Gary Rozanski says his unit at Shurgard in Hickman Avenue was broken into by thieves cracking open ceiling tiles, reports Marco Marcelline
An entrepreneur has accused a Highams Park self-storage company of “systemic and ongoing security failures” after discovering his unit had been broken into.
Gary Rozanski had used Shurgard’s Hickman Avenue facility from November 2023 until August this year. He previously ran a business selling imported toys such as Labubu dolls.
Having upgraded to a 30sq ft unit in March 2025, he returned on 13th August to find a ceiling tile cracked in half and several possessions missing, including an Xbox, a Sonos speaker, and two GoPro cameras. Meanwhile, expensive coats from other units had been placed in his one.
He says there was no evidence of tampering with the lock or door to his unit.
Speaking to the Echo, Gary said: “What thieves are doing there is hopping from one unit to the next by cracking open ceiling tiles and breaking into units that way. I never saw any damage to my door or evidence that anyone had broken in through the door.”
While Gary was able to claim back the losses through insurance claims, he accused Shurgard of “negligence” and presiding over “systemic and ongoing security failures” at the Hickman Avenue site.
In email correspondence between Gary and Shurgard seen by the Echo, the entrepreneur tells the storage company: “I do not know when my unit was accessed between March 2025 and August 2025. Given your policy of retaining CCTV for only three weeks, this renders police investigations redundant.
“More seriously, it means many customers may have had their units accessed but will not know until months or even years later if at all.
“Insurance is not an answer to negligence… While contents protection may cover some losses, it does not absolve Shurgard of its duty of care.”
In response, Shurgard stated it took theft “very seriously” but said staff had been unable to alert Gary and others affected by break-ins because “there was no visible damage to doors, locks, or the building structure”.
Other customers appear to have had their units broken into. In a Google review, a customer called Asif Syed claimed his unit had been broken into by thieves “twice”.
Asif wrote: “Their CCTV cameras are too old and useless; [they] can’t recognise a number plate or [a] person’s face and inside the building there is no camera or security alarm system. Police came to investigate the matter but Shurguard staff failed to provide any evidence to them so they closed the case.
“Thieves already have their units inside the building. Most of the time they stay in the car park and keep an eye on people and their stuff. They watch your routines and stock.”
The Echo understands that Shurgard has recently strengthened its security measures via remote monitoring of CCTV and access reports after office closure, and has adjusted access hours to 7am to 9pm instead of 6am to 11pm.
Gary, who is demanding his rent be refunded, says he is now exploring legal action.
Shurgard did not respond to requests for comment.
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