Postal mailbox retrofit requirements change

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 10, 2003

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has temporarily agreed to drop its proposed rules requiring apartment owners, in existing buildings, to retrofit USPS mailboxes corresponding to the larger size specifications for new construction, announces Gregory J. Carlson, executive director of the Federation.

However, the USPS is reserving the right to apply retrofit requirements to current equipment, if and when existing mailboxes are replaced due to normal wear and tear.

The USPS determined it needed to devise new specifications for apartment mailboxes due to consumer complaints about identity theft and damaged mail due to small, cramped mailboxes. Additionally, the USPS claims that parcel service has increased and mail carriers are suffering injuries from sharp mailbox parts.

It is expected the new specifications will be finalized later this year or early next year and will include the provision requiring all new multifamily residences install mailboxes that meet these new specs and parcel lockers for packages.

It should be noted, the USPS is considering issuing waivers for retrofitted mailboxes. Those exemptions tentatively include: inappropriate space to accommodate larger boxes, shareholders and/ or unit owners vote against replacing current equipment with larger boxes and the costs associated with retrofitting are prohibitive.

The proposed specs required for all new apartment buildings are:

Mailboxes Minimum dimensions: 3" h x 12"wx 15"d

Parcel Lockers (minimum number to be based on the total amount of building units) Minimum dimensions (small): 15" h x 12" w x 15" d, Minimum dimensions (large): 18" h x 12" w x 15" d

The new specifications will include stricter construction and higher-grade material requirements to help reduce criminal tampering and deterioration due to inclement weather.