There are many different options when it comes to getting mail delivered to your apartment — a unit-specific mailbox, parcel locker, front door delivery, or your secure leasing office. And of course, the way your mail is delivered depends not only on the type of rental and community you live in, but on the delivery service you’re dealing with, as well.
How do package deliveries work?
First and foremost, you’ll want to understand the delivery system for your specific apartment community in regard to each delivery service: FedEx, Amazon, UPS, and USPS. Typically, the United States Postal Service uses unit-specific mailboxes for your letters, bills, magazines, and small packages. Tenant mailboxes vary in size, but according to USPS regulations, a standard tenant mailbox must be no smaller than 3 inches high by 12 inches wide by 15 inches deep. For anything that won’t
What is a parcel locker?
A parcel locker is a larger mailbox that can only be opened with an app on your smartphone using a username and password or with a key your leasing office gave you. Once you receive a package that has been placed in the parcel locker, you may receive a notification via text or email to come pick up your package. Whether your parcel locker opens by an app on your smartphone, a username and password or a key is dependent on what your apartment building chooses to do. If you would like more information about the parcel locker at your specific complex, contact your leasing office.
A parcel locker is meant to hold any package that cannot fit in your mailbox — it’s a shared mailbox with other residents in your apartment community. However, you can only access your own packages that are left in the parcel locker. There should be numerous parcel lockers — at least one locker per ten mailboxes. There must be enough lockers to accommodate the number of rental units, considering online shopping is continuously growing in popularity and the delivery man can only place (shove) so many packages into one mailbox at a time (aka the reason for parcel lockers).
But this isn’t to say that parcel lockers will be used for excess mail that won’t fit in your mailbox. If your mailbox is so full that the USPS cannot fit any more bills into the box (bills, bills, go away — come again another day), then you need to be checking the mail more frequently. Do your beloved delivery service a favor, my fellow renters, and empty your mailbox on a regular basis.
How different parcel carriers deliver packages
So, you’ve read our spiel on parcel lockers, but you may be wondering about FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and other smaller parcel carriers. They all differ in their own ways. Although FedEx and UPS typically deliver packages in a relatively similar fashion, Amazon definitely has its own innovative tricks up its sleeve.
What is a parcel carrier?
Parcel carriers like FedEx, UPS, and Amazon will not use your mailbox to deliver packages, but that’s because they’re not really delivering your mail at all — hence our reference to them as parcel carriers.
Other parcel carries will deliver packages to one of the parcel lockers or your packages will be delivered at the front door of your apartment (or the most secure entry point) or at the leasing office. The carriers will most likely place your package in the parcel locker. But if the package is too big for the locker, they will leave the package by the front door (if the location is secure). If the carrier does not deem your front door a secure location to drop the package, they will leave it with an employee of the leasing office (if there is one) or notify you that they will attempt to deliver the package again at a later date when you are home.
In today’s world, parcel carriers are stepping up their game. You can provide specific delivery instructions, an e-signature for the package (if it requires a signature), an entry code to your gated apartment community, and sign up for status updates by text or email.
Although FedEx and UPS have become innovative with their approach, Amazon is always one step ahead. Not only can you provide specific delivery instructions on your account, but the deliverer of your package posts an image of where they dropped your parcel — you can see this by simply checking the status of your order on your Amazon account.
How does Amazon differ from UPS and FedEx?
If the Amazon carrier dropped the package by your front door, they send a picture of the package by your front door. That’s cooler than cool — it’s the coolest, guys. It’s nice to have a visual of your package when you’re not there. That way, you’ll know for sure where it is when you get home.
However, if the Amazon carrier hands the package directly to a person (such as an employee of the leasing office, your roommate, spouse, etc.), the status will simply say it was delivered directly to someone (and the location of the delivery).
Can my packages be delivered to the leasing office?
Over the parking lot and through the gated exit, to the leasing office we go! Depending on your relationship with the property manager, landlord, or leasing agent, the leasing (or management) office may or may not be your favorite place to go.
Regardless, I suggest staying on good terms with the office employees. This means avoiding sending 14 maintenance requests a day, or more importantly in this case, leaving your packages at the office for two weeks. Although I’m sure you wouldn’t do that, having packages delivered to your leasing office is a great option if you want to be sure it is securely delivered directly to a person (a person that’s not your questionable, nosy neighbor — let’s call him… Frank). Shameless, anyone?
Ask your property manager or landlord
It's important to ask your leasing office what their regulations are regarding package deliveries. Although most offices will accept your packages, it’s still important to ask what their policy is on the matter.
If you live in a laid-back community, they will likely hold the package until you pick it up. However, if the office management runs a tight ship, you will probably have a certain amount of time to pick up your package before they will no longer hold it (possibly a day or two). If not picked up, the property manager may send the package back to the carrier after multiple attempts to get in contact with you.
The abundance of package deliveries can be stressful for the employees in your apartment’s leasing office, especially during the holidays when online shopping skyrockets or when people begin to panic buy essential items. They have to deal with the process of receiving, signing for (sometimes), logging, storing, and contacting residents about delivered packages. Sometimes they have to start collecting packages if the parcel locker has become too full due to residents not picking up their packages. So please make sure you’re keeping track of all of your packages and you’re frequently picking them up from either the parcel locker or your leasing office.
Reasons why packages can't be left at the leasing office
Your property manager has the right to refuse package delivery at the leasing office. Instead, they may direct the parcel carrier to your front door. If they are receiving an abundance of deliveries, do not have room for said deliveries, or are having trouble getting residents to pick up their packages, the property manager may decide that parcel delivery is no longer allowed to the leasing office.
The pandemic showed us the importance of preparing for the unexpected. For example, in that emergency situation, packages were often not delivered to the leasing office, and residents usually weren't allowed inside themselves. Be aware that during emergencies, packages may be delivered differently like they were during the pandemic, when mail and parcel carriers delivered directly to mailboxes and front doors.
Tips for getting packages properly delivered to your apartment
We all want our packages delivered promptly and safely delivered to our homes. But there are a few things that we can do ourselves to help our mail and parcel carriers get our packages to us correctly and on time.
Where to have your packages delivered
If you’re looking for a secure way to get your packages delivered to your apartment, then the leasing office is a safe option. However, if you will not be home at the time your package is being delivered, and you’d prefer to not pick it up at the leasing office, you can contact the delivery service and request them to hold your package — you can do this online on your account or over the phone. They will give you the option to pick it up at one of their nearby office locations or have it shipped at a later date.
How to enter your apartment address
When entering your apartment address online, be sure to put down your specific apartment address in Address Line 1. If your apartment or unit number is not in your mailing address, you’ll need to put it in Address Line 2 or in the box for Apartment or Suite Number. If not entered correctly (but close enough), many websites will provide you with a recommended (and approved) address by their chosen parcel carrier — it’s quite helpful, but we suggest double checking that you’ve entered your apartment number correctly in the address lines. After all, you wouldn’t want to accidentally type in Frank’s unit number instead of your own.
Choose an apartment with mailing features
When looking for an apartment, take note of the community’s mail features, such as the existence of a well-kept mail room or outdoor mail area, the kind of parcel lockers, the leasing office’s package holding policy, and a secure location for package deliveries by the unit’s front door. You’ll want to choose an apartment with efficient mail amenities. Your online-shopping-self will thank you!
