Just rented a 5' X 10' locker at CubeSmart Storage on Western Avenue a little over a week ago.
The location is perfect for us and even though I was told the locker I rented was really far from the elevator, it wasn't bad at all. Getting the administrative paper work taken care of, paying for the insurance, admin fee, and $1 for the first month was all done in less than 10 minutes. Then one of the girls on staff that afternoon gave my wife and I a quick tour of the facility...lots of twists and turns, but somehow I didn't get lost once. Employees were quick and friendly and answered any questions we had and made themselves available to make sure we didn't have any questions or get lost while we unloaded the UHaul truck and that my door code worked so I didn't get locked out.
The locker I rented is climate and humidity controlled all year which is a big plus for winter or hot summer day pickups or drops offs and to keep our wood furniture from warping and my bowling balls from cracking...which I will explain in detail below because I found it interesting. It will also be great to store seasonal sports equipment like bowling balls, golf clubs, hunting and fishing equipment (I wouldn't leave any firearms there and I don't know if that is even legal), and I will be moving all of our camping gear which I have been driving around with in my trunk just to keep it consolidated, otherwise I end up buying new tents or gear every spring/summer after we unload some stuff into the basement, some stuff ends up upstairs, and some stuff ends up in the garage, and some items simply vanish into thin air with no explanation after every trip...almost every time.
Also, I don't know how many of my over $250 bowling balls I have found cracked completely in half down to the core, after storing them in the basement, after using them for one season or maybe two. After the 3rd one I found cracked all the way around and split about a half inch open to where you could see the core of the ball, I had to google it. When you store newer bowling balls with cores and filler made of different materials than the reactive/porous cover stock on the ball, and temps and humidity fluctuates rapidly as the seasons change, the core material and the cover stock of the ball expand and contract at different rates...and SPLIT/CRACK!!!...$250 flushed down the toilet.
The price wasn't bad when all was said and done, and having a locker will give me some peace of mind that my furniture and other items that I need to store somewhere, or items that I can pick up and drop off there after a weekend of use, will really help us to get a lot of things organized and consolidated. We just don't have storage space for everything at our house, and we do plan on moving in the next year so we can slowly consolidate our items that we want to keep into the storage facility over time, throw away what we don't need, and then when we find the perfect place and our situation is settled and it is time to move, most of our items will already be boxed up and ready to load into a truck.
The facility was very clean and neat, very silent since there aren't a lot of people there other than the few people at the front desk, and the few people popping in and out to move an item or two. This was a little creepy at first with the motion activated lights that make that slight humming noise going on and off as I walked through the twists and turns of the hallways to and from my locker. I got over it quick enough, I've seen too many horror movies, and I always have a personal protection device if I got into any trouble, but there are cameras everywhere and the people at the counter can monitor who is coming and going at all times.
The only reason I gave 4 out of 5 stars is that there are only three parking spots you can back into to unload by the elevator, and this area is not indoor and barely covered. If I did have to load and unload a truck in the middle of winter, or a snow or rain storm, I would not be a happy camper.
Also, there is only one bathroom in the whole facility located up front. I was told that people are shaving in there and washing themselves with paper towels and soap since there is no shower, and leaving big disgusting messes in the washroom. This leads me to believe there must be people trying to live in some of the sheds or just using their shed as a place to crash, which is sad and I hope to never find myself in that position, but I can understand why people with nowhere else to turn would do that...it is safer and warmer than sleeping outside under a bridge. But this is worrisome for me since I don't know their state of mind or mental wellbeing if myself or my wife might run into one of these people in the hallway, I would hope there wouldn't be any problem.
Overall, very hassle free move in, very friendly and helpful staff, great location and very reasonably priced. Just a little creepy, if your not used to being a mouse in a maze. read more