Public Storage Review

Move.org analyzed more than 3,500 quotes and feedback trends among 135,000 customer reviews to pick Public Storage as one of the country’s best storage companies.
Best self-storage customer reviews
publicstorage
3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7
  • pro
    Excellent customer reviews
  • pro
    Tons of locations
  • con
    High prices
Public Storage average price
Industry average price
Learn more
$210$180
Kurt Manwaring
Jan 11, 2022
bullet7 min read

Bottom line: Public Storage is one of the best storage companies. It gets the self-storage industry’s best customer reviews and has tons of storage space. Plus, extended hours make it easy to access your storage unit all week.

pro
Pros
pro Excellent customer reviews
pro Tons of locations
pro Lots of storage options
pro Extended access hours
con
Cons
con High prices
con Unavailable units

See where Public Storage ranks on our list of the best self-storage companies.


Public Storage compared to other companies

Public Storage has more total square feet of storage space than any other storage facility company. And despite above-average prices, it gets Move.org’s second-highest overall rating.

Company
Move.org rating
Avg. price
Total square feet
Learn more
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6
$210180 million
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8
$160150 million
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2
$160Varies
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1
$16040 million
3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6
$23070 million

Pricing and approximate square footage as of August 2022. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change.


Public Storage plans and pricing

The average Public Storage unit cost is approximately $210 monthly. Prices range from $70 per month for a regular small storage space to $310 for a large climate-controlled unit. You can also purchase moving supplies from your property manager. All Public Storage rental contracts are month to month (you can cancel anytime).

Public Storage late fees

Rent is due on the first of each month. However, Public Storage provides a grace period until the seventh of each month. After that, you must pay a $20 late fee (if your unit costs less than $100 monthly) or a 20% late fee if your storage space costs $100 or more.

What forms of payment are accepted?

Public Storage accepts payment via checks, debit cards, credit cards, and cash. Most payments go through the company’s online payment system. However, Public Storage accepts in-person payments during office hours.

Public Storage pricing

Storage unit size
Standard storage unit
Climate-controlled storage unit
Small$70$100
Medium$160$190
Large$300$310
Vehicle$250NA

Data as of August 2022. Storage unit prices exclude a one-time administrative fee, monthly insurance costs, and special promotions.

Note: Public Storage is our second-favorite storage unit company. However, it also comes with one significant drawback: prices. Public Storage is typically about 15% more expensive than the self-storage industry average. The average storage rental shakes out to about $20 extra per month. We’ll walk through the company’s pros and cons so you can determine whether the higher price is worth it.


Why we recommend Public Storage

Public Storage Reviews are excellent

Public Storage gets higher review scores than any other company in the self-storage industry. Even more impressive? Not only does Public Storage have the best reviews, but it also has the most. Nearly 50,000 customers awarded Public Storage 4.7 out of 5 stars in this case. Positive reviews often mention friendly Public Storage customer service, clean units, and a great experience.

How do you know you can trust these reviews about Public Storage?

You should never trust someone else’s account of Public Storage reviews—not even us. We’ve done the industry’s most robust research by comparing trends among nearly 50,000 Public Storage reviews. And the math doesn’t lie: all those customers gave the company an average rating of 4.7 stars for meeting their storage needs. 

But it’s also important to note that it’s an average. For example, most customers are thrilled with their Public Storage experience. But some come away spitting nails and give a big fat zero-star rating. Nevertheless, we like Public Storage because its customer review score is high even after accounting for low ratings. 

That’s a legit callout. But you shouldn’t just take our word for it. Instead, spend some time reading Public Storage reviews on the internet. Get a feel for what customers like and see what makes them angry. Compare it to what we tell you. And then decide if you feel comfortable moving forward.

Public storage has a variety of storage options

You can rent an impressive array of storage spaces at Public Storage. While storage sizes vary by location, most Public Storage facilities come with at least seven standard sizes. You can also pick from a wide selection of vehicle storage spaces.

More importantly, it’s the nation’s largest storage provider. Public Storage is to self storage what U-Haul is to rental trucks. It dominates the industry. (The only difference is that while U-Haul customers typically come away disgruntled, Public Storage renters award nearly perfect review scores.)

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Why it might be hard to find a unit

Public Storage may have more storage units than any other company, but it’s surprisingly hard to find an available unit. In other words, people tend to rent a Public Storage unit and stay for the long haul.

Public Storage unit sizes

Storage unit size (in ft.)
What fits
Learn more
5 x 5Large closet
5 x 101 room
5 x 152 rooms
10 x 103 rooms
10 x 154 rooms
10 x 205 rooms
10 x 256 rooms

Public Storage vehicle storage options

Vehicle storage unit size
What fits
Learn more
Up to 20 ft.Most cars
Up to 35 ft.Most RVs and boats
Up to 50 ft. Oversized vehicles

Public Storage has extended access hours

Most Public Storage locations are open every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. That’s a big step up from some storage companies that restrict access to traditional business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Plus, with the Public Storage app, you don’t even have to worry about calling the front desk or remembering a keycode. Instead, simply scan a code on your app, and the gate opens. It’s a great perk that adds to the benefits of extended access hours.

Want easy access to your storage unit?


