By Christine DeBord

he shift toward automation in self-storage is more than a passing trend—it’s becoming a core operational and cost-saving strategy. Owner-operators are facing mounting pressure to cut costs, scale efficiently, and deliver the seamless experiences customers now expect. Automating operations with integrated smart locks and smart entry technology that are accessible via robust mobile technology addresses all three.

Key operational drivers for smart lock adoption include:

• Labor Costs and Staffing Challenges – Hiring and retaining qualified staff, especially at remote or rural sites, is increasingly difficult and expensive.
• Evolving Consumer Expectations – Today’s customers demand self-service, mobile-first options that let them rent a unit in minutes, so they don’t need to wait for office hours.
• Enhanced Security – Smart lock technology helps to deter break-ins and boost tenant confidence.

Mobile app-based smart locking technology is modernizing and streamlining self-storage operations like never before. With smart entry technology at facility entry points as well as smart locks on individual unit doors, owner-operators are now able to automate once manual tasks like lock removal for new rentals, lock checks, and the end-to-end overlocking process. For self-storage customers, this means that online and after-hours rentals can now be completely automated, mobile move-ins that provide full remote visibility for the owner.

But not every electronic lock on the market is the same in terms of fortifying your facility against theft, elevating convenience for your consumers, and streamlining your operations. By opting for industry-leading smart-locking technology, you can automate many manual processes at your facility, saving you both time and money.

Read on for nine non-negotiable features you’ll want to have in your smart locks and the results facility operators are already experiencing when using cutting-edge smart technology for individual unit security.

In today’s environment, security is a 24/7 imperative because crime never sleeps. Whether your facility is managed on site or remotely, there are periods of the day when no one is physically on your property. With a suite of connected security products that monitor and alert to suspicious activity, you can always stay informed of the security at your facility. And the key here is having a comprehensive solution rather than a fragmented one. For example, cameras alone are reactive and only tell you that something happened after the fact. Combining motion-activated cameras, digital-gate access, smart-unit locks, and professional monitoring offers round-the-clock security and alerts when something goes awry.

Of course, knowing something happened on your property is good, but deterring criminals is great. And that’s what you can achieve with industry-leading technology that provides unit-level smart locks to deter would-be criminals from breaking into storage units at your facility. By equipping the smart locks with fully integrated in-unit motion sensors, owner-operators can cut break-in claims by 92 percent, according to industry data.

In addition to taking your smart security to a whole new level by deterring theft, you can ensure a seamless experience for your team and your tenants by consolidating access control for entry points and individual units into a single mobile app that’s custom-branded for your facility. As a result, your team is informed and efficient because they can focus on operational priorities instead of time-drains like processing claims. And your tenants are safe and satisfied because of the high level of security and convenience you’re providing through the smart-locking platform.

Smart security products are great, but what’s the benefit if the products are improperly installed or not communicating with the cloud? Some vendors allow anyone and everyone to install their products and don’t stand behind the installation. By finding a vendor you can partner with through the entire process, from quoting to installation and operation, you’ll have one point of contact who you can hold accountable for the performance of the products at your facility. This way, if something goes wrong, you don’t have to worry about the finger-pointing game starting between the installer and the manufacturer.

Another factor is that a smart solution is only as good as its connectivity. If your product isn’t communicating properly, you may not know until it’s too late. Proactive monitoring of your equipment is a necessity to ensure your smart security products are functioning and serving their purpose. When evaluating vendors to partner with, you’ll want to ensure they’re able to proactively identify and diagnose any connectivity issues remotely.

Supporting your product after installation is also paramount. Some vendors only offer email support or support during their office hours. Whether you allow 24/7 access to your facility or you have gate hours that extend past 5 p.m., you need live, real-time support beyond banker hours. When selecting a partner, make sure they will support your business around the clock.

