Public Storage

After 3 ½ years here things left on strange terms. I am not furious and the actual customer service is good, but I can’t say I’d recommend this Public Storage location to anyone unless they had limited options.
Here’s what I did like:
–Facility is clean, units are clean
–Storage options range from small to super huge
–They have storage for cars/​trucks
–It’s well-​lit and not too creepy
–It feels secure and you won’t worry about your things being in jeopardy because the locks they provide are great and there’s a locking gate with a million digit code to get in
What is a bummer:
–It can get busy fast. When it does, there are no carts. Some people are not shy about hogging more than one cart and you have to just stand around and wait
–Prices are steep and they jump a bit each year. After 3 years here I was paying almost double what I started. I recently moved locations and pay exactly half for the same size unit in a brighter, better, newer place downtown
Even more of a bummer:
I called last month at the end of the month to ask about what the move out process was. The man on the phone explained that because I signed up for a unit on the 6^th of the month, my billing period wasn’t the first but the 6^th. Since it had been years, I took that as fact. He had no reason to mislead me and I’m sure he even meant what he said. I was hoping to rent the unit a few days past the first of the month to which he said, «You’d have to be out by the 6^th.» I was going to be out of town so I asked if I could get out on the 7^th and just pay a pro-​rated rate of one day rental. He said pro-​rated payments were not possible and that if I was to move out on the 7^th, I’d have to pay the entire month’s rent. Because I didn’t have a choice, I paid for another month and got all of my belongings out slowly over the next few weeks since I had so much time.
Update to when my friend and I were getting things out of the unit (because the next day was the 6^th!) and the lock that Public Storage provided me with actually broke. In fact, it wasn’t the lock but the actual key broke inside the lock. One that was provided for me (sold to me, rather) by this facility. Knowing they deal with tenants and locks all the time, I was sure they could cut the lock or see that I’d moved out and allow me to vacate at no cost. The gal working there (super polite, by the way! Truly lovely) mentioned that with the lock on there, I’d be charged for not vacating unless her manager could cut it off. But he wasn’t in the office for few more days. WHAT?! So I was going to have to pay $ 203 for a month of rent because a lock they supplied me with broke when inserted a key into it? I had exactly 25 mins till they closed and it almost felt like a threat to make things happen. We raced over there with a tool kit and while we were lucky enough to get the key out of the lock and have it removed from the empty unit, it felt kind of sketchy and lousy that they’d be so unhelpful when I needed them most. I always paid on time, I rented from them for years — even through price hikes– and they were going to charge me for a broken lock they sold me even though the unit itself was cleaned and vacated. Sigh. Not the best goodbye story but if you have limited options, this is a great storage place for all of the other reasons I first mentioned. Just be careful about getting the right instructions when you intend to move out.

3 stars for the price. Intro offer says $ 1, but add in the mandatory insurance, the lock purchase, and other fees and the total is actually closer to $ 50. Would have been nice to have that info given to me over the phone prior to coming in. However, $ 50 is still a good deal for the first month!
5 stars for Dodie! She was so super helpful and had a great personality to boot. Even though she was having some computer glitches, she still maintained a positive attitude throughout, cracking jokes, etc. All the employees there were easy going and super helpful.

Cody was very knowledgeable and professional. He got us set up and gave us a tour the facility and explained the operation an how this facility works. Signing up was a breeze and easy and he asked great questions to ensure that the storage space we rented would be the right space for us. This facility lacks Dollys for the use by customers. With over a thousand customer, surely you need more dollys for use. Maybe a set up like shopping carts at grocery stores or baggage carts like at the airports.

It’s a chain… the local managers are nice but the corporate office is a pain to deal with. Public Storage increases their rates every 6 months so you can probably find a better deal for longer term storage else with Door to Door
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We had a fantastic experience at the 12^th Ave Public Storage. It was our first time using mini-​storage. We were very apprehensive but Cody showed us the ropes — answered all our questions, got us set-​up, and went above an beyond in many respects.
I strongly recommend Public Storage!

It’s nice when people do what they say they are going to do and resolve an issue when an error has occurred, and even better, making that extra step to to make the situation a bit better.
Hats off to the Regional who stepped up and fixed the mistake. A very welcome surprise.

Renting a storage has never been easier. Cody, Babes and Mat have been awesome to work with. They laid out all of my options and helped me make the best decision. They’ve been very accommodating and made sure that I was able to move into my unit and was taken care of completely. In a city where you storage units are so expensive it’s great to find deal!

Cody and Babes helped me get setup with my first storage unit this morning. They were so friendly and provided me with excellent service. I’m very happy I chose this location to store my stuff at. Thank you very much!

Just had an A+ positive experience renting a space here — feels very secure, and the property manager couldn’t be nicer. It’s a great location as well.

