This business has deteriorated with the new owners. Wine storage rates have almost doubled ( lots of empty lockers) and even forbid you are late on a payment. They change the locks which is understandable but now on two occasions after being current for over a month I am still locked from accessing my wine. A huge waste of time in driving to the premises without getting access to the locker. Dont fall for the introductory pricing, they will adjust them quickly. Cant wait to move out. read more

Extremely disappointed in how this facility handled a major break-in -- and my claim. On May 29, I was notified that my storage unit had been broken into -- along with approximately 40 other units. I lost over $9,000 worth of personal belongings, including family heirlooms, collectible watches, vintage cameras, and more. They offered me a $750 check, which I clearly stated in writing was only being accepted as a partial payment, not a final settlement. Before I even rented the unit, I specifically asked the on-site manager whether this location had experienced any break-ins. A close friend of mine had been a victim of a similar incident at another storage company, and I wasn't going to risk that happening again. The manager assured me this facility had never experienced any thefts or break-ins. I trusted that -- but clearly, it was false reassurance. Worse, they later sent me a "release of claims" form with a signature that is not mine. My actual signature appears on a different document -- yet they are trying to claim I signed off on a full settlement, which I did not. I have email records and photo evidence showing I only agreed to partial payment. They continue to bill me for rent on a unit that was already ransacked and emptied. And when I asked for a legitimate insurance policy to file a real claim, I was told by the Illinois Department of Insurance that Lock Up's "protection plan" is not real insurance and falls outside their jurisdiction. This situation has been mishandled from start to finish, with false information, possible forged documentation, and a complete failure of accountability. I have filed formal complaints with the Illinois Attorney General and am preparing to take legal action in small claims court. Warning to others: Do not store anything valuable here. Ask for a written copy of any protection plan, and do not trust verbal assurances from staff. read more

We had wine storage and general storage here when it was Strongbox and stayed on after it was bought out by The Lock Up. The Lock Up has made several significant upgrades since they bought it a couple years ago: modern elevator in addition to the service elevator, a solid cement ramp to make the building fully accessible, and keycode entry so you can have access on evenings and weekends (it isn't 24/7 though). Although prices have increased because of their improvements they have not been significant enough to make us search for alternatives. Staff is friendly and auto-pay is easy to set up. read more

Easy to sign up. Lease completed online. They provided exactly what they offered, no switcheroo which I've had with other storage places. The first month of Half off the first 2 months was good to cover the admin fees and other junk fees companies charge now to get over on you. But the second month. at 1/2 off will be a good deal. Good security, temp control, wheaton facility is VERY clean. read more

6 months ago, September of 2022, I took out a 10/10 unit. Place was clean. Alex, the mgr., very friendly and helpful. Today, I get a 15% increase, $30 per month, after only 6 months of using the locker. WOW, talk about a real bait and switch. Just an awful way to do business. I would not go there. When I called their office, I was told, well your lease is month to month. Buyers beware. If I wasnt 1000 miles away, I would pull out. Dont be fooled, like I was. Stay away. read more

Climate control storage units available. Friendly and cooperative staff members. Secure facility. Hours of operation could be more flexible.

Great facility and one of the most reasonably priced. I've been using them for over five years. The former staff was very personable and kind and so is the new staff. They recently renovated and it is much cleaner and more modern. New elevator, new flatbeds, some new lockers and doors. They now have washrooms and a water fountain. Tammy helped me change lockers and save money since I didn't need all the space I had. She showed me several types and gave me a tour of the whole facility to show me the new features. She was very thorough and patient with me and really nice. I also love the new option to enter with an access code. Very helpful. read more

5 star service from Tammy. I had some health requirements and she was extremely understanding and accommodating which you really don't find everywhere and which I appreciated enormously. It really did mean a lot to me. They are right across street from me, so I will definitely be coming back again when I need storage. read more

