Package Theft Solutions for Apartment Residents

Despite countless innovations in community security and home surveillance, finding successful package theft solutions is still a major issue. More than 3 in 4 Americans have been a victim of package theft in their lifetime, with 35% of respondents to a recent Safewise survey saying they had a package stolen in the last year.¹ Sadly, apartment residents are roughly 34% more likely to fall victim to package theft than any other home type, according to Capital One Shopping research.²

To ensure secure package delivery, consumers are now going to great lengths to protect their packages. Here are a few solutions that can help protect apartment residents from package theft.

Sign Up for Delivery Alerts

One of the easiest – and most common – ways apartment residents can prevent package theft is to sign up for delivery alerts. Most every delivery company offers this service in some shape or form, often in the form of email and text alerts or push notifications from dedicated mobile apps.

By signing up for delivery alerts, residents can track their package in real-time and be ready to retrieve it upon its delivery to their doorstep – before any enterprising package thieves can get to it. Capital One Shopping research reveals 88% of consumers monitor their packages en route to prevent package theft.³

Enlist a Trusted Neighbor

Capital One Shopping research says 57% of consumers remain at home to receive a package delivery.⁴ However, this isn’t always an option – especially for residents who have to work in-office or have other obligations that keep them away from home during usual delivery hours.

To prevent package theft, consider asking a trusted neighbor to keep an eye out for package deliveries. Residents can provide their neighbor of choice with an estimated delivery date and time, enabling that neighbor to keep an eye out for deliveries accordingly.

Install a Home Security Camera or Doorbell Camera

Property managers can install or suggest residents install a video doorbell camera or other home security camera near their front door to prevent package theft. This technology, while on the newer side, is familiar to many residents. According to Capital One Shopping research, 46% of consumers already have some kind of security camera to monitor package delivery and 20% of U.S. households currently use a video doorbell camera.⁵

Leverage Smart Package Lockers

The most convenient and secure way to keep resident packages safe from porch pirates is to lock them up and keep them out of sight. Many apartment communities have installed smart package locker systems, like those offered by Parcel Pending by Quadient, to help ease the burden of package management and keep resident deliveries secure.

Unlike a doorbell camera or other home security camera solution, parcel lockers provide physical protection and security for resident packages, not just a package theft deterrent that may or may not be effective. Smart parcel lockers also provide residents with 24/7, on-demand access to packages, so they don’t have to rearrange their schedule to get to the leasing office or wait for a scheduled delivery service.

Parcel Pending offers a wide range of smart locker and package room solutions that ensure the simple and secure delivery and retrieval of resident packages. Our electronic lockers help property managers to streamline community operations, boost the resident experience, and, most importantly, prevent package theft.

Additional benefits of using our smart locker solutions include:

• MORE Operational Efficiency: Automate the package delivery and collection processes; with Parcel Pending PLUS’s Consolidated Box feature, residents can receive more than one delivery from the same delivery service in one locker
• MORE Package Security: Our lockers’ robust steel design ensures every package delivery is kept safe, removing liabilities for stolen packages; residents receive a delivery notification with a one-time PIN or unique barcode to access their package
• MORE Use Cases: Grant one-time delivery access to lockers for non-residents, such as maintenance personnel, pet walkers, or self-guided tours; utilize dedicated zoning for community management tasks
• MORE Insights: Get real-time insights and alerts on package locker performance with our Business Intelligence tools and online analytics portal; survey residents about their experience directly from the locker kiosk after pick-up
• MORE Customization: Our flexible API allows for seamless integration with most property management software; customize your lockers’ color or wraps to match your property’s branding or location aesthetic

Out-of-Home Package Delivery Options

Like homeowners, multifamily residents prefer to have their packages delivered safely and conveniently to their homes. However, if secure deliveries to the apartment building or community are proving challenging, here are a few convenient out-of-home delivery options to try instead.

Buy Online, Pick-Up in Store

Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS) or curbside pickup are both options offered by retailers that can help residents avoid the threat of package theft. When making a purchase online, consumers simply select the nearest retail location and pick their items up from that store instead of requesting home delivery. Curbside pickup is a similar option that allows consumers to collect orders without leaving their vehicle.

Redirect Deliveries

A growing method to prevent package theft is to redirect a package to a local carrier retail location or delivery hub. According to Capital One Shopping research, 20% of consumers have had a package delivered to an alternative address or pick-up point.⁵ With this method, packages are sent to the local post office or delivery hub and held there until the resident can collect them.

Some businesses and municipalities are beginning to offer other out-of-home delivery options, as well. New York City, for instance, recently launched LockerNYC, a free pilot program that allows New York City residents the ability to receive secure package deliveries via lockers installed on public sidewalks. This comes in the wake of 2019 New York Times reporting and other statistics on package delivery in the city, which revealed that 80% of households in New York City receive at least one delivery per week and, each day, 90,000 packages are reported stolen or lost in transit.^6,7

Are you a resident looking to redirect a package delivery? We have all the information you need on how to reroute a package with the major carriers (e.g., Amazon, FedEx, USPS, and UPS).

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To solve America’s growing package theft problem, property management should strongly consider investing in smart technology solutions like Parcel Pending’s smart parcel lockers to keep resident packages safe and secure.

Parcel Pending can help make receiving deliveries safer and more secure for residents without sacrificing convenience. To learn more about our multifamily smart package locker solutions, click here.

Sources:

1. Edwards, Rebecca. Worst Metro Cities for Package Theft for 2023. www.safewise.com. November 15, 2023. https://www.safewise.com/blog/metro-areas-porch-theft/
2. Capital One Shopping. Package Theft Statistics. capitaloneshopping.com. February 18, 2024. https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/package-theft-statistics/
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. New York City Department of Transportation. Mayor Adams, DOT Commissioner Rodriguez Launch LockerNYC To Combat Package Theft And Reduce Delivery Truck Traffic. www.nyc.gov. April 10, 2024. https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/266-24/mayor-adams-dot-commissioner-rodriguez-launch-lockernyc-combat-package-theft-reduce#/0
7. Hu, Winnie & Haag, Matthew. 90,000 Packages Disappear Daily in N.Y.C. Is Help on the Way?. www.nytimes.com. December 3, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/02/nyregion/online-shopping-package-theft.html