maintain those clear sight lines. Once you've done the heavy lifting, maintenance is straightforward.

Clear visibility aren't just about what you can see. They're about what criminals can't hide behind.

Good lighting and maintenance go a long way, but without eyes on your property, you’re still flying blind. Cameras do two simple but powerful things: they deter problems and document them when they happen. When a criminal spots cameras, they think twice—nobody wants to end up on video. And if someone’s dumb enough to test your luck, footage gives you evidence for police or insurance, instead of just a damaged door and a headache.

For most operators, you don’t need a high-end system or a security team. A Reolink-level setup hits the sweet spot: budget-friendly, solid quality, and fully viewable from your phone. Expect to spend around $5,000 installed for a full system that covers entry gates, drive-up rows, and interior hallways. The key is coverage and visibility—make sure every dark corner, gate, and main traffic area is watched.

The remote viewing is where it really earns its keep. You can check feeds anytime—middle of the day or 2 a.m.—and know instantly if something looks off. No subscription, no constant fees. Just cameras doing their job.

Make them obvious. You’re not trying to hide surveillance; you’re trying to discourage bad decisions. Pair them with good lighting and trimmed sightlines so there’s nowhere for anyone to disappear. When everything’s visible and monitored, people behave better—both thieves and tenants.

You don’t need Hollywood tech, just clear coverage and visibility. A simple, reliable system tells everyone who steps onto your property: someone’s watching, and it’s not worth the risk.

Each of these upgrades can move the needle on its own, but when you put them together, they create a multiplier effect on security that’s hard to overstate. Lighting, clear sight lines, and cameras all work in tandem. When your property is bright, open, and visibly monitored, it stops looking like an easy target and starts looking like a bad idea.

Think about it from a criminal’s perspective. Before making these improvements, a dark, overgrown facility with broken latches says, “Nobody’s watching. Easy pickings.” Afterward, a well-lit, wide-open site with cameras at every turn says, “You’re being seen, and you won’t get away with it.” Thieves aren’t looking for a challenge — they’re looking for a shortcut. A secure-looking property kills their motivation before they ever touch a lock.

Each element supports the others. The lighting makes the cameras more effective because you’re no longer filming shadows and blind spots. The cameras make the lighting more intimidating, because the idea of being seen is worse than the light itself. And the clear sight lines tie it all together by eliminating hiding spots and showing everyone that the property is actively managed. It’s a one-two-three punch that tells any prowler, “move along, there’s nothing easy for you here.”

And the benefits go beyond deterring crime. Tenants notice these changes, too. The same signals that scare off criminals — lighting, cleanliness, and visibility — build trust with your customers. People want to know their belongings are stored somewhere cared for, not somewhere forgotten. A property that looks safe feels safe.

Many operators overlook this, but security improvements double as marketing. When potential tenants pull into a clean, well-lit, camera-covered facility, they instantly see professionalism and pride of ownership. They don’t need a sales pitch — they just know, “this place is secure.” That perception alone can win rentals and keep your existing tenants happy.

Security doesn’t have to be complicated. When you combine light, visibility, and monitoring, you’re not just protecting your property — you’re changing how people see it. And in this business, perception is half the battle.

Let’s talk dollars and cents for a moment. None of these upgrades were astronomically expensive in the grand scheme. Solar lights at roughly $50 each, a camera system for $5K, tree clearing for $20K—all in, we spent a fraction of what a single major theft or vandalism spree could cost. One break-in can hit multiple units and easily rack up tens of thousands in losses, not to mention angry tenants and insurance headaches. Compared to that, our one-time investments in lighting, landscaping, and cameras are a bargain.

Also consider the ongoing savings: solar lights have no electric bill, cameras may lower your insurance premiums, and a well-kept property might reduce liability or cleanup costs. The tree and brush work might need a refresh every year or two, but it’s minimal upkeep once the heavy lifting is done. It’s the classic case of spending a little now to save a lot later.

Most importantly, these changes pay off by preventing crimes that don’t happen. The best security “win” is the crime that never occurs because you convinced the criminal to go elsewhere. There’s no line item on your profit-and-loss for “theft avoided,” but it shows up in your facility’s reputation and the peace of mind you and your customers have. I’ll take that over dealing with cut locks and police reports any day.

These three quick wins—adding lighting, clearing sight lines, and installing cameras—completely changed the game at my storage facility. What was once a neglected target is now a place that looks (and is) under active management and protection. And we achieved it without a huge capital project or fancy technology. It’s amazing how much a few small changes can shift the security posture of a property.

I'll be honest - painting isn't cheap. But if your property looks tired, it might be the most impactful money you spend.

You can install solar lights, clear the brush, and add cameras, but if the buildings still look like they haven’t seen a fresh coat since the Reagan administration, tenants will still read it as neglect. Faded paint sends the same signal as broken locks — nobody cares enough to fix it.

Fresh paint flips that instantly. It says, “We invested here.” It makes your lights and cameras look intentional instead of like quick fixes. It tells tenants and prospects that the property’s cared for, maintained, and monitored.

Is it required for security? No. But it amplifies everything else. A freshly painted facility with strong lighting and open sightlines doesn’t just look more secure — it feels more professional. People trust it more. They want to store there.

If budget’s tight, start with the three quick wins — lighting, landscaping, and cameras — and put paint on your short list. It’s the upgrade that transforms “we fixed the problems” into “we run a serious operation.”

What’s one security improvement you’ve made at your facility that made a big difference? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you. Shoot me a note with your own “quick win” and we might feature it in a future newsletter. After all, in this business, we’re all looking for simple, effective ways to keep our properties safe and our customers happy. Here’s to making sure our facilities are bad news for bad guys—and welcoming for everyone else!

If you’ve ever set up cameras and immediately regretted it because your phone blew up with 200 motion alerts, you’re not alone. Most operators turn off notifications completely — and that defeats the point of having “eyes on the property.” The fix isn’t fewer alerts, it’s smarter ones.

Modern camera systems like Reolink let you define motion zones — specific areas you actually care about, like your front gate, office door, or drive aisles. That means no more alerts for every car passing on the highway or every bird that decides your roof is a landing strip. Spend ten minutes setting it up, and your alerts drop by 90%.

The best part? You’ll actually use your cameras again. Instead of tuning out constant noise, you’ll only get pinged when something matters. It’s a small tweak that makes your surveillance system feel high-end — without spending another dime.

“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”

— Seneca