I inquired at 3 other storage places and got nowhere before calling LockUp on Irving Park Road. These other places were either hard-selling space I didn't need or they did not show up for our scheduled appointment. Unbelievable! This was my first time renting a storage unit, and my wife and I were under tremendous stress dealing with a move on short notice. I eventually called my local LockUp. Tammy answered my call and I could not believe how helpful and straight-forward she was. It was the end of the day (Saturday) when I got there (5 minutes before closing) and Tammy cogently discussed my options, stayed late to show me a unit, read my mind in terms of what I needed, and agreed to "hold" it for me for a few days. I promptly came in a few days later to secure the space, and Tammy was most helpful, taking care of all the paper work, getting me the boxes I needed, and use of the moving van. I was floored by how smooth (and cost effective) things went. Moving is a huge hassle and Tammy made it much easier. For prompt, no-nonsense, and professional care, this is your place. THANKS, TAMMY!!! read more

I've used the Lock-up Self Storage for a few years as they were conveniently located across the street from us. They have been a great space addition for us. Their units come in the right sizes and the accessible hours are great. The facility is also super clean and has a very attentive staff. Happy to recommend them to anyone! read more

Pros: Clean, Air Conditioned, decent prices, Free Van to use, Ryan was very pleasant to work with, elevator. Cons: This is the whole reason I took off some stars. I would say... deceptive advertising at the least. I reserved a 8x8x6, which one would assume is a cube 8' by 8' by 6', what they don't tell you is that there is a depression in the back half which about 8'x2.5'x3', in effect using up 20% of the space (plus the walls are more like 7.5'x7.5'x6'). This was mentioned nowhere online. And when we looked at other units many of them had a giant pole in them eating up space. So my warning is, if you're booking space, take a look first, it might not be the size you expect. read more

I used this Lock Up Storage location for 6 months. Everything about it was easy. The reservation, the paperwork, the automatic payments. I never worried about it once. The prices and fair and even when the price of the storage unit went up they gave me fair warning in advance. The facility is spotless and accessible throughout reasonable hours. And it's feels like they're always playing The Eagles on the speakers which to me earns 5 stars on its own. Also it helped me take my mind off of that terrifying storage unit scene in "Velvet Buzzsaw" (Which if you haven't seen that it's amazing. It's on Netflix. And Jake Gyllenhaal's character is a lunatic.) The staff is incredibly welcoming and helpful. I would 100% become a returning customer if the occasion arose. So a big thank you to them! read more

The Lock-Up on Irving Park Road, convenient, easily accessible, I am so happy to have my things stored here! The place is immaculately clean, spacious and reasonable. The on-site manager Tammy is a delight to work with. She is friendly, open, and remembers your name and account! Tammy and her staff are gracious and even worked with me when I was late... It doesn't get any better to store your things! read more

Excellent facility. Tammy and Ariel have been so incredibly helpful to me with my storage needs for the past three years. Love the renovations to the place, especially the elevator and extended availability! Always clean and friendly. Bathrooms are nice, too! Reasonably priced and helpful. I was with this facility when ownership changed and I was nervous about that, but it's clear now that I had nothing to worry about. Everything you could want in a storage facility! Highly recommend! read more

The people reviewing this company are nuts! I've been there for several years, and the OLD company NEVER warned me that there was asbestos here. Now, the new owners have found out there is asbestos and they are CLEANING IT UP! Why would anyone want to keep things the same? Sure, you can follow Joanne and Umberto, but there is asbestos at THAT place too! (And I've been told that the company that bought that place IS NOT cleaning it up!). The problem is that its an old building that this company is trying to fix. LET THEM DO IT! read more

