After having several thousand dollars of stuff stolen at my Extra Space Unit on Fair Ave, I moved to Public Storage on River. Here are some benefits this facility has over Extra Space. (1) Key access PER FLOOR, authenticated by personal code (i.e. one code doesn't give you access to whole building). (2) The facility is constantly cleaned by the staff who have to deal with a pretty dirty bunch of clients (which is what one can expect in Santa Cruz). (3) Roll-up aluminum doors and clean storage units with aluminum panels on interior. Overall my experience here is much better than what I had over at Extra Space. Though keep in mind there is a homeless shelter and rehab clinic nearby so there will be shady folk around, and the facility is unfortunately not gated. read more

I have no problem with the facility. I do have a problem with the ridiculous rent increases. In April of 2025 my rent for a 10x15 space was $261. In June of '25 it went to $354. Then in December of '25 it was raised to $381. In March of '26 it was raised to $462. Today I received an email saying my rent for September of '26 will be $592. That is a 100% increase in 18 months! $4 per square foot for self storage?!? Do yourself a favor and don't rent from these guys. Don't be fooled by the initial rate quote. It won't last. read more

BEWARE RAT INFESTATION! I have rented here for a year & a half, and the rat situation is just awful. I complained to the office, and after that, there were poison pellets thrown into my unit, scattered all over my belongings. So now, in addition to feces and urine on my things, there was also poison. Absolutely unacceptable. Many of my things got ruined and the amount of clean up I've had to do is just infuriating. In addition, the price more than doubled in 1 year. Avoid this place at all costs..I wish I had. Their hours are terrible too. No access after 5pm on weekends & 6pm on weekdays?? Ridiculous. read more

All negative reviews coincide with my experience at this place. Unfriendly staff people (when you are lucky enough to find them), elevator closes after 3 seconds pressing the code, carts are half of the time gone when you need them, hours are awful. PRICE WENT UP BY $120 after 2 months renting there. I rented a large 20x20. First 2 months was $348, now I received an email that in a month the rent will go up to $461!!! this is crazy!! Will be taking my things out of here as soon as I can. Not worth the stress!! read more

I only had a storage unit for a week at the Public Storage River St. location. It's handy as it's in my neighborhood. I'm in the process of downsizing after my husband's sudden death a year ago. This review is a shout out to DIANNA AND PAZ, who were extremely helpful. They were both naturally friendly and filled me in on everything I needed to know. They both made my check in very easy and seamless! I rented a 10 x 15 on the second floor. My unit was clean, parking was abundant, carts were inside by the elevator, THE ELEVATOR WORKED TOO! DIANNA called to see how everything went for me- a very nice touch. She left 2 phone numbers to call if I needed any services. It's hard to get ahold of an actual person there. However.....Since I'm on oxygen due to emphysema, I had issues going to my unit on the 2nd floor. I talked to PAZ, and told him what was going on. I told him I wanted a 10x15 drive to the door. As they only had 10x30 units to drive up to, PAZ looked up the Public Storage on Capitola Rd Extension on the computer. So I reserved that unit. It's even closer to my house than the River St location. I moved in to the new Public Storage at that location the following week. I really want to thank PAZ for helping me with this! DIANNA made my check out procedure at River St. SO QUICK & EASY! I'm happy with my new 10x15 drive to the door as I'm continuing to downsize. Dealing with a person's death is a huge process! I only hope that when my rent goes up, my unit rent won't be extreme. read more

Do not store your belongings here unless you are rich rich rich. In less than 2 years my rent has been raised twice by $100. I started a 20x20 at $374 and now they have just informed me of the second $100 increase to $599 a month! Why? Corporate greed - because they can hold you hostage more or less if you've had the misfortune of losing your home in Santa Cruz and have been unable to find a new affordable home to live in. I would love to take my business away, but honestly there is no affordable place to store your home belongings here. Greed at its finest and the investors are laughing at your misfortune all the way to the bank. The increases will just continue ever year and no good cause. This property is paid off - and overhead is extraordinarily low. On the phone with customer service whose response is - you signed a contract that we can have an increase in rent EVERY 30 DAYS if we want to. For comparison it is unlawful to increase human habitation rent here in California more than 5% a year. This is a 20% increase in 9mos. Extortion! No humanity to be found here only the deep greedy halls of capitalism. read more

Diana is super nice and helpful! I'm in and out of my unit constantly and when I occasionally run into Diana she always has a smile on her face. read more

My friend just rented a space at Public Storage on Soquel Dr., and less than a week after, they called to tell him that his lock was not secure. He went over and saw that his 2 guitars and expensive amplifier were stolen. He asked to see their cameras, and they said their cameras were out of order. Imagine that! Now, he has to contact the insurance and so on. Personally, I think it was an inside job. We'll see. read more

