Packages piling up in the rental office from online orders by tenants can be a real headache this time of year for property managers.
As more and more people order online and more and more boxes are delivered by Amazon and others, the issue is growing for property managers who are sometimes dodging packages left for tenants in the property management office.
Package security is a concern for all and thus folks in apartments many times have only the property management office as a solution and place to have their packages sent.
“Package delivery continues to be on the rise and this trend isn’t going to let up anytime soon. It’s evident a solution is needed now more than ever to provide both apartment management and residents alike the most robust and convenient package management solutions,” Georgianna W. Oliver, general manager and founder of Package Concierge, said in a release.
“When residents can access their packages whenever is convenient for them. It’s win-win for the industry. Leasing teams will take back their time to focus on customer service instead of package management, and residents have ultimate freedom with shipping and receiving deliveries,” Oliver said.
Her company sells a package concierge room which includes a surface-mounted kiosk that includes a 7-inch touch screen, barcode reader, still camera and effortless technology is used to control the package room. Automation with property management software creates efficiency for onsite staff and package carriers, allowing for easy drop-off or retrieval abilities. Residents have 24-hour access to retrieve and return packages with the ease of mobile app technology, according to the release.
Packages piling up for tenants
The Washington Post talked to three people in the property management industry about this problem.
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- “This is one of the biggest puzzles in the apartment industry,” Rick Haughey, a vice president at the National Multifamily Housing Council, a Washington nonprofit group, told the Washington Post. “How do you manage hundreds of packages every day?”
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- “People are buying everything online — even furniture, which means our offices end up looking like West Elm warehouses,” Luanne McNulty, vice president of ZRS Management, an Orlando-based property-management company told the Post. “Sorting all of that out is easily a full-time job.”
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- “Some days I’m crawling over packages — they’ll be all around my desk, on the tables, on the shelves,” Greenwald, the manager of Gelmarc Towers, a 1950s building that has 166 units, told the newspaper. “It can feel like an obstacle course.”
A National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) resident survey ranked access to packages as the second most important amenity, right after fitness centers. The reasons for the high importance ranking are clear: consumers don’t want to miss deliveries because they’re not home; they want to know their packages are safe and secure; and they want to have access to their packages at convenient times.
Amazon hub for packages
Earlier this year, Amazon launched a new locker product for apartment buildings to help with this problem called The Hub.
Amazon has launched a new delivery locker product, called “the Hub,” for apartment buildings so residents can securely receive bulky packages and pick them up at convenient times for the tenants, according to Amazon.
Amazon is pitching the lockers to apartment owners and property managers saying, ”Your residents will thank you.
“Accepting deliveries from all carriers, Hub by Amazon can free you and your staff from daily package management. It’s convenient and easy to use, making the Hub an amenity your residents will love.
“Self-service delivery and trusted customer support come together to create a solution you can count on,” the company says.
Large property owners such as AvalonBay Communities Inc., Equity Residential, Greystar and Bozzuto Group are on board with Amazon’s plan to install wireless-connected locker units both inside and outside of high-traffic apartment buildings, according to reports.
Holiday Package Volume Means Hectic Season for Property Teams