Worst experience I've ever had in the 20 years of buying storage units. They have no uniformity. I'm the largest auction buyer in the state of Illinois and own one of the largest thrift stores in Midwest and have purchased quite a few units from other lock up locations over the years! Never again. From start I knew there was going to be some sort of an issue. Lady behind the counter who called herself the manager just looked like she was an irritable person. So first I never saw a lock tag..just a lock which means they have full access to the the locker and can remove anything the feel like at any time. Secondly I had spent $3,000 on this unit and she tells me I can't put my lock on it with over 25,000 worth of stuff inside??? I'm sorry I don't trust anyone and especially the people behind the counters as I've heard horror stories about them going through peoples units prior to auction and or pulling the best item out and sticking it in front I order to get more money. I then asked to rent the lockers so I could put my lock on it and feel safe about the transaction. But she said auction buyers are not customers of the "lock up" and are not allowed to rent from them at that location. I said to the lady I had rented from other lock up areas and showed her all the other places I rented from and was allowed to put my lock on. Also might add that would make me a prior customer of theirs. "Well it's up to the manager". Absolutely nuts!!! Wouldn't take a months worth of rent for 1 day of rental. Just crazy they would rather leave the unit empty than to take a months worth of rent for a day or a week of use. If I was the owner I'd jump all over that! They don't give a damn about the people who basically works for them and clean out their abandoned units. When I was trying to go back and forth to move some stuff to my truck I had to ask that she open the glass doors each time so I could access my stuff. Then she just disappeared for 20 min and I had to waste my precious time waiting until she showed up in order to get more stuff and the locker was wide open so anybody could have walked by and swiped something. What about the buyers who buy multiple units per week for their stores who need to rent the units so they can clean out one at a time...thank god I didn't buy multiple "the lock up"units or I'd be screwed!! So back to the lock situation...told her I'd take photos of the stuff inside and if anything was removed I would open a claim with my credit card company. She then made a comment like I'm the "thief" and I was going to make up that an item was taken! I've since spoken to other business owners who buy storage unit contents for their stores and none have ever seen that before. One person said he would have stood there all night until he was allowed to put his lock on it. None of them will ever buy from "the lock up" after I told them about this. I contacted my corporate attorney who looks after my store and he's looking to see if this is legal but he did mention that with their lock on the unit I wouldn't be responsible if the original owner snuck into the place and stole his items back...which I've had happen before. read more

RUN...ASBESTOS! Terrible Management. Rude staff. NO COMMUNICATION. CHANGED locks without notice. No access for days/weeks. Entered all lockers. Threw out anything tested and contaminated. NO COMMUNICATION or mention of ASBESTOS. CALL THE ALDERMAN. Take action. Class Action Suit? Will there be Reimbursement? Looking for Joann and Humberto? They are at Northside Storage at 1516 N Orleans...they know customer service. And the sad piece...the company doesn't care about any of this. When we move out...others will move in and the cycle will continue. read more

I just love this place this is my third Storage unit with them they are just so helpful and friendly I just love Tammy she's nice and wonderful great smile I think the only reason I stayed is Because of her read more

I'm a longtime customer here for wine storage and was concerned when new ownership took it over a few years ago. But I recently had a tricky billing issue to contend with and, after I was told several times that it couldn't be resolved, Tammy, the new manager, found a clever work-around and put in the time to make it work. I just checked my account and sure enough she solved the problem. That's the kind of customer service that earns repeat business. Thanks, Tammy. read more

I had a great experience using the Lock Up Wrigleyville. Pricing was very reasonable, facilities were excellent, and the service from Tammy and Ariel was second to none. Whatever you need, they are happy to help with a smile. I highly recommend Lock Up Wrigleyville for your storage needs. read more

Second time using The Lock Up and it is always a great experience. Great location and facilities. The service was amazing and they were always willing to help. read more

Don't waste your time or money with these people... Really disappointing. I got a storage unit at this location back when it was an independently owned business so i had been a customer for years. Great value and people at the time. Yes it has a lot of stairs, but I was happy to deal with that based on interactions with staff at the time. Since it was taken over by the lock-up I've had nothing but rude interactions with management. Many silly policies have gone into place like not being able to roll the dolly carts to your car because they can't leave the interior of the building, not being able to put anything in the dumpster they have, etc... they gave the facility a nice paint job, improved the lighting, and added a code lock to the interior doors, but they also raised the prices substantially for what was mostly cosmetic work. Storage facilities aren't known for great customer service, but these guys are next level with their power trip rudeness. The entire time i dealt with the women at the front desk i was given attitude. There is no shortage of storage facilities in the city. Your money is better spent elsewhere. read more

