Help Tenants Receive Packages and Save a Trip to The Post Office

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Help Tenants Receive Their Packages and Save Them a Trip to The Post Office

Whenever you have shopped online and/or eagerly awaited a package addressed to you that is being handled by the USPS, you have probably come across this dreaded piece of paper on your door. Maybe you were out of the house and no one else was around to sign for your package. Maybe you did not hear the knock or doorbell (or maybe they didn’t even knock). Regardless of the reason, you now have a slip of paper that calls for a trip to the post office. It is a trip no one wants to take, especially if they work 9AM – 5PM all week. This means they have to go during the early hours of Saturday instead of sleeping in.

If this frustrates you as a property manager, you can bet your tenants do not find it appealing either. It is no surprise that having a package management system is a valuable amenity for an apartment complex. In an era where online shopping is so common and widespread that Amazon is the third most valuable corporation on the planet, being able to successfully receive a package becomes a constant problem in the mind of any online buyer. Even with solutions like the Amazon locker system available at grocery stores and school universities, it is still not perfect because it is not available for packages outside of Amazon. If available, frustrated customers might then choose an option to have the package left at their doorstep, but then run the risk of package theft, which has been increasing in frequency alongside the total number of online deliveries.

The key difference here is that you are able to do something about it. You can choose to have a designated delivery room or package lock box to save your tenants the hassle. Adding larger lock boxes that can be accessed with a key can work for small – medium size packages. A dedicated mail storage space can handle larger packages.

This system does come with its own share of problems, though. A dedicated package management room requires you to have an available, appropriately-sized room for that purpose. Smaller packages at reasonable volumes might be what one would normally expect. However, the holiday season will see an influx of packages for tenants buying gifts for their loved ones; that room can fill up fast. There is also the issue of tenants not picking up their packages right away. This can create clutter that can be problematic if you are also dealing with increased volume. Tenants may also expect you to manage larger packages, like furniture or mattresses, if you do not set reasonable limitations.

As always, it is important to weigh out what will work best for your property. With this in mind, adding a dedicated package management system will add value and keep tenants happy. At the same time, be realistic and give reasonable limitations. This will prevent having to decide what to do with someone’s 1:1 replica of the chair from Game of Thrones.