They advertise that it is only $1.00 for the first month. That is not true! They add a non-refundable $29.00 "administration fee", $19.99 for a special cylinder lock, and make you pay for insurance whether you want it, or not. With tax my so-called only $1.00 a month was $51.84... Total rip off! read more

Diana, at the front desk, went above and beyond to be helpful and the unit is fantastic. I was really thankful for Diana and can't recommend this public storage enough! read more

I have been locked out of two of my three units there for over a year. No one knows why. I have never missed a payment. I have called the 800 number many times and they also see there is nothing wrong with my account. They only way to get into my units it to pay a HUGE fee to have the locks removed even though no one know why they took my lock off. Stay away. Really unsafe place to be in more ways than one. Watch out for FAKE "GOOD" REVIEWS. THEY ARE NOT FROM THIS LOCATION. read more

The place just randomly raises your rent because "they can". Mine after 3 months for 10 x 15 went from $294 to$429. Just an awful business. They know they have you, and take advantage. Buyer beware! read more

Chris the property manager and his team are on point here. The facility is nice, secure and clean. The best part is Chris and his team run a tight ship! I had an issue and they responded quicky and effectively which led to a less stressful move for me. Highly recommend read more

I would not recommend this facility to anyone!! Recently I rented a Public Storage unit on River Street. I went there today which was a Sunday to drop off some of some items. As I entered the facility and began walking to my locker, a person came running toward me. This person actually startled me because I had no idea who he was. The man said "they were closed." I then assumed he was an employee. The time was 505pm. This employee who was later identified as Eddie told me I should know that they were closed because the information is on the website. I asked him for his last name, but he refused to tell me and told me he didn't have to tell me his last name. I told Eddie that I had a mattress on the roof of my car and that I would like to put the mattress in my storage unit. He told me that he was not going to allow me to do this despite the fact that it was only five minutes past closing time. I attempted to explain to him that the mattress was tied on top of the car and that we had just driven 30 minutes to get here and if he didn't let us put it in the locker, we'd have to tie it on the car again, which is no easy task . I explained that I just wanted to walk the 100 yards and put the mattress in my locker. Eddie was adamant that he would not allow me to do this. Eddie was rude and at one point threatened to evict me. I asked him what he was going to evict me for and he did not have an explanation. I felt that this employee was aggressive and very disrespectful. I am a senior citizen and the person that I was with is a senior citizen as well. I believe that the situation could've been handled in a more professional matter. Fortunately, I only need the unit for another month and then I will close my account never to return. read more

Fanne and Eddie were very helpful and easy to work with. They were knowledgeable, and helped me with my two storage units. They also helped me set-up the Public Storage app, which is easy, effective and, worth using. read more

I left Public Storage in January 2019, as they wanted to up the rent even higher to $355/month!!!!! See my other review about them. They are well-monitored, however, the manager on River St often had attitude. I almost felt like I had to walk on eggshells with him. But I stood my ground. And their hours are not conducive to when people are most available (off work hours). They close at 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm, and you just can't get in after that. They also consistently raise their rates. I went from $89/month to $355! That's in a matter of 4 years. I would never rent from them again unless I got a deal, and I knew without hesitation, that I'd be out of there in two months. read more

These people at this place are corrupt. They went into my storage unit without my permission after I paid the month up and let them know I will be moving out on the 28th of janurary, when i cam back on the 15th to get my dresser, they had entered into my unit without my permission and taken my dresser. I had to file a police report, the district manager, and CEO of the area were made aware of the issue and refused to do anything about it. Currently, my storage unit is paid for, and I am legally allowed to put stuff in it, but they have taken my dresser out of it before i moved out. I demanded that they return it they refused. read more

Each phone call was helpful and friendly. Staff was amazing. Friendly and helpful each step was painless and I like the app, keyless entry, and text notifications. read more

Why is the elevator always broken? And hasn't been cleaned ever since before I've started renting ok ver a year ago? Not once through Covid. Why do they only allow a customer 2 hours to move in or out. Abs will call the police if your here longer , even as a paying customer? Why MUST the Nosy employees insist on walking and checking up with what's inside your storage every single time one accessed their possessions? With either a clipboard and Blank piece of paper, or broom and mop setup which is obvious by the dirt and dust everywhere and soiled buttons for the elevator they are not being used to clean 'X but perhaps as a prop maybe for their sweep log for insurance but oddly a only do some areas while other areas remain untouched or walked . Considering it's just as easy and more effiecient with the amount of steps needs to walk around my storage yet. Every single time one of the rude employees must make an awkward pass in front of my storage whike open. It's kinda gross and unsettling.. Ps: public storage should include a gym membership to their employees so they can get excersize besides the few times on their shifts needed to harass customers .. cause sitting around being weird on your phone with the front door locked isn't the healthiest way to spend 8 hours daily . read more

