California Mini-Storage

I can finally spread the word on this place now that I’ve pulled up all stakes on Spendy Francisco and ain’t coming back no more no never unless I’m on a bus layover :)
If you need a smaller storage unit in the city this is the first place to look, not just for the most reasonable price but for excellent terms (and I did a whole lotta research). They have larger units too, of course, and 24h units for contractors in a separate lot, but I haven’t tried those personally.
I first rented from this place from 2007 – 2009. At the time it was $ 29/​mo for one of the small units. Just before I moved out they sent a very apologetic letter out saying they had to raise the rent to $ 35. (Didn’t leave because of the rent increase, just a coincidence in timing)
So flash forward to 2013, I come back to get the same kind of unit … and it’s still $ 35! They only just recently in the last couple of months raised it to $ 44. (Again, just coincidence in timing that I left just after the rent raise, wasn’t because of it).
Don’t be trepidacious about having your stuff in a converted shipping container, in the cumulative 4+ years I rented here I never once noticed a drop of moisture infiltrate the unit, not even in this year’s El Neener poundings.
The move-​out policy is so customer friendly it literally shocked me the first time I heard about it. You can move out with no prior notice whatsoever, and not only that, they’ll refund you on a pro-​rated basis for whatever time is left in the current month! I’m pretty sure this is the only storage place in the universe that does this.
The only minor downside is that the gate hours are pretty limited as compared to the biggie chains like Extra Space and Public Storage. 7 – 7 M-​F is a little shorter than the 6−9÷10 standard at those places, but not bad. The weekends are real rough though, only open 10 – 5 Saturday and 12 – 5 on Sunday. And they completely shut down for the major holidays as well.
If you can work around the limited gate, however, it doesn’t get any better in the storage game than this place.

This was the best experience my wife and I could have asked for in a self storage facility… highly recommended for two important reasons:
1). Quite possibly the friendliest, most helpful staff and service. It was really easy to reserve a unit over the phone with friendly staff. The paperwork took 10 minutes and the yard manager showed us to our unit and installed the security lock (see below). When leaving the facility to move to the east coast, we ran into a mobile storage unit permitting and placement headache. After emailing the staff regarding the problems, we received a call from the owner personally the next morning who empathized with the permit process and just how not enjoyable moving is… and allowed our small «pod» to go inside the storage facility next to our unit. Finally, the process to leave our storage unit took about 10 minutes as well; which included pro-​rating our monthly payment for refund immediately saving us over $ 100 that could have been lost due to it being early in the month. Oh, one other great thing is they allow you to cancel your agreement with 24 hours notice with zero percent hassle.
2). The facility is very, very secure. They have these special locking mechanisms on each unit that prevent any of your lock from being exposed. Every unit has their own unique password to enter the gate of the storage yard. You do have to time your visits to your unit during their open hours, but that’s because the place locks down completely after hours and has security/​cameras/​infrared beams to prevent anyone from creeping around. In a city known for break ins and considering the facility is in a sort of no mans land by 280, this extra level of security and peace of mind was extremely welcome. The staff said they hadn’t had someone attempt a break-​in to a unit for like a decade… amazing.

Very unprofessional. They lied to me on the phone, said there was a unit available and then when I came in I was told that unit was not available and hadn’t been available. And basically accused ME of lying when I said someone told me the unit was available. Why would I waste an hour driving across town for a unit that wasn’t available? So why did they say it was? To try to upsell me to something else? Nope, not even for a sales reason — just incompetence. Don’t waste your time.