I recently moved into my boyfriend's one-bedroom apartment and needed to put the majority of my large items in storage. From day one, Ariel was extremely helpful in deciding what size unit to rent, answering my numerous questions via phone, and showing me around the facility. I even changed my move-in date twice on them (due to the moving company) and both Ariel and Tammy were very accommodating! On the weekend of my move, they informed me that the main elevator was not working; however, the freight elevator was an option during office hours but one of them had to be there to operate it. Their office hours on Sundays (when I moved in) are 10am-2pm and my move was scheduled for 11am, so I knew we may be cutting it close. The movers did not show up until 12:35pm so we didn't get to the storage facility until 15 minutes before close. Tammy ended up operating the freight elevator for the movers, gave (welcome) instructions so that they were more efficient, and even stayed 20 minutes after close to continue allowing the movers to use the elevator. I can't imagine how much longer it would have taken to move everything down the stairs! Her help was very much appreciated. First impressions: It is clean, bright, and secure, and the staff is very helpful. I would definitely recommend this Lock Up location! read more

Another big rent increase.in less than a year? Quite incomprehensible. on all levels of appropriate customer service expectations and with an actual negligible modicum presentation level by on site management personnel. Cameras EVERYWHERE,. Curiosity to the EXTREME. It is due time for Enlightenment proposed to fellow citizens/,taxpayers;small and large customer business entities who require storage. read more

I recently rented a small storage room, which had a one month free promotion. I specifically picked this rental as it is climate controlled and made no mention of a ladder for access (unlike other options at other Lock Up locations). Upon arriving to access my rental storage room, I was informed that I was on a half level and would need to carry items up stairs. This was frustrating as this wasn't disclosed and I was already locked into the lease. Upon being shown my rental storage room, I saw that two huge support beams run through the room. Once again, this was not disclosed and this was frustrating. I made a comment to the receptionist who was assisting me and she mentioned that storage rooms with promotions often are given undesirable locations with support beams or other shortcomings. Even though the facility itself was clean, these somewhat questionable practices left a bad taste in my mouth and I would not recommend this facility. read more

I had a great experience! The place looks great after all the renovations. Love the staff.. gals are great and friendly. Fairly pricing. After 5 years as a client, I will continue doing business here. read more

I would highly recommend this storage facility. The ladies in the front desk were welcoming and knowledgeable. They made the process easy.

Its amazing to me that the old Strongbox wine storage had 5 star average and 75+ reviews. The new The Lock Up Self Storage has horrible customer service and a dangerous renovation including exposing customers and staff to toxic Asbestos dust. I was a loyal long term renter with Strongbox and now I'm moving out, along with many of my neighbors in the cellar. It takes a lot of time and effort to move an entire wine collection. You really have to work hard enough to tick off your customer- congratulations Lock Up Self Storage, you did it. I have seen incoming wine deliveries sitting out, unsecured, on a hot dock in the bright sunlight- not good. They are now boring a new shaft for a 24 hour elevator, without staff, for direct to the wine storage units. The vibration form the jackhammers was bone jarring and my wine is covered with toxic asbestos dust and funk from the ventilation system. This is very bad for anyone who loves their wine. read more

Dreadful business, terrible customer relations. Rumored asbestos removal, botched construction, shut down by the city. Closed for days, nobody able to access their storage units. This on top of a very poor transition to new ownership. Dirty during construction, elevator frequently broken, nasty workers on site. During perpetual construction the workers parked in the very small lot, forcing customers onto the street, a long way to haul goods out of storage. I could go on, you get the idea. read more

