Parcels disappearing from the lobby, the mailroom floor or outside apartment doors is one of the most common complaints property managers hear. Residents blame the building, the building blames couriers, and nobody has a record of what happened. This page compares the options for stopping it, including the ones that don’t involve buying anything.
Quick answer
- The cause: parcels left where anyone can pick them up, with no record of collection.
- Cameras: good for investigating, weak at preventing.
- Delivery rules: only work if couriers follow them.
- Locked package room: stops outsiders, not residents taking each other’s parcels.
- Package lockers: one door and code per parcel, every opening logged.
- Carrier pickup points: keep parcels out of the building; residents walk further.
- Price: see the rough price guide if lockers are the answer.
Where theft happens in a building
| Spot | Who takes parcels | Why it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Outside the street door | Passers-by | Couriers can’t get in and leave the parcel |
| Lobby floor or shelf | Anyone let in, including tailgaters | No custody once the courier leaves |
| Shared package room | Residents and anyone with access | Shared space, no per-parcel control |
| Outside apartment doors | Anyone in the corridors | Couriers let in by another resident |
Knowing where your losses happen tells you which measure fixes them.
The options compared
| Option | Stops outsiders | Stops residents taking others’ parcels | Record of collection | Cost | Staff time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security cameras | Sometimes deters | Rarely | Footage only | Low to moderate | Reviewing footage |
| Delivery rules (“no parcels in common areas”) | Only if followed | No | No | Nil | Enforcing them |
| Front desk receives parcels | Yes, in desk hours | Yes | Manual log | Staff wages | High |
| Locked package room | Yes | No | Usually not | Low | Logging, if done |
| Package lockers | Yes | Yes | Automatic, per parcel | Moderate up front plus software | Low |
| Carrier pickup points or retail lockers | Yes | Yes | Carrier’s record | Nil to the building | Nil; residents travel |
Measures that cost nothing
Start here, whatever else you do:
- Find out where parcels go missing. Ask residents to report losses with time and place for a month.
- Fix courier entry. Give regular carriers a way in so parcels are not left outside the street door.
- Stop tailgating at the main entrance with signs and a door that closes properly.
- Tell residents about pickup points for valuable or urgent items.
If losses stop, you may not need anything more.
When lockers are the right step
Lockers earn their place when:
- losses continue after the free measures,
- parcels go missing between residents, not just to outsiders,
- disputes take staff time because nobody can prove who collected what, or
- the front desk cannot receive parcels at all hours.
Each parcel then goes into its own cell, the resident gets a code, and every drop-off and collection is time-stamped. Staff see who collected and when. If the building already has a package room, see package room vs package lockers for the hybrid layout.
What lockers do not fix
- Parcels too big for any cell still need a secure place; plan an oversize area.
- Couriers who skip the locker and leave parcels outside; settle access with them.
- Doorstep deliveries couriers make directly to apartments after being let in by a resident; house rules and courier access need to route everything to the locker.
Where lockers are the wrong answer
- Losses are rare and the free measures fixed them.
- All theft is outside the street door because couriers cannot get in. Fix entry first.
- Most parcels are bulky, where a locked receiving room is the better fit.
Rough price guide and quote
If lockers are the right step for your building, the ranges below give a first budget.
A small bank of about 10 cells with a courier touchscreen typically comes in at a few thousand US dollars, roughly US$2,000–5,000. A 50–100-cell building system is roughly US$8,000–20,000. Software is a flat monthly fee of around US$100 per location, with no per-parcel or resident fees. Freight, duties and installation are extra, and your quote fixes the price.
Price enquiry · 1 minute
Get a quote for your building
Tell us roughly what you need and we reply with a cell layout, a drawing and a firm price. For the full form with cell sizes and options, use the price enquiry page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most effective way to stop package theft in an apartment building?
Remove unattended parcels from open areas and keep a record of collection. A locked package room or package lockers both take parcels out of the lobby. Lockers go further by giving each parcel its own door and code and logging every opening, which also deals with residents taking each other’s parcels. Cameras and rules support either approach.
Do security cameras stop package theft?
They help you find out what happened and can deter casual theft, but they rarely stop a determined thief, and footage of a hooded figure is often not enough to identify anyone. Use cameras alongside a measure that removes the opportunity, such as a locked room or lockers.
Is the building liable for stolen packages?
That depends on your lease or bylaws, local law and the facts of each case. Many leases state that the landlord does not accept parcels on residents’ behalf. Take legal advice for your jurisdiction; a record of deliveries and collections makes any claim easier to resolve either way.
Do package lockers stop residents taking each other’s parcels?
Yes, that is one of the main differences from a package room. Only the person with the code for a cell can open it, and staff openings are logged under their own code. In a shared room, anyone with access can pick up any parcel.
What can residents do on their own?
Send deliveries to a carrier pickup point or retail locker, schedule delivery for when they are home, or ask a neighbour. These help individual residents but do not fix the building’s problem, because other residents’ parcels still arrive in the lobby.
Related
- Parcel lockers: the product and how a delivery runs
- Package room vs package lockers
- Small apartment building package lockers
- Unattended building package lockers