Great customer service Dianna and Eddie were awesome. Good sense of humor and they were also professional. I would recommend this storage to others. read more

Worst hours ever , closes at 6:00 weekdays and weekends at 5:00pm and don't be caught loading your car not 10 minutes past their closing or you'll be asked to leave. But first captain obvious will ask if you're a member an I'd you have. Unit w/ them (as if just being there loading items into your vehicle wasn't enough of a hint). Like really? they charge what and treat their guests like how? ok I get it. But for a storage place that closes this early to be such sticklers to get yiu off their property idk.. I would never treat a customer like that read more

The guy working there was rude, condescending, and often is not there towards closing. Being mean is just as hard as being nice.

The hours for the office are so erratic. They make you pay for the rental just to reserve it ahead of time. I just found out that if the office is closed I cannot use the cart to move my stuff to the third-floor unit that I have rented. We'll see how it goes for the first month and then I'll probably look around for another one that's more convenient to the renter. read more

Like with every storage place in Santa Cruz they bait you with a low price then they raise after two months.

The staff was friendly and helped me transfer into a smaller unit with very little fuss. The hours are limited, but I wouldn't want to be in the neighborhood alone after dark. They have tried to keep out the crazy and the homeless, but the location is right in the middle of the area they hang out, so you are bound to see some creepy people. read more

I needed a storage space for a couple days, and decided that I would for with a quick storage at Public Storage. Worst decision that I had for this move. Sure the storage is temperature controlled, however, no one is in the office so I can get a cart. Phones are never answered. The elevator requires a code to go up, but you have only a few seconds to push the button before having to start again. I was charged $30 a few days after I moved in with their excuse to make my payment on the 1st with everyone else. I can nit in good conscious recommend this place. I write this as the office is closed during office hours and no notification for when someone will return. read more

River St Public Storage location is dirty, has grafitti, the elevator license expired in 2016, and is run-down. Horrible customer service. Run from this place. Other Public Storages in the area are rated higher for good reason and its worth it to go elsewhere. read more

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Profoundly dissatisfied. These guys are ridiculously pricey and their access hours are minimal. I only rented from them because I couldn't find any other available storage units in this area. Now that it's time to move my things out, their elevator has been out of order for several days. Office staff 'generously' offered us the use of the goddamn stairs, but my stuff is on the third floor. I'm not going to ask (or pay) my guys to run up and down stairs and around tight corners with a bunch of furniture. When the elevator eventually is fixed, everyone will want into their units at once and there will be a major traffic jam. I'm 60 years old and disabled but have been sleeping on the floor of my new apartment for three days - so far - due to this incompetence and unprofessionalism. read more

DO NOT put your stuff here. Scumbags somehow have access to these units and it is so easy for them to steal. I had my things in here for a month and on the last week before moving out, they broke in and raided my storage INSIDE, behind a "secure" locked door. Sure they have cameras outside, do they record? No, nor will they see who accessed the building for you. I had irreplaceable items stolen and a picture of exactly how they did it. read more

Public Storage - Easy break in. This is how the losers did it. Just kick the doors off the railing! - Self Storage Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I have been moving out of my place all week and every time I go there is no one at the front desk and I have to wait 20-30 minutes before someone returns to be able to get a cart for moving. Very frustrating. I thought this was maybe just in the afternoon due to lunch breaks so I arrived early this morning and it happened again. read more

The Public Storage staff called on May 2 to say that it looked like the rollup door on our unit was "a little bit off the track", and I "might want to come down and take a look". They didn't mention that there had been many breakins on the ground floor or make it sound particularly urgent and I forgot about it. (I'm sure the theft took place before then and my stuff was already long gone.) Thursday, May 21, I went over to find the door kicked in and the unit no longer locked because the latch had been forced open. There were torn open boxes, empty boxes, and packing materials dumped out all over the place. Thieves had gotten the most valuable items, mostly irreplaceable family heirlooms. At this point the unit had been basically unlocked and unsecured for almost 3 weeks. I asked the staff member why she didn't tell me my unit was broken into, or mention the fact that there had been a rash of breakins, when she called me on May 2. She said they wouldn't be able to tell if things were missing without going inside, which wasn't allowed, so she just couldn't say if I'd been burglarized or not. I wish she had conveyed a greater a sense of urgency! I began to inventory and re-pack what was left. Every time I went over there I ran into more people who were burglarized, some people more than once. I heard many theories about what has happened, and I have no way to verify if any of is true, but might be worth checking into: The staff told me that someone was able to pry a back door of the building open, and then have access to the entire ground floor, where they simply kicked in the latches. So why would a professional storage business have a flimsy rear door that anyone could pry open? One woman told me there are people squatting in some of the units, they come in late in the day, sit in there then roll open the doors at night, TVs and radios go on, etc. So apparently there are a number of people who spend the night in their units and can thus roam around doing who knows what after the last inspection is done and the place is closed for the night. Someone said people come in during the day and then hide inside a unit past the final patrol check, and then have access all night. Why doesn't the staff make the police aware and doing something about this? I want to know why the PS people (or police) aren't doing something about the fact that people are camping out in those units, with free access to everyone's stuff. And why they do not have cameras in every hallway. And why there are alarm boxes on every rollup door, but the alarm boxes are disconnected. And why do they never disclose to people applying to rent space that they have an ongoing problem with breakins? And by the way, PS Public Storage also owns PS Perfect Solution insurance (name is no coincidence), which they make you buy if you don't have your own homeowners insurance. That's right - and there is already a class action suit going on about PS not disclosing this to customers. Many online reviews report that people have been chasing the company for months over claims and have not collected a dime. My advice? Get your stuff out of there while you still have something left! read more

