Boxes and packages next to front door during holiday christmas season.
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It’s likely that with the rise of online shopping, most apartment complexes have seen an increase in package deliveries — and package thefts.
Technology has become available to help buildings prevent porch pirates, particularly in apartment buildings without doormen or secure package rooms, where deliveries increasingly are left in hallways and outside the building.
Valet Living, a company that provides a mobile app with package management as part of a larger amenity program onsite, including other services, such as home cleaning and dog walking services.
Valet Living Home partners with with real estate developers and property managers and provides on on-site concierge team, staffed by uniformed Home Valets who receive packages, store them in a dedicated area, and deliver them when requested from the resident via the Valet Living Home app.
Some residents also allow Home Valets access to their units to deliver the package when they’re not home. They can also schedule outbound shipments.
Matt Graves, regional vice president for Valet Living, said package management is the company’s most popular amenity service. “It’s more flexible than a concierge or doorman that’s anchored to the front desk,” Graves said. “And because they’re embedded onsite, there’s a level of trust.”
Buildings also have the option of purchasing dedicated package lockers from companies such as Parcel Pending, Luxer One and Package Concierge, which work like Amazon lockers, but provide the convenience of at-home delivery.
Graves said that while package lockers may be a good first step, with the number of packages going up, it might be difficult to scale.
Many residents feel comfortable paying for the package management service if they’re paying extra for services like Amazon Prime, Graves said.
“They pay $119 for Amazon to get their packages from their warehouse to their building, so there’s an appetite for them to pay more for that,” Graves said.