CubeSmart review: CubeSmart - 215-01 42nd Avenue, Bayside, NY 11361

I rented two units at CubeSmart, located at 215-01 42nd Avenue, Bayside, NY, a couple of months before my move, trusting that my belongings would be secure and accessible when I needed them. Initially, everything seemed fine—the rental process was straightforward, and the staff appeared helpful.

The day before my move, I stopped by the facility to buy boxes. The same employee who had rented me my unit assured me they would be open on Sunday. I left feeling reassured, only to experience one of the most costly and infuriating moving day disasters you could imagine.

On 4/27/2025 I arrived with a fully loaded 28-foot moving truck, I was met with locked doors, pulled-down gates, and complete silence—despite their posted hours stating they would be open until 6 PM. At least five other frustrated customers stood outside, all desperately calling CubeSmart corporate, trying to make sense of the situation. Even their customer service reps were baffled, their system confirmed that the location should have been open.

For over an hour, I was put on hold repeatedly while the corporate rep scrambled to reach the store manager, emergency contacts, and the district manager—none of whom answered. The district manager promised to investigate and call me back, but that call never came.

With the truck full and nowhere to go, CubeSmart’s corporate rep was able to find me a unit at the Flushing, NY location, forcing me to rent a third unit I didn’t need—at my expense. Because of this, I was unable to complete my move that day. I had to take time off work, rent a U-Haul, and finish moving days later, costing me hundreds of dollars and added frustration.

Just when I thought the ordeal was behind me, a few days later during my final trip to complete my move at the Bayside location, the manager shut down elevator access at 7:45 PM—despite access hours being clearly posted until 8 PM. I had already been there for over an hour, actively unloading my belongings, with no warning that access would be suddenly cut off.

When I knocked on the office door seeking help, the female employee inside refused to even look at me at first. Then, she coldly said, "We're closed." When I pointed out the posted hours stated otherwise, she smirked and dismissed me, refusing to help or give her name. I later found out—her name was Isis.
When I persisted in asking for access, her irritation turned into outright hostility—she suddenly threatened me with eviction, sending a wave of stress, anxiety, and fear through me.

Then, in a stunning escalation, she called the police on me. When the officers arrived, I calmly explained the entire ordeal. They agreed I should be allowed elevator access to secure my unit properly before leaving, and she told them she would comply.

However, the moment the officers left, she reneged on her promise and began announcing over the loudspeaker that I had to vacate the premises immediately. When I reminded her of her agreement with the police, she refused to open the elevators. Fearing retaliation against my belongings, I called 911 again and requested the officers return.

About 30 minutes later, the police arrived for the second time and again asked her to provide access. By that point, I had reloaded all my items into my rental U-Haul van. I no longer hoped to move anything into storage, I just wanted to confirm that my unit was properly locked and secured. She initially refused, but eventually acquiesced, and an officer escorted both of us so I could verify my unit one last time.

Days later, I discovered a paper notice taped to my unit stating that my rental had been terminated, with a deadline of May 5, 2025 to remove my belongings. This sudden and baseless termination was a direct retaliation of the previous threat the manager made when she angrily told me I was evicted simply for questioning the early elevator shutdown.

Still having received no call from the district manager for a follow up or attempt to resolve the situation, I decided to escalate the matter by sending a formal letter to CubeSmart Corporate, addressed to the Vice President of Operations. A few days later, I finally received a call from the district manager. She informed me that they were willing to offer a partial reimbursement for the inconvenience, but the amount offered was far below the actual costs I incurred.

Worse yet, the offer came with conditions: I would have to vacate both CubeSmart locations (Bayside & Flushing) and sign a release which also contained a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). I told her that I would now be forced to spend even more out-of-pocket money to move my belongings again. She denied my request for full reimbursement. Within a couple of days after that conversation, for fear of retaliation, I hired a moving company to remove all of my belongings from both CubeSmart facilities and transfer them to another storage company. I simply could no longer trust CubeSmart to safeguard my property.

Disheartened, I sent a second letter to the Vice President of Operations, expressing my disappointment with the inadequate offer and the forced relocation. I made it clear that this ordeal had already cost me over $3,500, including moving fees, rental trucks, time off work, and now a full relocation from both CubeSmart facilities. I was still deeply unhappy with how the situation was handled and firmly requested full reimbursement for the financial burden their mismanagement had placed on me along with a formal apology.

Two weeks have passed, and I have received no call, no email, no written response—just silence.

To this day, I have yet to be given an explanation as to why the facility was randomly closed on my moving day, why their staff acted with such blatant disregard for customer service, or why I was given a termination notice. No apology. No accountability. Just silence.

This experience was beyond frustrating. CubeSmart’s failure in communication, blatant disregard for lease terms, and shocking lack of professionalism took what should have been a routine move and turned it into an exhausting, chaotic ordeal that lasted weeks, and left me drained and financially burdened.

Above all it revealed that CubeSmart does not prioritize its customers. Their lack of empathy, refusal to take accountability, and absence of meaningful customer service made a difficult situation into a deeply frustrating and costly ordeal.

I trusted CubeSmart with my belongings. What I got in return was stress, financial loss, and absolute negligence. I strongly advise everyone to reconsider renting at CubeSmart Bayside, NY or at any other CubeSmart location.