One of the major advantages of working with an industry-leading smart-lock solution is full-service, in-house project management and installation. Other electronic locks on the market today require third-party installation, leading to inconsistencies in setup and support. Smart-lock solutions simplify this by providing expert installation and ongoing support, ensuring the highest level of quality and reliability. With proactive fleet management capabilities, you get dedicated personnel to monitor, diagnose, and correct issues remotely. By providing 24/7 support through these in-house resources seated in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, you can call or chat with a live, dedicated support agent any time of the day or night. All these advantages ensure that your smart-lock solution is installed more quickly and more affordably and any ongoing support is made easy.

Self-storage is unique. Products developed for other industries don’t work off the shelf in storage, and there are many factors that impact product compatibility in storage facilities.

• Door Compatibility – A smart-locking solution has to be compatible with the door, but it also has to clear the frame or hallway system when the door is rolled up. Being intimately aware of the door and construction nuances is supremely important when developing a product for the storage industry.
• Environmental Considerations – Exterior, drive-up storage units are installed in the toughest climates imaginable. From the humid heat of south Florida, to the arid, desert heat of Arizona, to the blistering cold of Minnesota, products need to be able to operate flawlessly in all conditions.
• Connectivity Challenges – Connectivity in storage is far more complex than connecting products in the hospitality or consumer sectors. That’s why you may run into problems when trying to use products from other sectors to make your smart-security products operate in low bandwidth, low connectivity facilities. Products need to be able to communicate inside a building filled with steel or outside in the extreme elements on concrete masonry unit (CMU) or metal buildings.

Electronic and non-connected locks on the market are estimated to have less than 10,000 self-storage unit installations each, while the industry-leading smart lock solution has over 450,000 smart locks installed as of August 2025, including facilities of all construction types throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. That’s a big difference, but it shouldn’t be too surprising since this smart-lock solution is designed exclusively for the needs of the self-storage industry.

I recently talked to a facility manager about tenant experience. He was running a facility with smart locks accessed via a smartphone app in one building and traditional units in another building. He immediately commented that his tenants loved not having to remember a key or a code. While we were talking, a tenant who had lost her key walked into the office, which required the manager to grab the paperwork and discuss the options and timeline for the tenant to get back into the unit. This inconvenience and inefficiency could have been avoided if the tenant had rented a unit in the adjacent building, or if the facility had smart locks with a smartphone app rolled out throughout their site.

You’ll want to choose wisely when selecting a smartphone application since the user experience for smart security solutions is crucial to create trust and loyalty for your customers. Tenants should be able to quickly access the facility and their unit, share access, and track activity in their unit through the mobile application. If the app is not intuitive, you’ll spend more time explaining the app to tenants than running your operation.

When implemented properly, a smartphone app controlling digital access for the facility and the unit can be a positive for your tenant experience and your operations. One of the most common calls a call center receives is a tenant forgetting their gate code. When access is managed digitally through a smartphone app, the tenant has no gate code to remember. Like my earlier example, a tenant losing their physical key to their unit padlock or forgetting their combination to a combination lock can initiate a time-consuming process of approvals and paperwork. This process ultimately ends in using a grinder to remove the padlock from the door, which risks damage to your door and injury to your staff.

By reviewing App Store ratings before making a purchase, you can see what tenants and managers are saying about the best app experiences.

When someone accesses your facility, how do you know who it is? The truth is, in traditional storage, you may not know. When your tenants use access codes alone for entry, they may share their code with friends, family, or movers. If you have commercial tenants using your property, they may share the code with several of their employees. Instead, you’ll want to look for a solution that provides digital key share for enhanced security. When facility and unit access is managed by digital access to smart keypads and smart locks, you always know the name and phone number of who is coming onto your property because tenants share access via digital key shares instead of sharing an access code.

Owner-operators using smart locks for individual unit security note that electronic and non-connected solutions lack the range of innovative features like digital key sharing for flexible access management.

