If you own multifamily real estate, you’ve already seen the effects of eCommerce — package pile-ups in entryways, mailrooms, and other common spaces. Package protection is quickly becoming a must-have amenity and future tenants will want to know how you can ensure the safety of their deliveries. But how do you know if your security measures are enough? Or if your current residents are already at risk of package theft? Porch pirates stole an estimated 260 million packages in 2022, amounting to an estimated $19.5 billion loss in stolen goods, so the need for package security is only increasing with time.

Smiota Smart Lockers provide unique security measures that are designed to keep multifamily building packages safe, secure, and out of the way. Let’s explore how you can prevent package theft in apartment buildings using cost-effective smart locker solutions as well as methods on identifying theft risks.

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Beefing Up Security With Smiota

In 2022, nearly one in seven Americans had at least one package stolen from them. With eCommerce only increasing in ubiquity, it seems in order to bring those numbers down, it’s on property owners and managers to beef up security measures to keep bad actors out.

The best way to do this is by installing smart lockers from Smiota. Here are just a few security features that can help keep your tenants’ packages safe:

  • User security: Each of our locker solutions boast role-based security access, password policies, and OAuth token-based security to ensure the only user able to access a locker is the owner of that package.
  • Data security: TLS 1.2 ensures end-to-end encrypted communication so savvy cybercriminals are kept out.
  • Real-time monitoring: Automated, regular reporting of locker unit integrity, hardware malfunctions, break-in attempts, and other security issues.
  • Locker security: The lockers themselves are constructed with heavy-gauge steel to ensure maximum security. They are also locked down with MDM from 2Gears.

While the security features are certainly crucial to protecting packages, Smiota Smart Lockers have additional benefits, such as keeping mailrooms and common areas tidy, UV-C and antimicrobial protection, and 24/7/365 accessibility for extra convenience for package recipients.

How to Identify Package Theft in Apartment Buildings

The first step toward mitigating package theft risks is understanding where they come from. Here are some ways you can gain insights on flaws in your building’s security:

1. Ask the neighbors

Perhaps your property is in a neighborhood that’s already experiencing some level of crime. You can stay in the loop by joining community forums, apps such as Nextdoor, email lists, or police department newsletters. If nearby neighbors are reporting package theft, your renters could be the next victims.

 

2. Check the cameras

Surveillance cameras might not prevent theft on their own, but if you have them installed, the footage can give you an idea of where and how those thefts may occur. Look for questionable activity in and around the building, especially unauthorized visitors or strangers loitering on the premises.

And don’t be fooled by uniforms — some thieves dress as couriers or food delivery drivers to avoid suspicion while they snatch packages.

 

3. Gaps in security

Where do deliveries end up? In an unattended lobby, with a doorman, or even right outside the front door? When boxes start to stack up in plain sight, it’s an invitation for thieves.

You may think packages are safe as long as they’re delivered inside the building. But it can be pretty easy for strangers to gain access to the lobby. If your building doesn’t have a physical or virtual doorman, residents could be buzzing anyone and everyone through the front door. This is how one thief got into several apartment buildings in Manhattan to steal over $2,500 worth of goods. Additionally, make sure tenants know not to hold open the door for people they don’t recognize as a neighbor.

In some cases, the thieves may be already inside the building — tenants could be stealing their neighbors’ packages from common areas and doorsteps. Even if you haven’t yet heard complaints from tenants about missing mail, if packages are left out in the open, it’s likely only a matter of time before a theft occurs.

 

4. Residents are shipping elsewhere

Maybe you’ve noticed that tenants are taking matters into their own hands. Nationwide, nearly 35% of online shoppers have shipped to an alternative address to avoid theft, and 53% reorganized their schedules to make sure they’re at home for deliveries. Your residents might be staying home from work to receive a package, choosing to pick up packages at a shipping center, or having items delivered to their work address or a friend’s house. This is a sure sign that residents don’t feel their building is a safe place for packages.

Also look for notes to couriers requesting that they leave packages in a designated area, ring a doorbell, or take some sort of extra precaution to protect the delivery.

5. Reports of package problems

If residents are coming to you directly with security concerns or theft reports — or your prospective tenants don’t seem impressed with the building’s current package management — it’s time to take action. Solutions such as mailroom software, smart-lock technology, and package lockers can help ensure last-mile delivery to your residential building.

These add-ons impress tenants, too. In fact, 28% of renters rated package lockers as a “very important” amenity. The majority of those surveyed had some level of preference for these lockers, and 30% said they’d even be willing to pay extra for this solution. Those percentages are only going to go up as online ordering continues to rise.

If your renters aren’t comfortable receiving deliveries at your building, check out how smart solutions like package lockers can help.

Smiota Smart Lockers are Your Number One Resource for Preventing Package Theft in Apartment Buildings

With top-of-the-line security features and sturdy materials, Smiota’s smart lockers are your best resource for protecting against package theft in apartment buildings. Make your shipping and receiving efforts a breeze with automated, 24/7 access, heightened security, a customizable platform, and an app that easily integrates with your existing software.

Schedule a demo or give us a call today to find out how we can help!