Just cashed my refund check for the last month’s rent after moving out. Yes, they actually mailed me a check, WITHOUT me having to ask or call them on the phone ten times. These guys just really treat their customers fairly and ethically.
AT&T needs to cut itself a big slice of that — even after an hour one the phone they still insisted on charging me for my entire last month, even though the SIM car was deactivated three days into the billing cycle! But I digress.
After 5 months of living in San Francisco, you’d think I’d miss the Presidio, the Golden Gate Park, North Beach, or Dolores. And maybe I do, a little bit. But even more than that I miss California Mini Storage, because they got my back when I needed it.
I just had a bit too much stuff for a tiny SF apartment, so I needed to put it somewhere safe. After spending an hour reading reviews on Unilocal about all the shady tricks those «other guys» are pulling on unsuspecting people in my position, I decided to give these guys a try based on the other reviews. And I was not disappointed. In fact, I was delighted. They do exactly what they promise, when they promise, there are no billing issues, no problems, nothing. Just safe storage, low rates, and friendly service.
Thanks, California Mini Storage!

Great spot. Affordable and convenient for city dwellers! It somehow feels like a scene out of a scary movie when I’m there — since the storage units are converted shipping containers. However, I’m more thinking… Why didn’t I think of this?!
Love the price and location but disapprove of the hours. I wish there was a way to access my unit after hours just in case. I would pay a once time premium for that.
Also, storage units are much smaller than you expect them to be. If you’re wondering what size you need… Round up!

As others have already said, this is a well-​run business with very reasonable rates and super nice and helpful management and staff. Our stuff wasn’t with them for long, but the experience was a good one.
About the comment here from someone a while ago that their antique was damaged by rainwater leaks into the unit: I didn’t read that comment till after we moved our stuff out, but before deciding to rent, I had concerns about possible leaks (since anything with a roof CAN leak). Management was very open in the discussion, and I inspected the unit for water stains inside and saw none, which was a good sign. We were given a large, lightweight plastic sheet to cover any items of concern.
There were a couple of heavy rains while our stuff was there, and NO leaks at all. If you have precious items, you might consider getting extra insurance, and/​or using a place that has multiple floors so you are not on the ‘ground floor’ as with Calif MiniStorage, or adding additional plastic covers. But I wouldn’t blame the owner — even Noah had to deal with heavy rains.
Thank you, California Mini-​Storage. (And hi to Linda at the front desk! She’s terrific.)

Customer service will truly take a business far in this world.
California Mini-​Storage has some of the best customer service around.
Whenever I come in here or call them up — I can feel the smiles in all of their staff’s voices and they genuinely want to help you out and want to make sure that you are satisfied with your storage unit.
Also for 35 dollars a month for their smallest size storage space — you’d be hard pressed to find something of that value elsewhere in the city.
And while I know that much of what I keep in that storage unit really isn’t worth keeping — I love knowing that I don’t have to part with a blindingly bright rainbow beanbag, a Cat Stevens adorned vest, and a broken tambourine lined drum — anytime soon.
Trust.

I am really fond of this place. Well, as fond as you can be of a big gray storage space filled with dinosaur bones… which is actually pretty fond. Storage spaces run in the family. My dad always had one, filled with airplane parts and engines and things, and I have always deemed them essential. You just can’t keep dino bones laying around the house. Well, you could, but I don’t. Sandy. Meaning, there would be sand on the floor, not so easy to swiff. Try it, you’ll see.
I have had a unit here for almost a year, and not only are the rates great, the people who work here are so friendly and helpful. When I came in to reserve my space, the woman working at the front stayed late to help me. She was really kind and charming; we chatted for awhile about my new job and recent move. I felt like I was chatting with an aunt or second cousin on my Mom’s side– «That sounds so exciting!» I have met two different gentlemen who will drive you out to your space if need be, and both have been very friendly and helpful. In fact, I was running late to the space and needed some essentials, so I called ahead and asked if they could let me in just after it had already closed. A handsome young man pulled up in his car and unlocked the gates for me, minutes after I arrived. I have also been loading bones at the space and the on-​staff patrolman fellow (not his official title) has asked me if I need any help. Unheard of helpfulness!

I used their 24 hour access lot for five months and had good experience with it. The office and ground staff have always been pleasant, friendly and helpful from the day I signed my lease until the day I checked out. They’re located in a not so busy street, which means you can easily find parking, no matter how big a vehicle you’re driving. I just wish their website is more user friendly. All things considered, I still recommend this place if you’re looking for storage away from home.

