Live in multiple occupancy property, others can access post

[anewman]

Hello,

I live in a house which is split into three flats. The flat has a corridor with a door front and back. Another resident is lazy and leaves these unlocked, and no matter how many times I lock them they're left unlocked. They even leave a key under the doormat so people can let themselves in I am concerned about the potential for others to access mail. Particularly when I always seem to get those junk "apply for this credit card" things in the post, and I suspect all someone has to do is write some things down and call back later to pick up the credit card. And now I am lucky enough to have gotten a job, I am out and my movements are likely predictable by any would-be identity thieves..

Since it seems I am unlikely to be able to change my neighbour's behaviour (although I could remove their key and chuck it in the bin), I was wondering if there is a way to get the postman to let himself in and deliver mail to the interior letterboxes, rather than the front door one.

Fortunately that's their only shortcoming as neighbours. Have had much worse in the past in the same property - and at that time post did go missing (obviously can't say they did it as no proof), and I believe their friends may still be using the corridor as a thoroughfare - and when they got kicked out it seemed they wanted their post as if their life depended on it.

Many thanks.

[fishtank]

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.

[anewman]

Thanks, so this would require agreement from everyone within the property it seems. Bit of a silly policy in some ways - someone wanting access to everyone else's post would hardly agree.

[Stormproof]

Why don't you just attach a box to the wall outside, clearly stating your flat number on it?

[TeeferTiger]

I was going to suggest what Stormproof has. If you have a box on the outside with your name/flat number on and write a letter to the delivery office stating you want all your mail (and only your mail) putting into this box with immediate effect, then only you have the key to that box and your mail.

[avenger]

Hello,

I live in a house which is split into three flats. The flat has a corridor with a door front and back. Another resident is lazy and leaves these unlocked, and no matter how many times I lock them they're left unlocked. They even leave a key under the doormat so people can let themselves in I am concerned about the potential for others to access mail. Particularly when I always seem to get those junk "apply for this credit card" things in the post, and I suspect all someone has to do is write some things down and call back later to pick up the credit card. And now I am lucky enough to have gotten a job, I am out and my movements are likely predictable by any would-be identity thieves..

Since it seems I am unlikely to be able to change my neighbour's behaviour (although I could remove their key and chuck it in the bin), I was wondering if there is a way to get the postman to let himself in and deliver mail to the interior letterboxes, rather than the front door one.

Fortunately that's their only shortcoming as neighbours. Have had much worse in the past in the same property - and at that time post did go missing (obviously can't say they did it as no proof), and I believe their friends may still be using the corridor as a thoroughfare - and when they got kicked out it seemed they wanted their post as if their life depended on it.

Many thanks.

if you have an external letterbox,then thats the delivery point
If you block that,then its up to you to ensure delivery is possible
so a service button,entry system,external boxes or whatever
you could even look at fitting multiple letterboxes with locking cages to the front door/lobby area