Why Storage Facility Security Matters (And What to Look For)

A storage unit holds things you won’t look at for weeks at a time. Security decides three things while you are away: whether a thief picks a different target, whether anyone notices a problem, and whether there is a record afterwards. You can judge most of that from the driver’s seat before you rent anywhere. Here is what to look for, followed by exactly what is in place at our Hutchinson and South Hutchinson locations.

A Ten-Minute Check From Your Car

Visit once in daylight and once after dark. You don’t need a tour.

1. Count the cameras, then look where they point. One camera over a front door protects a front door. You want them aimed down the aisles and at every way in.
2. Come back at night. Every aisle should be lit end to end. Dark rows are where cameras stop being useful and where nobody wants to unload a truck.
3. Look for blind spots. Long straight aisles with doors facing the drive are easy to watch. Corners hidden behind buildings are not.
4. Read the doors. Bent latches, mismatched locks and doors that don’t sit square tell you how closely the place is looked after.
5. Check the edge of the property. A fence and a gate decide who can drive in at all.
6. Ask a direct question. “What resolution do your cameras record at, and are they recording all the time?” A facility that has invested in cameras will know the answer.

What Separates a Working Camera System From a Decoy

Cameras vary more than anything else on that list. These are the features that matter, and what we run at both locations.

• Continuous recording to a central recorder. Our cameras are commercial, hard-wired units powered over their network cable. They record 24/7 to a network video recorder, so there is no waiting for a motion trigger and no battery to go flat.
• Enough resolution to identify someone. Our cameras record at up to 16MP, beyond 4K. That is the difference between seeing that a pickup drove in and being able to describe it.
• Color at night. Grainy black-and-white footage loses the color of a vehicle or a jacket. Ours have full-color night vision.
• Detection that ignores the wind. Kansas wind moves shadows and trash all night. The AI detection in our system tells people, vehicles and animals apart and filters out wind and shadow, so a real event isn’t buried under false alerts.
• Housings built for the weather. The cameras sit in metal, vandal-resistant housings rated from -22°F to 131°F, which covers a January cold snap and a July afternoon on a metal building.
• Someone able to look. Our team can pull up live feeds and recordings remotely at any time.

Lighting and Layout Do Quiet Work

Light is the cheapest deterrent there is. Both of our locations have bright exterior lighting on every aisle and at every entry point. It also makes an evening unload after work a lot easier.

Layout matters too. Every unit we rent is drive-up and ground level with a roll-up door facing the aisle. There are no interior hallways or stairwells. You back up to your door, and the loading happens in the open, in view of the cameras.

Hutchinson vs. South Hutchinson: What Each Location Has

Hutchinson, 2511 E 17th Ave

• Perimeter fence with gated entry
• 24/7 camera recording with AI detection and color night vision
• Lighting on every aisle and entry point
• Drive-up units from $65 a month

South Hutchinson, 712 N Walnut St

• The same camera system, recording 24/7
• Lighting on every aisle and entry point
• Drive-up units from $55 a month

If a fenced, gated lot is a requirement for what you are storing, choose the 17th Ave location. Current sizes and rates for both are under locations, and the full equipment list is on the security page.

The Lock on Your Door Is Your Job

The facility secures the property. You secure the unit. Every rental with us comes with a free boron-carbide, tamper-resistant lock, so you don’t need to buy one. A few habits do the rest:

• Lock up every time, even if you are coming back in an hour.
• Don’t lend your key to anyone you wouldn’t trust with everything inside.
• Keep cash, jewelry, firearms and important papers at home. They don’t belong in any storage unit.
• Photograph the contents when you move in and again when you add things.
• If you see a cut lock, a door left open or someone trying doors, call or text (620) 662-7336. For a crime in progress, call 911.

Where Security Stops and Coverage Starts

Cameras and a fence lower the odds of a break-in. They do nothing about a fire, a storm that damages a building, or mice. They also don’t replace anything. That part falls to insurance or to the optional tenant protection plan, which offers $2,000, $3,000 or $5,000 of coverage with a $100 deductible.

The plan and your lock are connected. Burglary is covered when there is forced entry and a police report, and items that vanish with no sign of a break-in are not. We explain the whole plan in What Is Tenant Protection and Do You Need It?

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the security cameras at Reno County Storage record all the time?

Yes. Cameras at both the Hutchinson and South Hutchinson locations record 24/7 to a central network video recorder. Our team can view live feeds and recordings remotely at any time.

Is there a fenced and gated storage facility in Hutchinson, KS?

Yes. The Reno County Storage location at 2511 E 17th Ave in Hutchinson has a perimeter fence and gated entry. Both that location and the one at 712 N Walnut St in South Hutchinson have 24/7 camera recording and lighting on every aisle.

Do I need to buy a lock for my storage unit?

No. A free boron-carbide, tamper-resistant lock comes with every rental at Reno County Storage. Use it every time you leave the unit, and don’t share the key with anyone you wouldn’t trust with the contents.

Do I still need tenant protection if a storage facility has cameras?

Cameras deter theft and record what happens, but they don’t pay to replace anything. They also can’t prevent fire, storm damage or rodents. Check whether your homeowners or renters policy covers property in storage, and consider the optional tenant protection plan if it doesn’t.

What should I do if I see something suspicious at a storage facility?

If a crime is in progress, call 911. Otherwise call or text Reno County Storage at (620) 662-7336 with the location, the unit number or aisle, and what you saw. Don’t confront anyone yourself.

Ready to compare units? See sizes and current rates under locations, read the camera details on the security page, or call (620) 662-7336. Phone hours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sunday noon to 4pm.