The package delivery boom has grown with each passing year – and only increased in response to the coronavirus pandemic. For many multi-family living units and apartment buildings, the old-fashioned “mail slot” just isn’t cutting it anymore. People are ordering groceries weekly, online shopping for clothes, renting equipment, and waiting on prescriptions. 

Your apartment package locker room has to be updated for safety and efficiency in order to function through the chaos of the outside world. Here are 4 additions you need to make to keep your package locker room up to snuff: 

Smart Lockers

Chances are you’re seeing smart lockers all over the place – now that you’ve started to pay attention. They are gracing spaces in grocery stores, cafes, libraries, colleges, and many more communal businesses and locations.

This is because they make a lot of sense for places that send and receive large amounts of parcels and packages. And this is exactly why they are an important technology you need to add to your package room. 

Smart lockers have a long list of bonuses to consider – but the long and the short of it is that these smart technologies and improved processes of delivering and receiving mail make for safe and secure package rooms, efficient delivery turnaround, and appreciative tenants. You eliminate hazardous piles of packages that can accumulate in hallways, stairwells, and mail areas. You make the delivery process more efficient, and individuals are alerted immediately when their packages arrive. 

Proper Room Security

So you’ve added smart lockers to your apartment package locker room. This already increases the safety and security of the mailroom significantly. Since packages are secured inside lockers that require a specific password or smart device, the temptation for opportunistic theft and “porch pirates” is reduced. 

However, there are additional security upgrades you need to consider. Where applicable, updating locks and security cards can be a good idea so that individuals are safe while retrieving their packages. 

If you do not already utilize them, cameras in the public access areas of your building are another upgrade that may be necessary. This can provide major piece of mind and also security for a building owner and manager. 

Additionally, with the staffing shortages seen during the pandemic and the risk of people working in person, there has been an increase in remote doormen, intercom systems, and similar technologies. Again, depending on the building, the package locker room, and your needs as an owner and manager, this could be an enticing and strategic option for increasing safety. 

Complimentary Shipping Supplies For Residents

The package delivery boom means more packages are coming in – but it also means that more packages are going out. Drawing and retaining respectful, reliable tenants is at the core of a functioning living unit, and upgrades big and small can make a big difference in securing those agreements for years to come – ensuring the sustainability and the profit of your enterprise. 

Many building owners, managers, and developers go big – in-house gyms, deals on first month’s rent, saunas, and steam rooms – the list goes on. These aspects are absolutely effective in convincing people to live and make their homes within your property. However, smaller touches can have a meaningful impact as well. It may seem overly simple, but providing basic shipping supplies at a station in your apartment package locker room is easy to do and a huge help: tape, scissors, pens, envelopes, and maybe even recycled boxes is an addition that will tangibly improve the return process – something more and more consumers are relying on. People will appreciate it so much, that it’s an addition you need to make. Updated Aesthetics

Unsurprisingly, the apartment package locker room is one of the places in a building that gets the least amount of design and aesthetic attention. Which is a shame, really. You’ve spent so much time on these factors in your building, only to leave this area (that everyone uses, for the most part) with an ominous, sterile, or dungeon-like appearance. 

If this is the case for your building, you need to make some changes and additions. Luckily, technology upgrades like smart lockers are easily customizable with color and size – this can kick off the design process in a straightforward way. A complimentary shipping materials table can make the space more cozy and functional. Minimal art, seasonal decoration, and cleanliness go a long way too. Updating the aesthetics of the package locker room doesn’t have to be extensive or expensive to truly upgrade people’s mailroom experiences.