The Lock Up Self Storage - Old Orchard

Samuel Pollack

I moved from Florida to Skokie within the past few weeks. When my possessions arrived, I realized I needed a storage unit ASAP. I moved to the Optima Old Orchard right around the corner and figured it was convenient. I met Chris yesterday. Chris is an incredible person to work with. Extremely professional, extremely reasonable price, and so much more. When I told him my needs, he didn't waste my time. Knowing I was legit driving less than 0.2 miles in total, he really took care of me when I rented the truck. I got a chance just to speak with him person to person. He is one down to earth individual, very polite and very solid conversations. He deserves a promotion for sure! In regards to the storage unit, I was very pleased. It was snowing outside today and customers have the ability to park indoors in the loading bay area. Coming from Florida, I've never seen anything like that before. My car got to thaw out from all the freezing weather while I offloaded my possessions. The units are temperature controlled and very clean!

Rachel Zhang

June 11, 2025

Misleading lease terms, arbitrary price hikes, and deceptive policies I had a deeply disappointing experience with The Lock Up Self Storage. A few months into my lease, they raised my monthly rent by $40 without warning, after all my belongings were comfortably stored. It felt completely arbitrary — a classic bait-and-switch tactic where they know most customers won’t bother moving everything out, so they jack up prices once you’re locked in. Also, a couple months into my lease, they sent out an email claiming some of the lease terms had changed. They never asked for our signatures or consent — just listed the changes in an email, and later pointed to that version as if we had agreed to it. That is not how contracts work, and it’s incredibly shady to retroactively change terms without mutual agreement. Then when I moved out early, things got worse. Even though Section 2 of their own lease clearly states that rent will be prorated if the lease ends mid-month (“the Monthly Rent for the partial month shall be prorated…”), they flat-out refused to honor it and charged me for the entire month of May, even though I vacated on May 8. When I challenged them, they gave a flimsy excuse that “terms only end at the end of the month,” which directly contradicts their own written contract. This isn't just confusing — it's deceptive. It’s hard not to see this as a deliberate tactic to squeeze extra money out of tenants who move out early and don’t have the time or energy to fight back. Most people won’t notice or won’t bother — and that’s exactly what they’re counting on. It’s dishonest, predatory, and feels like a scam. What’s especially frustrating is that when they were trying to get me to sign, they were super friendly and told me not to worry about anything — even assuring me out loud that ending the lease would be super easy, and they’d just prorate. Now that I’m leaving, they’re doing everything they can to squeeze every last dollar out of me. This place is all smiles when you move in, and pure policy games when you move out. If you look at all the positive reviews for this place, it is all for the move-in process, not for the move-out process. I strongly discourage anyone from using The Lock Up Self Storage. They do not stand by their own terms and seem more interested in exploiting tenants than providing honest service. UPDATE: after the company’s response to my review, I reached out via email and have not heard back. It has been 3 weeks.

Wayne Brin

Great customer service and super convenient hours. The location is perfect and easy to get to. The staff truly care and go above and beyond to help. Highly recommend The Lock Up Self Storage in Skokie.

christopher stuart

I have been working with this location for over 3 years now and I have never had a bad experience. Carl and his staff are pleasant, polite, and great to work with. The location itself has ample parking both indoor and outdoor and the place is kept extremely tidy. I have been to other facilities, outside “The Lock Up” group, and they are not even in the same ball park of comparison. I would recommend this place for anyone who is looking for affordable, clean, and climate controlled storage!

Barbara Bickers

Just moved after 25 years! Carl Faulkner (manager) helped make my decision to store my condo furnishings at his location due to his good-natured, cooperative spirit, and follow-through to notify me of a single 10x15 unit, just when it became available. The facility is extremely clean, well lit, and secure. I am storing for an indefinite time, but I have every confidence my property is safe and easily accessible. I also appreciate the box and wrapping supplies readily available on site, as well as the ease of parking.