In addition to digital key share, the industry-leading smart lock solutions bring you these advanced offerings:

• Motion Sensing – With four-way, security-grade native motion sensing, facilities get the highest level of unit security.
• Seamless Tenant Onboarding – With one-click automated onboarding at rental, you can provide your tenants with the utmost convenience.
• Emergency Override – This ensures reliability in critical situations.
• Automated Auction Processes and Unit Transfers – These allow for seamless facility management.

When you roll out smart-lock access at your facility, reliability is crucial, and a hardwired system makes that happen with no battery replacements needed—ever. This significantly reduces maintenance costs and ensures continuous operation.

Other traditional battery-powered locks on the market can require up to eight batteries per device, which means roughly 4,000 batteries to replace for a typical sized facility. With industry-leading smart lock solutions, you get a hardwired system that requires zero batteries to replace for the full lifetime of the product, which saves facility owners thousands in installation costs because it requires zero repeaters.

In addition, the design of the smart-lock solution is proven to provide a four-times stronger mesh signal than previous models, enhanced performance with 80 percent less network traffic and one-second average travel speed. As another bonus, there is no Wi-Fi required for tenant access via the mobile app, which allows these smart-lock solutions to function in airplane mode and maintain connectivity even in challenging environments.

Would it surprise you to learn that companies in the U.S. lose an estimated $75 billion annually from poor customer service? When renters leave, you not only lose their business but also potential business due to negative word-of-mouth. But with mechanisms in place to properly train your staff on the tools you offer, you can create a positive customer experience that leads to increases in customer retention, brand reputation, and profitability.

Industry-leading smart lock solutions offer 24/7 live technical support and white-glove onboarding, ensuring your team receives expert guidance from installation to everyday use. And with an app and web portal available in over 10 languages, you’re able to provide a solution for a global market.

While there are many advantages to low-voltage powered locks at certain construction types, retrofitting this solution can be time-consuming. That’s why it’s a good idea to opt for a smart-lock solution that gives you flexibility to have low voltage powered locks and wireless battery-powered locks on the same platform across your entire portfolio to meet any condition or construction type at your facilities.

Electronic and non-connected solutions typically offer only one type of locking mechanism; however, with industry-leading smart-lock solutions, you get both battery-powered and hardwired smart locks for greater flexibility based on your facility’s needs.

Delays are one of the biggest drains on operational efficiency, and some self-storage access control and electronic lock providers have extended wait times that average six to eight weeks. Others are out of stock on key system components like keypads, making it difficult to know when your order may arrive and virtually impossible to commission an entire smart-locking solution.

Owner-operators report that this is another benefit of working with an industry-leading smart lock solution with inventory on hand and ready to ship in North America, Europe, and Australasia.

One of the most compelling examples of this model in action is StoreEase Hoover, a 556-unit facility in Hoover, Ala., that opened in September 2022.

With the implementation of Nokē smart technology, StoreEase charges tenants a monthly technology fee of $5.99. This fee is transparently explained as covering the added convenience, security, and app-based access provided by smart locks.

At 94 percent occupancy (523 units), this generates over $37,000 in annual recurring revenue—revenue that would be difficult to justify without the value that virtual management and smart access deliver.

The total project cost to implement Nokē smart technology was $115,000. After subtracting the $85,000 saved on fencing and gate installation, the net project cost was just $30,000.

With annual labor savings of $52,000 and an additional $37,000-plus in revenue from tech fees, StoreEase Hoover achieved a payback period of just 12 months. Moreover, the overall property value increased by $1.51 million using a 6 percent cap rate, which is a massive long-term ROI.

Higher unit-level security and visibility can also mean big insurance and property protection savings. Facilities can save up to 25 percent on commercial insurance and can generate up to $15,000 to 20,000 in additional tenant insurance and protection plan revenue share annually because of the enhanced unit level security that industry leading smart locking solutions provide.

With so many ways to drive operational cost savings all while providing an enhanced customer experience, the cost of not seriously considering smart locking and smart entry technology far outweighs the upfront cost to deploy.