Apartment package problems

Packages Left in the Lobby or at Apartment Doors? How to Fix It

Short answer: packages end up in lobbies and outside apartment doors when a building has no single, secure place every carrier is expected to use, and no one is accountable for what happens after the driver leaves. The fix is one designated package space, one receiving process that every carrier follows, and one party accountable for that process.

What property managers tell us

When apartment and condo teams contact us about packages, they describe the same few situations:

Packages are left in building lobbies or in front of apartment doors because there is nowhere else for them to go.
The property already has lockers, but drivers skip them, don't log deliveries and leave packages around the property.
Packages pile up in the office faster than the team can sort them, especially as the community grows.
There is a package room, but it isn't secure, and securing it seems to mean adding front-desk hours.

None of this is unusual. In the NMHC and Kingsley Associates package delivery survey (released November 2018), community managers reported about 150 packages a week at a typical community, rising to roughly 270 during the holidays, an 81% jump. That survey is older, but it is still the most widely cited apartment benchmark, and it shows why an informal system breaks down.

Why packages end up in the lobby

No designated drop point. If the building doesn't tell carriers exactly where packages go, each driver decides, and the fastest option is the lobby floor or the resident's door.
Lockers that can't absorb the volume. When lockers are full, or a box is too big for any door, the overflow goes back to the lobby.
Open, unsecured space. A corner of the lobby or an unlocked room becomes storage by default, with no record of who took what.
No owner. When package intake is everyone's side job, it becomes no one's job during the busiest weeks.

How to fix it in five steps

1. Pick one secure place for every package. That can be a package room, lockers or both. Many properties convert open or underused space, such as a storage room or part of an amenity area, into a package room with controlled access.
2. Give every carrier the same instructions. Post clear delivery directions at each entrance and give the same directions to USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon and regional couriers, so no driver has to guess.
3. Log every package on arrival. A record of each package, when it arrived and when it was picked up turns "it was left in the lobby" into a question you can answer.
4. Notify residents and set pickup rules. Residents should know when a package is waiting, where it is and how long the property will hold it.
5. Make one party accountable. Decide who owns the process, including holidays and move-in weeks, and who residents call when something goes missing.

If you already have lockers

Lockers help, but lockers alone don't decide what happens when they are full, when a driver won't use them or when a package doesn't fit. Property managers with lockers tell us the problem moved rather than disappeared. A secure space for overflow and oversize packages, plus a process every carrier follows, closes that gap. On-Site Package Management works with any locker system. See package management for apartments with lockers.

Check the USPS parcel locker requirement

If you are building new or remodeling mail areas, the Postal Service has its own package rule. Under USPS Postal Operations Manual section 632.622 (reviewed October 2026), new and remodeled apartment buildings that install USPS-approved 4C mailboxes need at least one parcel locker for every five customer mail compartments. A December 2020 Federal Register notice explains that the ratio moved from 1:10 to 1:5 because of rising package volume. Ask your local postmaster whether your current equipment meets the requirement before you plan the rest of your package space.

Where On-Site Package Management fits

On-Site Package Management from Postal Solutions gives your property one partner accountable for the package room, so your property team gets hours back every week. It is available to every class of apartment community, from conventional and luxury multifamily to student housing and condo buildings, and it works with whatever lockers you have, or none.

Looking for your market? Browse On-Site Package Management by city. Postal Solutions is based in Orlando, FL.

Talk to us about your package room and tell us where packages end up today.

Frequently asked questions

Packages keep getting left in the lobby. How do we stop it?

Give every carrier one secure place to deliver, log each package on arrival, notify residents and make one party accountable for the process.

Our drivers skip the lockers and dump packages around the property. What can we do?

Give every carrier the same written delivery instructions, add a secure space for overflow and oversize packages, and make one party responsible for following up. On-Site Package Management works with any locker system.

Can we turn open space into a package room?

Often, yes. Storage rooms and underused common areas are frequent choices. The space needs controlled access, room for holiday-season volume and shelving for oversize packages.

We have a package room. How do we secure it without adding front-desk hours?

Limit who can enter the room, keep a record of every package in and out, and give one partner accountability for the process. On-Site Package Management gives your property one partner accountable for the package room.

Is On-Site Package Management only for luxury buildings?

No. It is available to every class of apartment community, including conventional multifamily and student housing.