Parcel Lockers for Social and Community Housing

“We are a community housing provider. Parcels go missing from our foyers, tenants miss important deliveries, and our staff spend time on disputes. Can we afford parcel lockers?” Social and community housing has the same parcel problem as any apartment building, with higher stakes and tighter budgets. A missing parcel may be a replacement ID, a medicine from an online pharmacy or a child’s school item. A locker for a community housing provider has to be durable, cheap to run, usable without a smartphone, and simple for staff to administer across many buildings.

When lockers make sense for a provider

Sign	Why it matters
Parcels regularly reported missing from foyers	Theft and disputes cost tenants and staff time
Tenants missing important deliveries	Couriers take parcels back to the depot when no one answers
Shared foyers with no supervision	No one is accountable for parcels left in the open
Staff mediating parcel disputes	Time that could go to tenancy support

If none of these apply, a locker is probably not the priority.

Keeping costs low

Software is a flat fee per building, with no per-parcel and no tenant fees, so costs do not rise with use.
Size modestly. Count parcels for a week; small buildings may need only 8 to 12 cells (small strata has the same logic).
Standardise across buildings: one spec, one admin process, one account.
Avoid optional extras such as chilled cells or card payment unless there is a clear need.

Durability and vandal resistance

Steel cabinets with recessed locks.
A position inside the secure line, well lit and overlooked, ideally with CCTV.
Every opening logged; repeated failed codes are visible to staff.
In exposed positions, an outdoor-rated cabinet.

Tenants without smartphones

Not every tenant has a smartphone or data. The locker supports:

a numeric PIN by SMS to any mobile, including basic phones;
codes by email;
codes to a nominated support worker or family member, with the tenant’s consent;
staff-assisted collection, with the opening logged.

The locker holds names and contact details. Explain to tenants what is collected and why, get consent for any third-party contact (such as a support worker), and remove former tenants promptly. The directory can be managed through the API if you want it to follow your tenancy system.

Building the case for a budget or funding submission

Community housing budgets are tight and often go through a board or funder. A short, evidence-based case helps:

Count the problem. Log missing-parcel reports and the staff time spent on them for a month or two.
Describe the impact on tenants in plain terms: missed documents, repeat trips to depots, disputes between neighbours.
Compare options. Delivery instructions, CCTV and a locked parcel room may solve part of the problem for less (parcel theft options).
Pilot one building with the highest need before committing a portfolio budget.
Report back with the same measures after six months.

Explaining the lockers to tenants

Use a one-page sheet in plain language and in the community languages spoken in the building: where the locker is, what message to expect, how to collect, who to call for help, and that the locker is free to use. A short session in the common room, with staff showing a collection, helps tenants who are wary of new technology.

Rough cost

A small bank of about 10 cells with a courier touchscreen typically comes in at a few thousand dollars, roughly A$3,000–7,000 ex GST. A building system of 50–100 cells is roughly A$12,000–30,000 ex GST. On top of that there is a flat monthly software fee of around A$150 per building, with no per-parcel or resident fees. Delivery and installation are quoted per site, and your quote fixes the price.

Providers with several buildings can ask for a staged, per-building quote.

Price enquiry

Ask for a price for your building

Rough guide: A small bank of about 10 cells with a courier touchscreen typically comes in at a few thousand dollars, roughly A$3,000–7,000 ex GST. A building system of 50–100 cells is roughly A$12,000–30,000 ex GST. On top of that there is a flat monthly software fee of around A$150 per building, with no per-parcel or resident fees. Delivery and installation are quoted per site, and your quote fixes the price.

Your building

Suburb

State or territory

Apartments, lots, beds or tenants

Parcels a day (if known)

Timing and budget

When do you want lockers working?

Budget for the lockers

Strata approval stage

What would you like?

Your details

Name *

Email *

Building or organisation (optional)

Phone (optional)

Anything else? (optional)

Want to add a cell mix or a payment preference? Use the full price enquiry.

Provider checklist

☐ Evidence of the problem: missing-parcel reports and staff time on disputes
☐ Buildings ranked by need
☐ Standard spec and cell mix
☐ Position inside the secure line, lit and overlooked
☐ PIN by SMS, email and nominated-contact options switched on
☐ Tenant information sheet, in plain language and community languages
☐ Directory updates linked to tenancy start and end

Where this is the wrong answer

The building has very few deliveries and no theft. Spend the budget elsewhere.
There is no secure or overlooked spot. A locker in a hidden, unlit corner invites damage. Fix the space or lighting first.
Nobody can maintain the tenant list. A stale directory sends codes to former tenants, which is a privacy problem.

Parcel theft in apartment buildings
Unattended buildings
Retirement village parcel lockers, for accessibility settings
Outdoor parcel lockers

Frequently asked questions

Are parcel lockers worth it for community housing?

They can be where parcel theft and missed deliveries cause real hardship, for example when replacement cards or documents, an online pharmacy order or a child’s school items go missing from a foyer. Weigh the cost against how often parcels go missing and how much tenant-liaison time disputes take. For small buildings with few deliveries, cheaper measures may do.

Do tenants pay anything to use the lockers?

Not from us. We charge the provider a flat monthly software fee per building, with no per-parcel or resident fees. Whether the provider recovers any cost is its policy decision.

What if tenants do not have smartphones?

Codes can be sent by SMS to a basic phone, by email, or to a nominated support worker or family member. Tenant-liaison staff can also open a cell from the portal for a tenant who needs help.

How durable are the lockers?

They are steel cabinets with recessed locks, and every opening is logged, which deters tampering. Place them in a well-lit, overlooked spot, ideally covered by CCTV, and inside the secure line where possible. In exposed spots, use an outdoor-rated cabinet.