Here's How to Make Sure Your Community Mailbox is Secure and Compliant with the USPS

Community mailboxes are a great option with many advantages over curbside mailboxes. They cut down on costs for the USPS, result in greener neighborhoods, and tend to be more secure and durable than curbside mailboxes. Apartment buildings and complexes also generally use community mailboxes. Salsbury Industries carries a complete line of USPS approved commercial mailboxes.

But it can be tough to know whether your community mailbox is secure and compliant with the USPS. Security is extremely important since tenants and residents will be less likely to want to live in your community if they don’t think their mail and packages will be safe. It is also vital that your mailbox is USPS compliant since otherwise, residents might not receive their mail.

Are you uncertain if your community mailbox is secure and compliant with the USPS? Here’s how to make sure. This guide will help you learn more about how to secure a community mailbox, the most secure mailboxes for your community, how to stay compliant with USPS regulations, USPS compliant mailboxes, and where to buy secure USPS-approved mailboxes.

How To Secure a Community Mailbox

Mail and package theft are issues that many tenants and residents have to deal with, and it is important that you as the developer do everything you can to help prevent these sorts of problems. You want your residents to feel safe, not fearful that their correspondence (potentially containing sensitive information) or purchases might be stolen.

Luckily, there are actions you can take to make your community mailbox more secure. One is to pick a good location to install the mailbox. Place the mailbox in a common area where people tend to be around. If the mailbox is outside, make sure to place it close enough that your residents don’t have far to walk (this is also a USPS requirement). It is crucial as well that the area where you install your mailbox is well-lit. Dimmer areas tend to attract thieves.

Another thing you can do to increase the security of your mailbox is to keep it clean. Graffiti will make thieves think that the mailbox isn’t being looked after and they will be more likely to try to steal something. Broken locks and damaged lockers also attract people who might try to break into your mailbox. Staying on top of maintenance and repairs will help to keep your community mailbox secure.

                    

Most Secure Mailboxes for Your Community

One of the best things you can do to ensure mailbox security is to procure a secure mailbox. STD-4C and Cluster Box Unit (CBU) mailboxes are approved for major renovations and new construction. 4C horizontal mailboxes come in recessed mounted, surface mounted, and free-standing units, while CBUs are pedestal mounted. These types of mailboxes offer the very best when it comes to keeping your tenants and residents’ mail and packages safe and secure.

With both types of mailboxes, the door to each mail compartment comes with a heavy-duty cam lock and three keys. There is an anti-fish plate as well on the rear of the mail slot that will help to prevent any tampering with outgoing mail. These mailboxes are ultra-durable and require less maintenance than older models.

With replacement and retrofit installations (if you are not making significant changes to the rough opening in the wall), you can also consider installing a 4B horizontal or vertical mailbox. 4B horizontal units are recessed mounted while vertical mailboxes come in surface or recessed mounted units. They are made entirely of aluminum, so they are very durable as well.

Stay Compliant with USPS Regulations

In addition to keeping your mailbox secure, you also need to be sure that it is compliant with USPS regulations. If it isn’t, USPS mail carriers may stop delivering mail to your mailbox, which will deeply upset your tenants or residents. They could be missing important bills and notifications, after all, and not receiving products they paid for. Here are some of the USPS requirements for all commercial mailboxes.

The tenant lock in the highest mailbox must be no more than 67” above the finished floor. The USPS Arrow lock opening must be no more than 48” above the finished floor. And in compliance with ADA regulations, the high forward and high side reach must be a maximum of 48” above the finished floor.

For each mailbox, there must be one parcel locker for every five compartments. This plays a huge role in security as well since parcel lockers provide a safe, spacious place to keep tenants' and residents’ packages. When a resident gets a package, the mail carrier will leave a key in the resident’s compartment. Then, when the resident retrieves the package from the parcel locker, the key locks in place and can only be removed by the mail carrier's master key. So having the right number of parcel lockers satisfies USPS requirements and will keep your residents’ packages protected.

For more information to help make sure that your mailbox is USPS compliant, visit our United States Postal Service Mailbox Regulations and Specifications page.

USPS Compliant Mailboxes

In your search for mailboxes that meet USPS requirements, you need to look no further than mailboxes.com. We work hard to ensure that all Salsbury community mailboxes meet or exceed USPS regulations. Check out the link in the previous section to familiarize yourself with USPS mailbox regulations and specifications.

                    

Where to buy Secure USPS-Approved Mailboxes

If you are looking for a community mailbox that will be both secure and USPS compliant, you can’t go wrong with Salsbury Industries. Whether you’re looking for a mailbox as part of a new construction or major renovation, or are replacing your current mailbox with no substantial changes to the rough opening, Salsbury Industries will have the perfect mailbox to suit your specific needs.

Click here to check out our 4C horizontal, CBU, and 4B horizontal and vertical mailboxes. No matter what exactly you’re looking for, you will be able to find a mailbox that will keep your residents’ mail and packages safe and fulfill any USPS requirements.