Don't be afraid to ask the owner/manager about security measures that their facility offers.

Along with facility security, make sure that your valuables will be kept clean and in good condition by evaluating the cleanliness of the facility before renting. Tour the facility and the individual units to make sure everything is orderly and neat. You will want to make sure your unit is protected from the elements such as moisture, dirt, mice and rodents. 

Before renting, make sure you will have easy access to your self-storage unit. There is nothing more frustrating than having access to your stuff only when there is someone on site to let you in or hours of operations are limited. Choose a secure facility that offers good hours of operation and allows access without having to wait for staff to let you in.

You never know what will happen. Whether its burglary/vandalism, fire, smoke, building collapse, hurricane, or tornado. All these are unknowns that can damage your valuables. Unless you purchase tenant protection insurance, you might lose some are all your valuables due to a catastrophic event or burglary. Make sure your facility offers tenant protection coverage to protect your stored items.

One last thing that is important to keep in mind is the actual items you are planning to store. You should ask yourself how long you are planning on storing these items and how sensitive might they be to heat/cold. It is worth extra money to make sure your stuff is protected from the elements.

Items that might require Climate-Controlled storage include: