AI Overview: What It Is And How It Applies To self-storage

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is firmly established and actively being used in many business settings, as well as by individuals, in 2025. However, when you work in an industry that relies less on digital projects and computers and more on physical facilities and interactions – like the self-storage sector – you might wonder if there’s actually a place for AI.

In this blog, we look at what AI is, as well as exploring the potential uses AI could have when it comes to self-storage.

What is AI?

AI is a machine learning model that aims to mimic human thinking and logic. It’s able to compute and solve problems at speed, and can store and sort much larger datasets than humans are capable of holding in their head. It can learn patterns and cross-reference information from these datasets, creating tailored solutions. It’s important to note that AI isn’t capable of original thought – it simply learns and uses the data it’s programmed with.

Outside of self-storage, you might be used to AI in your daily life – personalised recommendations on your TV, website chatbots and suggested recommendations for replies on your email account are all examples of AI technology in use. 

Potential uses

Customer support

While traditional business hours do remain, an increasing number of customers expect to be able to get the answers they need no matter what time of day it is. Of course, you can ensure that you have a section for frequently asked questions on your website – but what about individual transactions? Can customers find out the live availability of your storage solutions, get tailored prices and book their space? 

AI can help with all of these routine tasks. Not only does this ensure convenience for the customer, but it also frees up customer service agents to deal with more complex queries. Of course, you may prefer to take a hybrid approach and simply direct website chat queries to a human during opening hours, and then switch to AI after you close for the day.

Facility design

When you’re opening a new self-storage complex, or perhaps redesigning an existing one, you’ll want to be sure that you’re making the most of the space that you’ve got available, to ensure the maximum number of units. It can also help to know what your most common hires are, so that you can ensure you’re meeting the needs of your customers.

AI can help gather data from your bookings system and use this data to aid decision making, determining which are the most popular types of self-storage units. It can also take a floorplan and suggest a potential layout, incorporating spaces such as staff break rooms or reception areas – you’ll just need to feed it that information so it knows to include it.

Security

Round-the-clock security is an essential part of running a successful self-storage facility. Your customers will want to know that their belongings are safe – whether they’re moving house or spending time abroad, they’re relying on you to keep their things secure. 

AI can help by supporting more complex safety measures, including facial recognition, keycard swipe monitoring and video surveillance, with built-in alert systems. This can be used in conjunction with human security guards, reducing errors and providing a wider range of security measures.

Maintenance

One of the key tasks that comes with running a physical facility is maintaining it. Changing lightbulbs, keeping everything clean, restocking supplies, fixing leaks and even just making sure the locks work are all routine maintenance tasks that need to be completed. Then, of course, there’s the bigger tasks that only need to be tackled every so often, such as cleaning out empty units or checking the electrics. 

AI can help you keep track of these tasks, creating a to-do list and alerting you when they need to be actioned. Additionally, it can work with your facility systems to create alerts when something isn’t running correctly – for example, when a room is using more energy than it should, which can indicate a problem. This allows you to have eyes and ears across the whole building, without having to complete daily manual checks. By getting notified as soon as an issue occurs, you can also avoid it turning into something worse.