I have been a customer of this location for over 15 years. I don't live anywhere near this location but stayed because of all of the help the previous management always gave my business, I adored both Joanne and Umberto. They have been bought out by a large company and are under a major renovation, which is increasingly inconvenient. I have had 2 flat tires, due to nails in my tires. The parking lot, while small is usually taken up by the construction vehicles, due to all of the work, most of my contents of my unit are full of dust. I am lucky I am on the first floor and have not had to deal with the elevator issue that people on the 2nd floor deal with. F or the last 3 months, they have not had a bathroom, and a few times a month I spend more than 3 hours in my unit per day, unpacking and organizing my company items, this has been extremely inconvenient. I have to say the staff is very helpful and tries to accommodate all of the challenges of construction. If I were considering this location, I would wait till construction is done. read more

My husband and I were in Chicago -- We live out of town. We needed quotes on some storage lockers. size, availability and price . This place was not new to me as I had been there before in the past . Upon walking in and finding that Joann and Humberto no longer worked there was a severe disappointment. I did notice the name of the business changed but had no idea the employees did to. With this knowledge I still inquired about what I had come for . What a huge mistake. We wasted so much time waiting for an employee to give us service. When we finally got attention and it was a cold person with no smile . I felt like I was bothering them at this facility rather than being treated as a potential customer. They were more interested in selling me stuff I did not need. I only wanted quotes on lockers. They wasted half my morning I am sorry to say I will not be giving this facility my business. read more

I hope what happen to me will not happen to you. the problem started with an employee and her lack in customer service skills. she was more interested in making sales and rental above everything. and the thing to be careful and make sure you are clear with what the " FREE" use of the truck (because it is not free at all) and be careful with the double talk. also very important is to call every 2 minutes if you are going to be late. it will not matter if you got caught in traffic , then will keep your $250/deposit and will give you a hard time if you ask for it. I was totally clueless when it came time to return the truck the pick up of truck went well and felt comfortable and friendly with staff . BUT when if came time to return the truck things went wrong and i did not understand why the sudden change in behavior from the lock up storage place , why was i getting calls and i mean several calls per minutes and calls accusing me with not returning the truck and scary threatening calls with she was going to call police and report it stolen. this is when i lost it i had to stop everything and ask what is happening why suck bad language and behavior towards me. the answer was you have not return truck and you only had 2 hours to use it. I said in a very shocking voice " I did not know i only a few hours to use truce. NO one nor you informed me of you return what time or how long i can use truck. i had the WORST AND MOST EMBARRASSMENT EXPERIENCE ever. and i will NEVER recommend that location to any one .. read more

After renting at The Lock Up for just over a year, I have been notified of my second rate increase. My rate has increased now nearly 40% in almost a year. In fact, I could rent a new unit of the same size from The Lock Up at almost 30% less than my new rate. I called the company to and was told their policy is to increase rent 6 months after the lease starts and every 9 months thereafter. According to the company, this is disclosed under the standard lease provision regarding the landlord's right to increase the rent. I have rented several storage spaces in the past and have never had rent increased so frequently or so much. While I understand costs go up and rates change, this schedule and the amount of increase is shocking. And, the fact that the increases make the unit more expensive than units of the same size are being offered now is all the more crazy. It seems predatory. Unfortunately, once you're in, it will cost you more to change storage spaces, so I am stuck for the time being. But, I won't be renting from The Lock Up in the future. read more

