Houston Self Storage at 16240 West Rd

Headline: Extra Space Storage CEO-Joe Margolis Should Review This Incident: Known Break-Ins, Broken Security, and No Accountability at West Road Extra Space Storage My son and I rented this unit together, and this was my second unit at this facility. I had been a customer for over a year and trusted this company with items of significant personal and financial value. Our unit was broken into and numerous valuable items were stolen. When I first called Rudy, the store manager, he stated that it appeared to be “an inside job,” then changed his explanation and said he meant another tenant. When we arrived, he told us, “Oh yeah, we know who did it.” He said the entire theft was captured on surveillance video and that the suspects drove onto the property in a Lexus and a black truck. He stated the facility had the fraudulent online account information, identification, and driver’s license used to gain access. Rudy explained that criminals create fraudulent online accounts and are granted 24-hour access, even though posted signs still state access is limited to 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. He said they entered after 10:00 PM, brought in a ladder, looked over multiple units, selected targets, and considered our unit the “big-ticket item.” He also said he watched the thieves carrying our belongings down the elevator during a seven-hour break-in. Before he ever opened our unit, he described specific items belonging to my son and me, including backpacks, Nike bags, shoes, and U-Haul boxes. Rudy further admitted that the security keypad controlling access to the second and third floors had not been working for months and that he had repeatedly asked corporate to repair it. It was never fixed. Even more disturbing, our lock appeared to have been broken for approximately 30 days before we discovered the theft ourselves. No one from the facility notified us. Because our unit was apparently left unsecured for over a month, we have no way of knowing whether it was entered more than once. When I attempted to escalate this matter, we were denied access to corporate leadership, risk management, and the formal complaint department. Instead, we were referred to Gena Taylor, a district team lead. After gathering information, she told me, “You can call whoever you want. The buck stops with me.” Her only recommendation was to file an insurance claim. When I asked what was being done to repair the broken keypad and improve security, she refused to discuss it, said “That’s our business,” and then hung up on me. The company advertises 24/7 surveillance and claims it will protect your belongings as if they were its own. In our experience, the cameras only recorded the theft—they did not prevent it, and management did not notify us. If you have a unit on the second or third floors of this West Road location, inspect it immediately. This has been one of the most upsetting consumer experiences I have ever had. My son and I trusted this company with valuables, and when those items were stolen, management and corporate responded with indifference and defensiveness. I cannot recommend this facility to anyone. If you have a problem, there is a no one you can escalate to Gena Taylor and or Rudy Castro have been defensive and are victim shaming. You wont see Extra Space respond to this review, they only want to respond to the views by their friends but the real reviews they scroll by. Please be aware.

They keep deleting my comment so I’m adding it back SURPRISE YOU Can’t get rid of me! DO NOT rent here unless you want your belongings stolen. Multiple storage units were robbed over a month ago and management handled it like they couldn’t care less. Rudy never properly notified tenants and still isn’t providing people with the information needed to file claims. Attempts to get answers from Gena Taylor, who is the district manager, have been just as useless. The cheap prices are not worth it. Your belongings are not safe here and management acts like getting your unit broken into is no big deal. This place feels extremely shady and unprofessional. The lack of communication, accountability, and concern for tenants is unacceptable. Save yourself the stress and rent somewhere else.

BUYER BEWARE—- multiple break ins, theft, security concerns etc. I would not recommend renting a unit at this facility on West Road. There are ongoing security problems that management has not taken seriously, even though they directly affect customer safety. The access keypad for the second floor does not function, which means any person — whether they belong there or not — can walk in and stay inside the building at any time. That creates a situation where customers could be put in harm’s way, not just their belongings. It’s shocking that this hasn’t been treated as an urgent issue. When concerns are brought up, the manager, Rudy, becomes defensive instead of addressing the problem. He explains how the break-ins happen but doesn’t take steps to prevent them. Nothing changes, and the same issues keep happening. Corporate isn’t any better. Their response is basically to tell customers to “file an insurance claim,” rather than fixing the security failures that allow these incidents to occur in the first place. Customers shouldn’t have to rely on insurance because the facility refuses to correct known risks. The company also allows online accounts to be created too easily, and these accounts are given temporary access for up to 24 hours. That gives plenty of time for someone with bad intentions to enter the building and help themselves to whatever they want. Despite advertising “24/7 surveillance,” there are no cameras in the hallways, which means there is no real monitoring where theft actually happens. Recording after the fact is not the same as preventing unauthorized access, and presenting it that way feels misleading. What makes this even more frustrating is that prices keep going up while security remains poor. Customers are paying more but getting less protection than what is advertised. In my view, the company is aware of the repeated break-ins and the security flaws but has chosen not to take meaningful action. I would not trust this facility to keep my belongings — or its customers — safe.

If I could give them a zero I would. This place is not secure and they allow people to steal your stuff. They don’t lock doors and they leave people in the facility over night. Even once they found out that someone had broken in, they never called us. We had to find out ourselves justbee stopped by to look for something. Just terrible!

I would strongly caution anyone considering renting a unit at this facility. There have been multiple break-ins, and management has failed to take meaningful action to address the underlying security problems. One major issue is that the keypad code that is supposed to secure access to the second floor does not work properly. This effectively allows unauthorized individuals to gain access and remain inside for extended periods. When these concerns are raised, Rudy, the manager, becomes defensive and explains how the break-ins occur, but does nothing to fix the problems. Instead of implementing real security measures, management appears more interested in minimizing the issue and sweeping it under the rug. Corporate has been equally unresponsive, with an attitude of “file an insurance claim” rather than taking responsibility for preventing future incidents. That is unacceptable. Customers should not have to rely on insurance because the company refuses to correct known security failures. The company is aware that fraudulent accounts can be created online, yet these accounts are still granted access for up to 24 hours, giving criminals plenty of time to enter the facility and steal from paying customers. There are also no cameras in the hallways, despite the company’s claims of “24/7 surveillance.” If surveillance only records theft after it happens, rather than deterring unauthorized access, that is misleading and deceptive. What is most frustrating is that prices continue to increase while security remains inadequate. Customers are paying more for a service that does not provide the level of protection advertised. In my opinion, this is a deceptive business practice. The facility knows about repeated break-ins, knows about the security vulnerabilities, and has chosen not to take effective action. I would not trust this company to protect my belongings.