Features and services

Public Storage has nearly a dozen storage unit sizes for customers who need a place to keep their belongings. In addition to traditional units, Public Storage also provides access to specialized climate-controlled units and has vehicle storage options that can fit motorcycles, cars, boats, RVs, and oversized vehicles.

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How do I ship my motorcycle?

Sometimes, you want to transport your motorcycle rather than drive it (or put it in a storage unit). To compare average quotes, auto shipping companies’ experience, and customer ratings, take a look at our list of the best motorcycle shipping companies.

Public Storage coverage options

Public Storage offers self-storage unit insurance through the Orange Door Storage Insurance Program. Details may vary by state, but the program typically provides $5,000 worth of coverage for a monthly cost of $15. The insurance protects against several perils (consult your Certificate of Insurance for a complete list):

  • Fire
  • Hail
  • Lightning
  • Smoke
  • Vandalism
  • Water
  • Flood and windstorm
  • Burglary
  • Vermin and fungus (limited coverage)
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What about homeowners insurance?

Public Storage also accepts homeowners insurance. Check with your insurance agent for more information.

Public Storage at a glance

DescriptionCompany information
Move.org rating (out of 5)4.6
Average customer review score (out of 5)4.7
Average cost$210
# of common storage unit sizes7
# of locations2,000+
# of states40 (plus Washington DC)
Climate-controlled storage
bulletYes
Vehicle storage
bulletYes

Data as of August 2022. Storage unit prices exclude a one-time administrative fee, monthly insurance costs, and special promotions.

Public Storage long-term review

Public Storage made a huge leap in our rankings from 2021 to 2022. Last year, the self-storage company didn’t even make our list of the best storage unit companies. But this year, Public Storage nearly took the top spot from the self-storage industry leader, Extra Space Storage.

We’d like to say that Public Storage upped its game. But the reality is that we did a deeper research dive. We analyzed nearly twice the number of prices and 10 times the total customer reviews. That resulted in reconsidering the value Public Storage brings to the table (spoiler alert: it’s substantial).

Two things stand out from our latest Public Storage analysis (one good and one bad):

  1. The good. Public Storage went from having average review scores to leading the industry. This is almost certainly because we exponentially increased the number of reviews in our analysis. As it stands, Public Storage’s average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars is higher than any other self-storage company.
  2. The bad. Public Storage got (a lot) more expensive. It was already about 5% above average in 2021. However, while many other companies bit the bullet and cut costs, Public Storage went the other way. Our analysis of approximately 3,500 quotes shows that Public Storage now costs roughly 15% more than the industry average.

Our recommendation

It’s tough to find a reason not to like Public Storage. Customers love it. Public Storage ran away with the popularity contest when we analyzed thousands of customer reviews. The company is the nation’s largest storage provider, giving you access to nearly a dozen popular sizes of standard and vehicle storage spaces. It’s one of the best storage companies. On the downside, Public Storage costs about $30 extra. But in this case, the high prices mean high quality. We recommend Public Storage if you’re okay with the additional cost.

See why customers give Public Storage excellent reviews


Self-storage FAQ

How is Public Storage rated?

Public Storage is the highest-rated self-storage facility in the United States. In addition, customers give Public Storage even better review scores than Extra Space Storage, Move.org’s top storage pick.

What type of storage unit do you need?

You likely need a climate-controlled storage solution if you have items like furniture and electronics easily damaged by extreme temperatures. Our list of the best climate-controlled self-storage companies is an excellent place to start.

How big of a storage unit do you need?

Your storage unit size should be big enough for your belongings. Most small storage units can fit about one room’s worth of stuff. Medium units typically hold belongings for up to three rooms, while large units go up to five.

What are the benefits of choosing Public Storage?

The benefits of choosing Public Storage are threefold. First, Move.org rates Public Storage as one of the nation’s best self-storage companies. Second, no storage company gets better customer reviews. And lastly, Public Storage has more storage space than any other storage option.

How much do you spend on storage?

The average customer pays about $180 monthly for storage. However, storage costs can go up or down depending on the size of your unit and whether you opt for higher-priced climate-controlled storage units.


Methodology

Move.org follows a five-step process to identify the nation’s best moving container companies:

  1. Compare quotes. We collected over 100 quotes from seven of the nation’s largest moving container companies to identify pricing trends.
  2. Mystery shopping. We do a top-to-bottom analysis of each company’s website and even call posing as customers. It helps us get a feel for what real-life customers experience.
  3. Analyze reviews. We read dozens of reviews for each company to see what most impresses (and turns off) customers. We also ran the numbers for more than 16,000 total reviews to calculate an industry customer review average.
  4. Site visits. We invite industry experts and company executives to visit our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT. We grill them on everything from pricing and customer reviews to insurance coverage and the latest industry trends.
  5. Annual review. Every year, we repeat the process to ensure that our list of the best moving container companies stays current. That means things like our top recommendations and industry prices may change from year to year.

Kurt Manwaring
Written by
Kurt Manwaring
Kurt Manwaring brings nearly a decade’s worth of research experience as a business consultant to the Move.org team. He specializes in taking complicated issues (like moving) and presenting them in a way that everyone can understand. His writing has been featured in hundreds of publications, including USA Today, Martha Stewart Living, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Heavy, Slate, and Yahoo! Lifestyle. He brings a BS in sociology and an MPA (masters of public administration) to the Move team. He would love to hear about your moving experiences and questions at kurt@move.org.