Hi,
I represent a tenants association for a block of 12 flats in Manchester. They were built in the 60's and the current bank of external letter box openings are very small and mail is easily stolen from the outside via the flap. (mail is retrieved from the inside)
We are in the process of replacing the entire front entrance and are considering mounting a bank of 12 metal boxes on a ground floor internal wall.
Two queries have arisen......
Is it acceptable to give the postman or sorting office a front door key to access these internal boxes ?
Secondly, the current design for the NEW front entrance includes a regular single "communal" letterbox. The idea being that this could be used for circulars, junk mail etc without them having to gain entry. However it has now been suggested that if we have such a box it would be used for all mail and the postman would not be required to use the individual internal boxes.
We would really appreciate any views, help or advice before we go ahead with these improvements.
Many thx
Martin
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Communal letter boxes in flats
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fishtank
- Posts: 19732
- Joined: 28 Sep 2007, 17:22
- Gender: Male
Re: Communal letter boxes in flats
Delivering Mail to Multi-Occupied Addresses
If you live or occupy business premises in a location where our delivery staff only have access to a single point where they deliver mail for multiple residences or premises within that location, this is considered to be a multi-occupied address.
Where delivery arrangements already exist where a facility is provided such as a central point for the delivery of mail or the provision of external lockable letter boxes at a building/site, these will be deemed as the delivery point for the individual addresses. In such circumstances, Royal Mail will not perform deliveries to individual residences or business premises, if requested by individual customers, even if the delivery standard criteria below are met.
Residential Locations
Where separate facilities are provided for each residence, we will only deliver mail directly to your residence or to a centrally located box corresponding to your residence, provided all of the following conditions are met:
Your residence is a self-contained property and is separately and individually rated by the local authority for council tax purposes.
Your residence can be clearly identified (with a number, letter or name) and has its own letterbox (or a secure lockable receptacle that clearly corresponds to the residence)
Our delivery staff can gain safe and easy access to perform delivery to your residence.
The residence is a permanent structure
Should any of the conditions above not be met then we are not obliged to deliver mail directly to your residence. Instead, we will deliver your mail to a suitable central reception point or letterbox for your location, together with other mail for this location.
Changes to Delivery Arrangements
Any requests to change current delivery arrangements for any multi-occupied location will be dealt with on the following basis:
Any review of the delivery arrangements for the location must include all the residences/business premises.
Any such requests must come from the building or site owner (or similar) who commits to ensuring that delivery arrangements are similar (where appropriate) for all residences or business at the location.
If a communal delivery point is provided and an occupant of an address contained within a multi-occupied location requests a delivery to their individual address, we are not obliged to provide this.
Where a facility is provided, such as the provision of external lockable letter boxes in a block of flats, these will be deemed to be the delivery point for individual addresses within a multi-occupied location. In such circumstances, we will not perform deliveries to individual front doors, if requested by or on behalf of individual customers, even if all the conditions outlined above are met.
If you live or occupy business premises in a location where our delivery staff only have access to a single point where they deliver mail for multiple residences or premises within that location, this is considered to be a multi-occupied address.
Where delivery arrangements already exist where a facility is provided such as a central point for the delivery of mail or the provision of external lockable letter boxes at a building/site, these will be deemed as the delivery point for the individual addresses. In such circumstances, Royal Mail will not perform deliveries to individual residences or business premises, if requested by individual customers, even if the delivery standard criteria below are met.
Residential Locations
Where separate facilities are provided for each residence, we will only deliver mail directly to your residence or to a centrally located box corresponding to your residence, provided all of the following conditions are met:
Your residence is a self-contained property and is separately and individually rated by the local authority for council tax purposes.
Your residence can be clearly identified (with a number, letter or name) and has its own letterbox (or a secure lockable receptacle that clearly corresponds to the residence)
Our delivery staff can gain safe and easy access to perform delivery to your residence.
The residence is a permanent structure
Should any of the conditions above not be met then we are not obliged to deliver mail directly to your residence. Instead, we will deliver your mail to a suitable central reception point or letterbox for your location, together with other mail for this location.
Changes to Delivery Arrangements
Any requests to change current delivery arrangements for any multi-occupied location will be dealt with on the following basis:
Any review of the delivery arrangements for the location must include all the residences/business premises.
Any such requests must come from the building or site owner (or similar) who commits to ensuring that delivery arrangements are similar (where appropriate) for all residences or business at the location.
If a communal delivery point is provided and an occupant of an address contained within a multi-occupied location requests a delivery to their individual address, we are not obliged to provide this.
Where a facility is provided, such as the provision of external lockable letter boxes in a block of flats, these will be deemed to be the delivery point for individual addresses within a multi-occupied location. In such circumstances, we will not perform deliveries to individual front doors, if requested by or on behalf of individual customers, even if all the conditions outlined above are met.
good times, bad times you know I've had my share
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TDBscotland
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 11 Jan 2012, 12:55
- Gender: Male
Re: Communal letter boxes in flats
Wow that's an answer and a half......... many thx
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bag69
- Posts: 297
- Joined: 18 Mar 2010, 19:52
- Gender: Male
Re: Communal letter boxes in flats
Just give your postie a key to get in. It works all over the country. Do many blocks like yours myself. Some i have keys for, brilliant. Some i dont, they get the mail when someone answers the buzzer. Just to let you know we dont have time to press too many buzzers. You would be surprised how difficult some residents make it for us to deliver post.
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TeeferTiger
- EX ROYAL MAIL
- Posts: 2783
- Joined: 22 Dec 2008, 13:56
- Gender: Female
- Location: Welsh Wales
Re: Communal letter boxes in flats
And if the key gets lost, who pays for the replacement? If an agency worker requires entry rather than the usual postie, are the residents going to be happy that someone they don't "know" has a key? etc. Much easier to just get letterboxes sorted.
Does this rag smell of chloroform to you?
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TDBscotland
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 11 Jan 2012, 12:55
- Gender: Male
Re: Communal letter boxes in flats
OK, thanks again for the input
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not me
- Posts: 2735
- Joined: 10 Aug 2007, 15:07
- Gender: Female
- Location: Uranus
Re: Communal letter boxes in flats
great in theoryTDBscotland wrote:Hi,
I represent a tenants association for a block of 12 flats in Manchester. They were built in the 60's and the current bank of external letter box openings are very small and mail is easily stolen from the outside via the flap. (mail is retrieved from the inside)
We are in the process of replacing the entire front entrance and are considering mounting a bank of 12 metal boxes on a ground floor internal wall.
Two queries have arisen......
Is it acceptable to give the postman or sorting office a front door key to access these internal boxes ?
Secondly, the current design for the NEW front entrance includes a regular single "communal" letterbox. The idea being that this could be used for circulars, junk mail etc without them having to gain entry. However it has now been suggested that if we have such a box it would be used for all mail and the postman would not be required to use the individual internal boxes.
We would really appreciate any views, help or advice before we go ahead with these improvements.
Many thx
Martin
however the days of a set postie on a set route are dwindling
so even if you have a regular postie now. this could easily change and a postie who doesnt know about or is not given the key,will be delivering to that communal letterbox
a letterbox on the door is the deliery point for your building,unless you remoe it
I know of a building thats exactly like yours
I know that I can buzz residents to get in and use the internal wall mounted boxes
however if you dont know,you would just put them in the external box,as thats the place it goes
more expensive,but an entry system with service button is more reliable and adaptable