Apartment parcel lockers: a property manager’s checklist

If packages routinely pile up behind the front desk, start by measuring where the current process breaks down. A locker can handle many ordinary deliveries, but it still needs a plan for large boxes, full compartments, and carriers who can’t get into the building.

Track deliveries and pickups for two weeks

Have the property team record daily totals, approximate package sizes, and how many parcels are still waiting at closing. Note busy days, how much time staff spend on package handoffs, and how often residents ask where a delivery went. Counts and categories are enough for this exercise. After two weeks, you’ll know whether you’re trying to solve limited shelf space, too much staff handling, or both.

Follow the courier and resident routes

Walk from the delivery entrance to the proposed locker location. Check how couriers enter, where they can stop, and how they find the right drop-off point. Then walk the resident pickup route. Ask the supplier how residents can reach and use the controls and compartments, and ask the property team to review power, connectivity, access, and exit paths before picking a spot.

In a typical system, a courier records the delivery and the resident receives a code or other credential for pickup. Ask for a demo with the kinds of packages and couriers your building sees most. Example of a multifamily locker workflow.

Write down who handles the exceptions

• Where do oversized boxes and deliveries go when the lockers are full?
• Who helps if a resident can’t open a door or reports a missing package?
• How does a signature-required delivery get handled?
• Who updates the resident list when someone moves in or out?

Agree on who handles these cases and what residents should expect during an outage. Parcel Pending’s property documentation shows how much the answers can depend on building procedures. Parcel Pending property management FAQ.

Test the handoff your building struggles with

In an NYC building with a locked street entrance, ask a courier how they’d reach the lockers without waiting for a resident to buzz them in. If your Philadelphia property already has a staffed package room, count which deliveries still take up the team’s time after drop-off. For a Jenkintown-area community with several entrances or buildings, test the proposed delivery directions with someone unfamiliar with the property.

Bring the baseline to a pilot conversation

Share your package counts, largest box sizes, staff time, and proposed space. That gives you a way to size the locker bank and compare staff time, overflow, and pickup times once a pilot runs. Manco is exploring an apartment parcel locker pilot and can discuss where it might fit.