Tips on Getting Your Packages Delivered to Your Apartment

With the 2021 holiday season upon us and supply chains creating slower shipping times, people who live in apartments are wondering whether online shopping outlets will deliver orders and if it is as safe as deliveries going to houses.

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 resident services office are examples of how apartment residents receive parcels. And of course, the way your mail is delivered depends not only on the type of rental or apartment community you live in but on the delivery service you’re dealing with, as well, where you live.

Many apartment communities also have parcel lockers for this purpose. However, the package delivery process varies between apartment complexes, so check in with your landlord or community manager to see which applies to you and your particular apartment community.

Tips & Tricks

1. Order early! With unexpected supply chain delays in 2021, ordering early means you’re less likely to experience issues.
2. Do it old-school. That’s right. Go shopping in person! Spend a Saturday at your local mall shopping for gifts. It’s the only 100% guarantee you’ll have your presents in time for the holidays!
3. If you’re worried about packages sitting too long before you’re able to get home, you can require a signature for delivery. If you pick this option, a note left at your door tells you when a delivery attempt is made. The note may include when they’ll be back or give you instructions on how to schedule delivery.

Smart Lockers

Companies have emerged to provide game-changing parcel solutions in the form of smart parcel lockers. A smart locker system like apartment package lockers uses state-of-the-art technology to automatically accept, store, protect, and deliver packages of various shapes and sizes to residents at multifamily apartment communities.

At Irvine Company Apartment Communities, residents have a mobile app, which allows them to receive parcel locker codes when new packages arrive. Codes can also be texted or emailed to the resident. Residents then go down to the parcel locker room to retrieve their package. It’s just that easy.

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New Package-Safe Technology

Technological innovation is changing the way people approach their daily lives. At-home security for protecting your deliveries has been developed to make package delivery more reliable.

When a delivery driver requests access to a customer’s home, some delivery companies have developed verification that ensures the correct driver is at the right address, at the intended time, through an authentication process. Once this process is successfully completed, a camera starts recording and the door is then unlocked. No access codes or keys are ever provided to delivery drivers.

Other Ways to Receive Packages

• Get a mailbox at a retail outlet or mailbox postal center ensures safe mail delivery.
• Have packages delivered or held at a shipping center.
• Send packages to your office, if permitted.
• Upon permission, send packages to a friend or family member who can easily receive them.

When looking for an apartment, ask about the community’s mail features, such as the existence of a USPS-approved parcel locker, well-kept mailroom, the resident office’s package holding policy, or a secure location for package deliveries by the unit’s front door. You’ll want to choose an apartment with an efficient mail system.