I'm self-storing my household goods while I'm working overseas.

I used Public Storage because it's all over the place in NJ so I assumed they weren't shady. I guess I was way off.
I've been gone 1.5 years and they've already increased the "rent" on the unit twice... each time for $20/month.

When I read the line about "Owner may increase the monthly rent, and any charges and/or fees by giving Occupant at least thirty days’ written notice of the increase." I'm pretty sure I asked the guy "How often does this happen?" and he said "Not very often."

My options are pretty limited since I'm nowhere near NJ. The company pays the rent but I'm expecting they will at some point start giving me a hard time about this.

The company offers to store our household goods, but we can't access the stuff without paying a fee. I plan on selling my house so I wanted to be able to access my stuff to put what was left in the house in the unit.

Either way... $40/month over 1.5 years is fucking bullshit. Their property taxes don't increase. They're not providing any more security. Nothing about the place changes in any way at all, except they nail people for more money.

If I can find a better place this summer I'll move my shit out or sell it. Fuck Public Storage.

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Just wait till you get the word the cops are trying to find you because your place was broken in, and the management - having justifed their additional costs to you for years due to their 24 hour security and what not - claims not to have seen anything and not to know anything.

20/month a year sounds like a bit much. How big of a unit?

I had stuff in Public Storage for years, as well as Extra Space and some mom and pop places as well.  They all increased rent every year or so.

I took over my brothers contract who got a group buy deal.  It hasn't gone up in the 6 years or so that he started paying for it.  I have two units with the same place and pay more for my smaller one than my brothers larger one.