I am glad we will be moving out of state shortly and be able to remove our remaining house hold goods. That's right, I said remaining. Our unit was broken into by someone who removed the latch from the door. The lock wasn't touched. This should not be possible. Our unit was completely tossed and valuable / sentimental items were stolen. The lady in the office was nice but basically useless. There is the appearance of an alarm system but it does not work. I have been approached by obviously high people outside the building and it is kinda scary to be there - other reviewers are right in that the place has a bad vibe - especially as it gets dark. Do not use this facility, we were foolish enough to not check up on it because we were in a bind with our moving truck when it arrived. I was also informed by the officer who took my report that the department is fairly confident that there are people living in the units who then rob units at night and there are constant breaks ins. read more

They wont rent to you if you get your mail at mailbox service. Which is absolutely discriminating and leaves people moving and in between places or those who dont wish to use their private address out completely. Like ITS A STORAGE SITE and I needed the location but was refused due to my using a mail service. THANKS FOR NOTHING read more

I had my unit broken into this week... just because it is well maintained and clean means nothing just moving is a Hassel, but moving and then having to move again is a pain ten units were broken into this week... police have complaints all the time stay away.. read more

I got a unit today, online rate is definitely better than over the phone. But no worries, completed all the paperwork online. Went over later in the day. Unit was ready for me. Manger was polite and helpful. Hours are a little limited, but they are open 7 days a week so it's workable for me. I was looking for an affordable unit close by, and this fits the bill. read more

I found the advertised rent to be reasonable. However when signing up I was told that I was required to buy insurance (an extra $11 per month) although I had just signed an agreement to not hold them liable for any damages. I was told I could not leave the unit unlocked -- which required me to buy a lock from them that day ($25 for a lock I later saw at a hardware store for $10). A couple of months later they had replaced the lock with their own. Although I got my lock back -- and keys to the new lock -- it seemed pretty shady. I had a friend tell me that they raise the rent significantly after just a few months, when I voiced this concern to the manager, he told me that my rent would not go up for one year. Six months later they raised my rent 17%, at this rate the rent would nearly double in two years. When I asked if he'd honor our verbal agreement I was told no, that it was a corporate decision. As far as the facility goes, I found it very difficult to move anything large, doors cannot be propped open and close rather quickly, the elevator door closes too fast, typically closing while moving furniture into it. The facility cannot be used outside of office hours. It is just difficult to access. I chose this Public Storage because of advertised price and proximity. These factors turned out to be not worth it. I recommend using a facility that will guarantee a price in writing. I cannot recommend Public Storage due to the hidden expenses and the rather hefty increase in rent. read more

The manager has a hell of attitude on me, and telling me different price compared to their own online website and trying to fool me around. What a stupid place! Do not rent at here. read more

This place was so clean and the staff was very helpful and professional. My family is newer to the area and they were kind enough to provide us with an affordable unit AND tell me about a few good eats. Great staff! Great facility!! read more

This has been my go-to storage facility for a number of years already, from my move from Santa Cruz to Los Angeles and back again, and I can't say there's another place I would trust (I'm definitely very wary because I do have another unit at Extra Space down south that just got broken into as well and it's in a better neighborhood than this one here). Omar was the one who helped me open up another account (storage unit) just earlier today and he was so helpful with showing me how to get to the correct unit (I have bad navigational skills) and everything else along the way, and **he's not too bad on the eyes as well** so just another fact. The hours are hard to work around especially if you work a 9-5 or retail where shift hours jumps around, but honestly, moving houses/businesses/anything, you gotta put in that extra work. There are times it doesn't work for me, of course but that's what friends are for, to help move things in when you can't! Lol read more

The hours aren't the best if you have a 9-5 job and/or work weekends. The $1 first month ended up being $60 after fees and stuff but that's still not bad. Mitch was very courteous. read more