(1 Star)
I am posting this review not only to document our experience, but also to raise community awareness so that other families can protect their belongings and avoid discovering a theft weeks later, as we did.
Our family rents two units at the Extra Space Storage location on West Road near Telge/Cypress in Houston. One unit is on the first floor and the other is on the second floor. Only the second-floor unit was burglarized, which raises serious concerns about the lack of security on the upper level.
Our son's second-floor unit lost a substantial amount of valuable property. Because so many items were taken and the second-floor security door lock is missing, we believe the unit may have been accessed multiple times.
We were informed that the suspects remained inside the facility for approximately seven hours. The entire incident was reportedly captured on surveillance cameras. According to information provided to us, the suspects arrived with a ladder, looked over several units, and moved from unit to unit before deciding which ones to target. We later learned that multiple units were broken into, not just ours. Law enforcement has reportedly identified one of the suspects, and a police report has been filed.
The most shocking part is that Extra Space Storage never notified us.
No phone call.
No email.
No text message.
We discovered the break-in nearly one month later only because we happened to visit the unit ourselves, even though management apparently knew about the incident and had video evidence.
During our discussions, manager Rudy Castro explained that individuals are allegedly creating fraudulent online accounts to obtain 24-hour access to the property, while legitimate customers are limited to access between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. He stated that this issue began approximately two months ago and described how unauthorized individuals can enter late at night and leave before the facility reopens.
Mr. Castro also acknowledged that the keypad controlling access to the second floor has reportedly not worked properly for approximately 18 months. This additional layer of security was functioning when we originally rented the unit.
When we repeatedly requested contact information for the District Manager, Corporate, Risk Management, and the Insurance Department, we were denied that information. Mr. Castro initially told us that the District Manager was "Nora." Later, a representative named Gina (or Gena) contacted us, gathered details, and promised to call us back the same day. We never heard from her again. When we returned to the facility, Mr. Castro stated that he did not know the District Manager's name and did not have Corporate contact information.
As a real estate professional, I referred numerous clients, friends, and family members to this location, including my own son. It is heartbreaking to see how little urgency, empathy, and accountability have been shown after such a significant loss.
We believe the public deserves to know when there are known security issues that may place customers' property at risk. If this review encourages even one family to check their unit and discover a problem before more items are lost, then sharing our experience will have served an important purpose.
Community Warning: If you rent a unit at this West Road location--especially on the second floor--please inspect your belongings immediately. Other customers may have been affected and may not be aware that their units were accessed.
The photo attached below includes case numbers for two additional break-ins provided to us by Mr. Castro. We have also filed our own police report.
Based on our experience, and because management appears to be aware of ongoing security vulnerabilities while failing to adequately notify customers or resolve the issues, I strongly advise prospective customers to consider other options. read more