I had professional movers who needed access to get a big truck close to my storage unit, and Dodie and Sami were extremely helpful and accommodating. We arrived a little before the 9:30 opening time, but they didn’t even make us wait! The staff here has always been great.

Moved from Portland to a tiny apartment, and was dreading finding a storage unit. Sami and Dodie were incredibly helpful in finding a unit that fit both my needs and my budget. Highly recommended.

Renting a storage unit is not fun — it typically means you’re moving or something of the sort, and no one likes moving. What usually gets people in a huff about moving is when it gets complicated and/​or expensive. I am one of those people right now who is in the midst of moving and I’m not particularly happy about it, but luckily I had a fantastic experience with the ladies at public storage on an early, rainy Sunday morning recently who are helped me get through it.
Here is my feedback to anyone new to the realm of renting a public storage facility or to anyone who has been bitching about their recent experience:
Yes — public storage is a business, so they WILL charge you a SMALL set up fee to rent a space there (mine was only $ 19). This is the same set up fee you’ve likely paid for 90% of the services you’ve EVER purchased in your lifetime (Netflix, Car 2 Go, Cable and Internet, etc.). Anyone who is shocked by this practice should drop off the face of the earth because it’s 2014 and businesses are in fact in business to make $$$.
Yes — you either have to provide your own lock or pay to buy one from them. Either option is inexpensive.
Yes — you are required to have insurance on your items in your unit. MOST renter insurance policies will cover this for you, but if not, the options through public storage are rather inexpensive. This is not a public storage policy, it’s a state of WA policy, so if you’re shocked by this, call any storage unit in the area and they will all have the same policy.
Overall, their prices are fairly inexpensive. Yes — there are a lot of policies around move in/​out dates, fees, etc. but overall, the girls who helped me get setup were completely UPFRONT about everything in explaining how it all works so there really shouldn’t be any surprises for anyone. Ask questions and understand what you’re signing and you shouldn’t have a problem. They were GREAT!

Hold the phone. Why does Public Storage employ such beautiful people? Sammi looks like an exotic model and Cody is a freaking STUD. I mean seriously. I would store my personal items in there, if you know what I mean.
I come over to this place to buy boxes and packing supplies for my business and every time I come in, they treat me like I’m renting the presidential suite, even though all I’m doing is buying stuff.
Seriously, they are all amazing there and treat me like I’m a millionaire. If I had anything to store, I would store it there. And not just because all the employees are attractive.
LOVE YOU GUYS!

I have a unit at the facility and was trying to move out but lost my keys. The District Manager was in the office and took care of this for me. She was efficient and I really appreciated her help. The staff is nice.

I am writing this review mainly because of Public Storage’s deceptive tactics to make money, which are not disclosed when signing up. I rented at this Capitol Hill facility for about 4 months.
First, the «$ 1 for the first month» deal doesn’t apply to most units, only a couple at best. Second, they charge for the full month when you leave unless you depart within the first 6 days of the month (so no proration at all, which to me is an undisclosed scam). Last, they charge a sign-​up or «adminstrative» fee as well so they’re basically bilking users over every last dime (in addition to charging $ 20+ for a lock).
These sorts of practices make me unwilling to ever go back. I wanted to make sure others at least know of all the charges so they can make a better-​informed decision before selecting a storage facility.

These folks are great. Cody, Michelle and Dodi are so very helpful. I’m at my storage unit three times a week and the never fail to deliver great assistance and support. Really grateful for them.

Great location with easy access and covered parking which allows you to get in and out quickly. The staff is super friendly and they will even let you use one of their flatbed carts to haul stuff around, you just have to give up your ID while you’re using it. For being a storage facility, everything was very clean and in good order. Definitely a place where you won’t mind keeping your stuff if you need to.

I have been renting a storage unit here for almost four years. In that time my rent has doubled! This place is a rip off, once they’ve got you, your rate will just keep escalating.

Exemplary Service and Facility!
I’ve worked with a few different storage companies in my time and I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found Public Storage. Sami checked me in in record time, was charming and did a great job showing me around. Prices are great and the facility is locked up tighter than Fort Knox.

OK, I’ll start with the good first. The location is great. The people that work there are very nice. Now the bad… I’ve had a storage unit there for a year now. In that year, I have asked them many times if they could please put new lightbulbs in so I can see inside my storage unit. The whole hall where my unit is has 10 burned out lights. It is impossible to see in my unit so I have been using a flashlight. Even in the garage when you drive in over half the light bulbs are burnt out and it is pretty spooky and feels very unsafe… The last time I asked the person behind the desk about the lights he/​she gave me a phone number to call and complain and maybe the more people that call maybe corporate will listen… Even the lightswitch fixtures are falling off the walls. It seems they have no maintenance there at all. Is it that difficult to have someone replace all the burnt out light bulbs??? I am so disappointed and will moving to a different storage that won’t be Public Storage. They truly are slumlords and don’t care about the people paying money to use their units.