A new automated self-storage facility opened in Vestal, N.Y., this month, offering a contact-free rental experience. Vestal Storage at 3201 Stewart Road allows customers to rent, pay for and move into their units using their mobile phone. Though their services promote social distancing and safety during the coronavirus pandemic, the owners of the 175-unit property planned to offer a completely automated rental process before the health crisis hit, according to the source.

The facility’s smart-entry features allow tenants to share access to their units via a virtual key, which can be revoked at any time. An activity log tracks all unit entry, according to the Vestal website.

“You don’t have to come into an office; you don’t have to sign a [physical] lease; you don’t have to touch doors; you don’t have to touch a keypad; you don’t have to touch anything except for the door to your unit,” co-owner Peter Walsh, told the source.

Units are also equipped with motion and heat sensors, and tenants can receive text notifications to alert them of any issues. “For us, it’s a sense of security to make sure no one’s living in the units, and for customers to make sure there’s no animals or anyone breaking in the units,” Walsh said.

Walsh believes Vestal Storage is the first fully automated self-storage facility in the region. Depending on how lease-up progresses through the summer, the company intends to add another 25,000 rentable square feet. The facility also offers outdoor vehicle storage.

The family-owned business also serves the New York communities of Binghamton, Endicott, Endwell and Johnson City.

Sources:
WICZ, Vestal Business Allows Contact-Free Storage Amid Pandemic
Vestal Storage, Website