Almost one in three Americans use self-storage facilities, with many drawn in by affordable introductory offers as low as $84 a month for a car-sized unit.

But what starts as a reasonable monthly rate can quickly become a financial burden as more and more companies are now implementing frequent price increases.

Bonnie Sales, an artist who needed extra space for her art supplies and old furniture, experienced this firsthand when she rented a 10-by-20-foot storage unit.

"The first month was $169 a month," Sales said. "Then it was $173."

But the increases didn't stop there.

"The next month it was $285," Sales said.

The dramatic price jump was especially frustrating when Sales discovered the same facility was offering new customers a promotional rate of just $84 per month.

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