With e-commerce skyrocketing among consumers, packages are being dropped on our doorstep more than ever before. And unfortunately, that means an unprecedented number of opportunities for porch pirates\u2014thieves who swoop in and steal packages right from under your doorknob.<\/p>\n
According to Citizens Advice, over 5million people in the UK had parcels lost or stolen in 2020. And that figure had been rising even before COVID had us all locked down at home. Thefts of parcels and packages in the UK\u00a0increased by 22% between 2016-2019<\/a>, according to Police records.<\/p>\n With this ever-growing problem, it\u2019s clear that\u00a0package theft prevention should be of utmost importance for property managers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re the property manager of a residential apartment or BTR complex and you don\u2019t have a proper package delivery\u00a0system\u00a0in place, one solution is to instruct residents to have their packages delivered only at times when they\u2019re home. But we all know that\u2019s not feasible; package delivery times are as unpredictable as your tenants are busy. Thankfully, there are several other measures you can take to keep porch pirates away from your property. Read on for package theft deterrent tips that all your tenants should know.<\/p>\n When porch pirates decide to bail on a burglary, it\u2019s rarely because they had a change of heart. Oftentimes, it\u2019s because there was deterrence and they noticed that the building they were targeting had a home security system in place. Even if a porch pirate decides to challenge your security system and go through with the package plundering, you\u2019ll have the whole thing captured on video. And when police have video evidence at their disposal, it improves their chances exponentially of tracking down the burglar. Not only does this\u00a0property management tool\u00a0deter burglars from stealing packages, but it provides extra security measures for your tenants\u2019 safety.<\/p>\n A great way to prevent a burglar from stealing a package from the lobby area or front of one of your apartment units is to ensure that the package isn\u2019t delivered there. Nowadays, your residents can make arrangements to have their packages delivered to more secure locations such as:<\/p>\n Parcel Pending by Quadient\u2019s parcel locker solution<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0maximises both security and convenience to give your residents an unrivalled package pickup experience. This easy package theft solution will significantly benefit the\u00a0customer service aspect of property management. Not to mention, it helps relieve the stress of you personally having to manage package deliveries, which saves you time and\u00a0reduces operating costs.<\/p>\n Simply put, when a package is dropped off in a locker unit, it\u2019s not leaving with anyone but the rightful owner.<\/p>\n By offering your tenants a proper solution to this theft issue, you will be making them much happier tenants. As a result of happier tenants, you\u2019ll be sure to see higher\u00a0resident retention<\/a>\u00a0rates.Beef up Your Communal Front Door Security<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nThus, you should consider fortifying the front porch security for each of your apartment units by installing:<\/p>\n\n
Send Packages Elsewhere<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Wait, What Was That Last Option?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Here\u2019s how it works:<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\nWith e-commerce now accounting for nearly 15% of all retail sales, old school tactics like \u201cI\u2019ll have my neighbour swing by and pick it up\u201d simply don\u2019t cut it anymore. As a property manager in charge of a residential apartment building \u2013 and by extension, many front doorsteps \u2013 the only effective way to prevent thieves from stealing your residents\u2019 packages is to:<\/p>\n