SmartStop Self-Storage REIT has secured its first contract to manage a Canadian self-storage property for an independent owner.

The agreement covers an approximately 80,910-square-foot facility at 70 Melvin Robson Rd. in Aurora, Ont. The property contains 829 storage units. Its owner was not disclosed.

SmartStop already owns or manages a substantial portfolio of Canadian properties, but those operations have historically involved facilities owned by SmartStop or its affiliates. The Aurora agreement marks the first time its Canadian platform will manage a property for an unrelated third-party owner.

“This agreement represents something we never take for granted: owners trusting us to maximize their investment,” said H. Michael Schwartz, SmartStop’s chair and chief executive.

The company said its management platform provides revenue management, marketing, proprietary technology and property operations services.

SmartStop and its affiliates own or manage 52 self-storage properties across four Canadian provinces, totalling approximately 46,000 units and 4.6 million rentable square feet. Its broader North American portfolio comprises 460 operating properties and more than 275,000 units.

Pictured: Rendering of the SmartStop-managed self-storage facility at 70 Melvin Robson Rd. in Aurora, Ont.

Photo: SmartShop