Okay, let me start this review by saying the Property Manager, JoAnne, is great! She is so nice, helpful, and knowledgeable. This is in no way a reflection of her, or the convenience and quality of the facility (it's a pretty nice place). This is hopefully intended to be constructive criticism for the business when securing customers for their units. If you are reserving a storage unit over the phone or online READ THIS MESSAGE FIRST. They use a booking service that is NOT knowledgeable about the units. I reserved an 8x10 storage unit after describing in detail the items that I need to store (big bedroom furniture, tables, chairs, boxes, etc.) I went a day before I needed to move in to sign the paperwork, and found out that the unit was a crawl space that was a couple feet off the ground and only 5 feet high, with a small door to enter. You cannot physically get into the unit without crawling, and any big furniture will not fit. You can't move around or stand in the unit, it was literally a crawl space. The height dimensions of the unit were not disclosed to me over the phone. I even asked why the 8x10 unit was more expensive than a 5x7 unit he had quoted, and he said he just assumed it was because of availability or a special going on. Obviously the unit was not suitable for my needs. JoAnne was able to show me a unit that would have worked for me, but the price was much higher than I was anticipating and not very competitive to other storage units in the area. However, at this point I was rushed to find a new unit since the movers were already scheduled and I thought everything was in order. So instead of giving me the correct unit I needed for the price I agreed to, I was only offered the unit for the increase in price. So, I had to go somewhere else last minute and didn't get the chance to shop around, and thankfully was able to find something else last minute. She mentioned that this happens "all the time" and the booking reps make these mistakes, which of course begs the questions why it continues to happen? This is a huge problem, and if I hadn't come early to check it out, it could have completely ruined someone's moving schedule. And furthermore, I think the company should have made attempts to rectify the error, but instead they were only willing to charge me more money for their mistake. It's a shame, the unit was perfectly located and very nice. And again, JoAnne is a gem. But the company needs to seriously consider their booking practices, because this could have really caused problems. read more

"I am so sorry to hear that your storage experience did not meet your expectations. At The Lock Up Self Storage we strive for our team to pride the highest level of customer service for all of our tenants..." UhHUH. The new management doesn't reply to emails. I have been unable to access my storage unit for over a month now...first it was a closed parking lot and no elevators (my storage is on 3) for a couple of weeks, then it was no access to the building AT ALL (unplanned asbestos removal), and no indication to date when I will be able to do so. No idea whether my stored property has been contaminated and no information is forthcoming regarding that issue despite the fact that they require your own insurance or they automatically apply an additional fee for their own insurance, however the FULL bills for unusable/inaccessible storage continue to be right on time, as are automated withdrawals. And they PRIDE themselves on this level of customer service? Missing the old company (Strongbox), this never would have happened under them. read more

This place has gone downhill since new ownership specifically from a wine perspective. Employees don't really have a perspective on customer service. Very different from what was previously Strongbox Wine Storage where the employees knew your name... even what wines you preferred (regions, producer, varietal). I went to pick up my largest and most expensive wine shipment/purchase of the year and realized they had never brought it down to the temperature controlled holding area from the day before. It was left in the main delivery holding area/cage along with other random items including 2 quarts of motor oil?!? The employee told me it was a courtesy to bring down the wine. Really? Do they leave the wine in the main holding area overnight when it's 80-90 degrees outside? It seems as if the leadership team and its employees view the wine storage business as an extension of regular storage not to the specific needs of wine enthusiasts. I'm looking elsewhere to take my business. read more

Ever since they changed ownership from Strongbox to Lock Up, it has been nothing but terrible customer service and inconvenience. First, because of the construction that they chose to do, I was forced to move units and they were entirely unhelpful in that process. Second, they force you to pay $10 a month in phantom "insurance" unless you can provide proof of property insurance that includes offsite coverage, which I was able to provide after several months of wasting $10 per month. Third, they have made an absolute mess during construction and there is now drywall dust all over our stuff. Fourth, they have been closed for several weeks due to some unidentified issue during this massive construction project and they can't tell us when they will reopen. They never notified us they were closed and I only found out because I called them about having movers come take our stuff out of the unit only to learn we couldn't do that. Their answer was "Sorry, out of luck - nothing we can do about it". If I had to identify one thing that has been most frustrating about them since day one, it is this attitude that nothing is ever their fault and they never take responsibility for anything. Staff has been rude and unhelpful at various times and no one ever has any helpful answers. Avoid this location at all costs. read more