HOUSTON – More residents in Houston are reaching out to KPRC 2, reporting break-ins at their storage units. This follows a recent report about a Houston woman who claimed she lost over $30,000 worth of belongings.
Deliah Brown, who rented a unit at the U-Haul facility on Westpark near Renwick, shared her experience. She had just recovered from surgery and returned to find a new lock on her unit.
“I had been out for surgery for about three or four months,” Brown said. “And when I got back on my feet again and visited the unit, they had put another lock on it.”
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When the lock was cut off, Brown discovered her belongings were missing.
“My Bose box speakers were gone. My stereo was gone. My 52-inch TV was gone, they also took some sentimental items from me, from both of my parents,” she said. “They probably threw them away cuz they meant nothing to them, but everything to me.”
Brown suspects the theft was not random.
“It’s like Fort Knox in there with a big lock on the door,” she said. “I know for a fact it was an inside job. They would’ve had to use a dump truck to break the doors to where those other units were located.”
KPRC 2 contacted U-Haul for comment. A spokesperson said:
“We sympathize with any customer who is a victim of theft. Our records indicate the alleged theft reported by this customer occurred on or about March 5. The customer was instructed by store personnel to file a police report. You will want to contact the police regarding an update to any investigation they are conducting.
Law enforcement has access to our video surveillance upon request. We do not make surveillance available to the media or public. However, our local management team noted that a review of facility’s video did not show the theft or identify a culprit. There is no camera directed at this customer’s storage unit. This is a gated facility, and most of our cameras are directed at facility entrances and exits.
All storage customers are strongly encouraged to carry SafeStor® protection available through U-Haul® to guard against loss or damage to their possessions, including theft. This can be purchased at the time of a storage unit rental. Our records indicate the customer in question declined insurance coverage.”
Houston City Council member Sallie Alcorn also reported a storage unit theft at Public Storage on Westheimer near Timmons.
The theft happened on May 1, affecting one of five units her household was using during a home renovation.
“We had our entire house stored in five units,” Alcorn said. “Only one was burglarized, but it was filled with our living room and dining room belongings.”
Alcorn estimated her stolen items were worth about $20,000.
“They took basically all my silver, all my great-grandmother’s tea service, my wedding china—everything I had on my living room bookshelves," she said.
Despite using multiple locks, including three in addition to the facility’s lock, all were cut.
She reviewed surveillance footage from the storage facility, which did not cover the hallway where her unit was located. However, she was shown video of suspects using a cart, placing a chair on top to conceal items, and scouting units by peering over walls that do not extend to the ceiling.
“A lot of the things were very sentimental. I spent all of Mother’s Day weekend crying, going through what was left,” Alcorn said.
Both women have filed police reports with the Houston Police Department and are calling for stronger consumer protections.
“Consumers should be aware—when you store your belongings and things that you love in one of these places, it could be a bad situation," Alcorn said.
KPRC 2 reached out to Public Storage but did not receive a response.
Crimestoppers Houston said storage unit thefts are crimes of opportunity because property owners are usually not present at the facilities.
What can you do to protect yourself?
The Texas Department of Insurance recommends adding extra coverage for expensive items on your insurance policy.
Experts also advise using cylinder locks, which are the most secure because they do not stick out of the unit and are difficult to cut.
