By city standards, the 800-square-foot apartment I share with my partner has a decent amount of built-in storage space. Yet even after reading resources on organizing the closets and decluttering the home in general—and watching a few home-organizing shows—we’ve come to a frustrating conclusion: We might have to rent a storage unit.

More often than not, professional organizers say you shouldn’t rent one. Frequently, people intend to use a storage unit for short-term support, but then forget about it, according to Betsy Fein, owner of Clutterbusters!!, near Washington, D.C. “Then they hire us five years later, trying to figure out what’s in their storage unit,” she adds. Betsy says that one acceptable reason to rent a unit would be if you’re downsizing your home, in order to give yourself more time or space to catalog everything.

Professional organizer Kate Bosch’s husband is an artist and uses an off-site storage unit for his artwork. “His studio is just not big enough to store all of that,” Kate explains. “So there’s sometimes a reason to use a storage unit off-site for specific collections.”

My partner and I think we have a pretty good excuse: After all our decluttering, we’re left trying to find somewhere to stuff a mountain of snowboarding and kayaking gear, plus all our holiday ornaments. Storing seasonal equipment and decor when living in an apartment may be another rational reason to rent a unit, concurred some of the experts with whom we spoke. But keeping in mind that experts advise against having a storage unit in most circumstances, here’s what they say to think about when renting one.

Climate control and environmental factors

The ground floor unit rented by Kate’s family is raised four feet off the ground. That boost helps limit the risk of flooding or water damage—rather critical considerations for valuable or unique goods like artwork. Asking for a unit on a higher floor, or one with a raised foundation, may make sense depending on how prone the area is to such weather conditions.

Neat Nerd Solutions founder and owner Carolyn Rogers explains how some storage units are not temperature-controlled, so the rental price may vary if the unit includes such technology. She adds, “There are some things that aren’t going to withstand being stored without air-conditioning or being stored in an outdoor unit.”

Kate notes that humidity and temperature control may not both be offered by a storage company, so be sure to ask what’s available. “If you really want to monitor it, you could put a smart thermometer in your unit to send you updates, so you can always see what the condition is,” she suggests. Smart water detectors are also commercially available to monitor flooding conditions.

Carolyn also mentions that perishables, chemicals, and paints shouldn’t be stored in units because of environmental sensitivity. Prolonged moisture exposure can also damage wood furniture, paperwork, and photos.

Think about security

Our apartment building offers basement-level storage units for rent, but they use chain-link fencing to divide up the space. Anyone can walk by a unit and see what’s inside, and that’s a security problem, as visibility of interesting or valuable goods can encourage theft. But even if a unit can’t easily be peered into, it’s smart to keep security in mind. Make sure everything is covered or boxed, especially if it has obvious financial value.

Ask the rental office about their digital surveillance in and around the building, as well as in hallways. But if you’re still concerned, consider installing cameras within your unit. Betsy suggests something as simple as a nanny cam that you can “check on from time to time or even record.”

If the items in question are quite valuable, Betsy recommends considering another solution with which you feel more comfortable. Additionally, if the items are insured, double-check with your insurance provider about what their storage stipulations are.

Maximizing the square footage

If you want bang for your buck, it might be tempting to squeeze as many things into the unit as possible. But not making paths throughout the unit means you’ll be stuck moving a ton of boxes in order to reach the Christmas lights in the back. Ditto for labeling. If you don’t label the contents of every box and carton, you’ll find yourself digging through boxes of “kitchen stuff” when looking for your fancy fall coffee mugs.

Adding shelving units is a great way to help maintain those pathways, keep similar items together, and prevent boxes from crushing one another. But there’s no need to glamorize the space; as long as it’s sturdy, any mismatched secondhand shelving units will suffice. You can also sustainably shop on local resale websites or on Facebook Marketplace.

“I would say things don’t have to be Pinterest-pretty as long as you can find what you’re looking for, both in terms of size and stability,” Carolyn says.

Value versus sentimentality

When speaking with clients about storage units, Carolyn generally recommends taking a hard look at each item and determining whether you’re spending more to store an item than it’s actually worth. According to her, most people want to keep favorite furniture items that can’t fit into their home—like the inherited couch or vintage table—without a plan for incorporating the object. But as Carolyn points out, if the item isn’t actually valuable or useful, “you’re going to pay $100 a month for a storage unit for a $500 couch.”