My experience with Public Storage has been deeply disappointing, financially draining, and…read moreemotionally exhausting. I originally rented my storage unit when the facility was owned by CubeSmart: a company that maintained fair rental prices and operated with transparency. Within six months, Public Storage acquired the location, and everything changed for the worse.
From the moment Public Storage took over, the rent increases became relentless. What began as a $140 monthly payment has ballooned over the years to a threatened $520 per month if I do not vacate by June 1st, 2026. These increases have occurred roughly every six months to a year, without meaningful justification or consideration for long-term customers. It is hard to interpret this pattern as anything other than predatory pricing designed to push tenants out once they are financially strained or emotionally invested.
My situation is not just financial, it is personal. I lost my father in 2020, and I moved his entire household of belongings into this unit during one of the hardest periods of my life. The emotional weight of sorting through a lifetime of memories made it difficult to move quickly, and Public Storage's aggressive rent hikes exploited that vulnerability. Instead of rewarding loyal, long-term customers, they appear to target them.
In an attempt to find relief, I even explored employment with Public Storage, hoping that being an employee might offer some stability or discount. What I discovered instead was a work environment that demanded unreasonable workloads from staff, particularly those facing financial hardship or limited employment options. The job expectations were excessive, and the culture felt exploitative. I left before completing training because the environment itself reflected the same predatory mindset I experienced as a customer.
During that interview process, I also learned something unsettling: more than 20 years ago, when I first rented from Public Storage in my early twenties, my lock was cut and all my childhood belongings were stolen. Nothing was recovered. That experience stayed with me, and I never intended to rent from Public Storage again. Unfortunately, their acquisition of CubeSmart forced me back into their system without my consent.
Public Storage operates like the "big-box store" of the storage industry sweeping in, rebranding facilities in their signature orange, and then implementing steep, recurring rent increases with little regard for the people depending on them. Their business model seems built on taking advantage of customers during vulnerable life transitions: deaths in the family, moves, divorces, financial hardship, or other major disruptions that lead people to seek storage in the first place.
After years of loyalty, thousands of dollars spent, and countless attempts to discuss my situation with staff, including the general manager, the response has consistently been dismissive. The message is essentially: "This is how we operate. Take it or leave it."
I am tired of being taken advantage of. I will never recommend Public Storage to anyone, and I will continue to caution others about their misleading, predatory practices. Storage companies should support customers, not exploit them -- especially when those customers are already navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
UPDATE: (as of 12pm on 5/28/26)
However, I am now after this review in current negotiations with my Property Manager who seems to want to treat me like a human being and not just an income stream. If this goes well, I'll be moving out in about a month as opposed to feeling like I need to organize a small group of movers to get me out by the end of the month. I do appreciate those employees who work for Public Storage having more understanding and grace than their corporate partners.