Just moved to SF, unloaded all I own here and could not have been happier. They were crazy nice and super helpful with everything. Also, very accommodating when I moved my things out less than a week later. Great people, reasonable prices. Look no further.

Really nice people work here. Linda was great. She set us up with a unit in a few minutes & was very friendly & fun. Low prices, easy drive-​up access, convenient access right off of 280.

This is a response to the owner’s (Sherman’s) comment to my review.
IT’s true that the staff is very nice there, however, I was NEVER told that ‘some of the units leak’ or offered a plastic sheet to cover any items. Only until I discovered the leak and the damage had been done, did anyone ‘admit’ to the leaks.
Apologies are nice, but nothing can give me back the heirlooms that were ruined! Just beware if you rent there. Furthermore, it wasn’t condensation (my things were not touching the walls, but a true leak in the seam of the roof. Sorry, Sherman.

Great location and friendly staff. Got to love a place where the staff greet you with smile and are happy to help.
The facility is really secure and I have no problem storing all sorts of items. I like the way you get to choose from a variety of different storage options. Considering how cheap it is I think the units are great value and I recommend them.

We looked around at all of the local storage options, and these guys stood out in terms of their professional service and their attention to detail. It’s also a real bonus that they also happen to offer the best value prices too!
Don’t be put off just because the units are outside. They have excellent security systems & the ability to drive up and offload directly into the unit in direct daylight is a serious plus if (like us) you have a lot of bulky items to get into the storage space.
The staff are super friendly and they make the whole sign-​up process very simple and straightforward. They’ll take the time to show you the storage options available to help you make the right choice, with no pressure. Compare this with the guys down the road at City Storage who were frankly downright rude when we simply asked them to honor the coupon they have on-​line.
We were signed up and 80% moved in within the first day.

This is the best storage facility in the ENTIRE UNITED STATES!!! Possibly even the entire world.
Polly and the rest of the staff are always so professional, so very nice, accommodating, they do not cheat you on rates with horrifying move in fees, the prices are super reasonable, and they really care that your items in your storage unit are kept safe and sound. They have 24 – 7 security cameras, and someone comes into the lot and locks it up when they close.
I have had a storage unit here for forever, and I will never ever trust my things anywhere else.
Polly and staff are awesome!

This place was by FAR the least expensive and did not have a start-​up/​administration fee. It was close and in the city which was great for me. I felt like my stuff was safe and the staff was really helpful!

I scored a sweet storage space 8×8×8 storage for only $ 115.00 a month. The customer service was nice and fast with no problems. With a lock and a few fee’s I only payed $ 178.00 out the door which is still cheaper than most storages. The only draw back is that its kinda out of the way if you don’t have a car.
Overall it’s still a real good deal.

This place is by far the most convenient and secure storage facility in San Francisco. All of their prices, if paying for a small 4×4, or a bigger 8×20, are very reasonable. Plus, the staff is totally not trying to lure you in, they are super friendly and show you around any unit you want to see.
I’m soo glad I found this place. It rocks. And with housing being sooo expensive, I’m glad I’m only paying 34/​month for my stuff.

I called around for quotes on storage units for a few hours and California Mini Storage is by far the cheapest option in the city. I’ve had my stuff in one of the smaller spaces (4′ x 4′ x 8′) for over two years now and pay only $ 34/​mo.
On top of that, the people are super, amazingly friendly, personable and helpful. Every time I’ve called about anything we always end up chatting for a few minutes about things aside from business.
I always get the sense they genuinely care about their customers, their business and about making it an enjoyable experience.

My stuff stays dry even when it’s raining out and noone’s broken into my unit (yet), so thumbs up all around. I’ve had my storage unit here for a few years now. The monthly rate is low and they haven’t raised it in 5 years, which is great. The neighborhood’s a bit out of the way, though, so if accessibility is an issue, you may want to find something closer to you.