RATS!!! So many rats. I opened my unit to find LIVE RATS running around on my art, clothing and…read moreother special and irreplaceable items. The rats jumped up and then ran to hide inside my unit, when we disturbed them. The person who does maintenance was told by the front desk employee that he couldn't help move or touch anything in the unit, because of company policy and liability. The maintenance person said he would help, yet he wasn't permitted to do so.
They allow rats to touch all of your things, but humans can't touch your items? Rats have free reign to spread disease across all of your valuables. And you should know that after this occurs, nobody at the facility will help you, or hire people to help you. You are literally on your own. When we started moving the bags inside the unit, the rats jumped out at us - inches from our faces - and ran through spaces into other units. It was a scene from nightmares.
THE STORAGE UNIT INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER ANY LOSS!!! Even if you were paying for insurance - which I was - they will only offer a refund of 3 months of your storage unit fees. So don't anticipate that having insurance will help you in any way. The company will tell you that rat infestations are not covered. YOU WILL GET ZERO DOLLARS BACK, EVEN IF YOUR LOSSES ARE IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS.
Nearly everything had to be thrown out. Rats urinated all over everything. Rat poop in every bag. They destroyed things that were in zipped bags that seemed protected. They ate through supposed vermin-proof thick plastic and fabric, and then chewed up sweaters, hats, scarves, shoes etc. Had to throw out things with wood, any art. It smelled so bad that we put on KN95 masks. The person in the same row as me, 4 units away, on the opposite side of my aisle, was there crying because he also found rats in his unit. Everything in his unit was ruined too.
The employees showed no shock or disgust. Admitted they have a rat problem, and it's well known to them. Said they've been trying for a long time to stop the infestation. I'm sure they've been through this so many times that they've become unfazed by the horror of their customers. It can't be fun for them to go through this repeatedly. It's unfair that they bear the brunt of blame, when it's the owners and management who are responsible.
I have many videos and photos of evidence. Yelp doesn't seem to allow the more graphic pics to be posted. But these pics may be helpful to me, if I decide to pursue a lawsuit. This was not a hurricane or natural disaster. This was a conscious decision to knowingly allow a rat infestation to ruin the belongings of their customers, while simultaneously taking money from them each month, knowing the damage that was being caused in their units.
Then I found out from a friend of a friend who used to rent at this facility, that they left because of rats. LAST YEAR! When I had called their main number to ask about relocating to a new facility, I asked the operator if they had gotten complaints about rats at my facility. They told me that they've been with the company for many years, and they hadn't seen any rat complaints. What a terrible experience, in every possible way.
When I moved into the unit, they said they had regular exterminators, kept the property super clean, never had problems, and it was even climate controlled. They lure you in by showing you how easy it is to access your storage. You won't have to take an elevator when lugging stuff! Use a cart and roll on through! Seemed too good to be true. Because it WAS too good to be true.
The stench of rat urine is potent, and you can smell it when you walk through the first floor. I thought it was a bad musty smell that was particular to this warehouse. I smelled it 7 months ago when I last visited my unit. But this time, the smell had grown much worse. And that horrible odor is the smell of rats. We all recognized the scent as soon as we started smelling the ruined items that were soaked and crusted in rat urine. I tried to bring home bags of clothes that appeared to be alright, and thought I could try washing them several times. But as soon as I started going through them, the smell was so sickening, and there was so much rat poop, that it all had to be trashed.
This is a major safety hazard and this place should be investigated immediately - before people become ill. It's well known that rats transmit disease and nobody should be coming into contact with rat urine and feces. This environment can have a very negative impact on health. Hard to believe they have kids, immunocompromised, and older adults walking around in there. They are putting the health of their customers in jeopardy, and taking their money while doing so. Where is the NYC health dept? I moved to a totally different storage facility in a new location.