The short version
- Film the unit empty before anything goes in: floor, walls, ceiling, door seal, and any existing damp or damage.
- Film the contents as they go in, with anything valuable recorded individually and its serial number readable.
- Film the door closed and locked, with the unit number in shot.
- Check it periodically, especially after heavy rain or a hot spell, and film what you find.
- Film the unit empty again at move-out, so you are not charged for damage or clearance after you have gone.
The two records
People think of storage documentation as an inventory, and then find that the dispute is about the building rather than the boxes. A leak through a roof panel, condensation on a metal wall, a pest problem in the corridor — these produce claims where the question is whether the unit was sound when you took it and whether you contributed to the damage by how you packed.
So record both. The unit, empty, on day one. And the contents, as they go in.
The empty-unit check
Structure
- Ceiling and roof panel joints — water stains
- Walls, especially external ones, for condensation
- Floor: cracks, previous water marks, dust level
- Gaps at the base of partitions
Door and security
- Door runners, seal and latch
- Your padlock fitted and closed
- Unit number visible in the same shot
- Any facility CCTV covering your door
Environment
- Ventilation and any vents blocked
- Smell — musty air is worth recording out loud
- Evidence of pests: droppings, gnaw marks, bait boxes
- Temperature and humidity if the unit is climate controlled
Contents worth their own clip
- Furniture: existing marks, before wrapping
- Electronics: model and serial numbers
- Artwork, instruments, tools, bikes
- Boxes: labelled, with a written list per label
Packing that protects the claim
Insurers refuse storage claims on the basis of how goods were packed as often as on what happened to them. Filming as you pack demonstrates you took reasonable care, which is precisely the question that gets asked.
- Everything off the floor — pallets, battens or shelving. Film the gap.
- Nothing touching external walls. Leave an air gap and record it.
- Breathable covers, not sealed plastic, on upholstery and mattresses; sealed plastic traps moisture and grows mould.
- Label boxes and film the labels as they are stacked, so the inventory maps to the physical stack.
- Leave a walkway. You will need it for the periodic check, and the footage is useless if you cannot get to the back.
Checking it while it is in there
A unit visited once a year produces a claim nobody can date. A short clip on each visit — even just the door, the front stack and a pan of the ceiling — turns "at some point it got wet" into a window of weeks. Visit after the first heavy rain of the season, and after the first properly hot week.
Move-out
Film the unit empty and swept, with the unit number visible, before you hand the key back or cut the lock off. Facilities charge for damage, for rubbish left behind and for cleaning, and those charges arrive after you no longer have access. The clip takes thirty seconds.
Doing it with CompareAI Inspect
- A project per unit, with scans named for the unit, the stack and each high-value item.
- Empty unit as Before, move-out as After, matched automatically, so condition at handover and at hand-back are compared rather than remembered.
- Periodic visits sit in the same project, each dated, so a leak can be placed in time.
- The report is what the insurer gets: dated, itemised, with SHA-256 fingerprints verifiable at compareai.work/verify.
- No signal in a basement unit is fine — recordings queue on the device and upload when you are back outside.
Not legal advice. Storage contracts commonly limit the operator's liability and require you to insure the contents yourself, with strict notice periods for claims. Read your agreement and your policy — what follows helps you evidence a claim, but it cannot change what your contract covers.
Questions people ask
Doesn't the storage facility's insurance cover my things?
Usually not in the way people assume. Most storage agreements limit the operator's liability heavily and require you to insure the contents separately, either through their scheme or your own policy. That makes your own evidence the basis of any claim — the operator is not going to produce it for you.
How do I prove what was actually in the unit?
A contents clip filmed as the unit is loaded, with boxes labelled and the labels visible, plus individual shots of anything valuable with its serial number. A written list on its own is an assertion; a dated video of the goods going in is evidence. Keep purchase records for high-value items with the same file.
What about damp and mould — is that ever covered?
It depends entirely on the policy, and many exclude damp, mould or condensation unless it follows an insured event such as a roof leak. Your empty-unit clip matters here: it shows whether staining was already present, and your packing footage shows whether goods were raised off the floor and left breathing room.
Do I have to film every single box?
No. Film the stack as it builds, with labels legible, and give individual attention to anything expensive, fragile or hard to replace. The aim is a record that is credible and complete enough to support a number, not a museum catalogue.
How often should I check a long-term unit?
Quarterly is a reasonable rhythm, plus an extra visit after the first heavy rain and the first hot spell of the year. Film something each time, even briefly — the value is in being able to date when a problem started.
The facility says the damage was there before I moved in. Now what?
That is exactly the argument the empty-unit clip settles. If you do not have one, look for anything else contemporaneous: the move-in paperwork, a condition sheet, photos from the day, or the access log showing when you first entered. Going forward, film the unit before you put anything in it.