Some renters in North Texas may have a tougher time getting online orders this holiday season.
An onslaught of online shopping means packages pile up in leasing offices.
To keep deliveries from stacking up too much, Hunter Hills Apartment Complex in North Dallas now sends emails and text alerts to tenants when their orders arrive.
"Certainly it's something the takes a lot of time and effort on our part. We've had to invest in some technology solutions to manage the problem," said LumaCorp Inc. property management president Ian Mattingly.
While some landlords are doing more to accommodate online shoppers, others are taking in a different direction.
Camden Property Trust recently told tenants at its 14 North Texas locations it no longer accepts packages in leasing offices.
"It was absurd that they would stop accepting the boxes because that creates problems for the residents," said tenant Preeti Wadhwa.
Wadhwa lives at one of Camden's Plano locations. She said the new policy is inconvenient.
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"You have to work from home or stay back to accept packages. Sometimes it's critical," she said.
Camden said its leasing offices accepted more than 1 million packages in 2014 and expected to see a 25 to 50 percent increase this year.
The company estimates each package means 10 minutes of lost productivity for its workers adding up to more than $3 million a year.
Some see it as the cost of doing business.
"We are not asking you to keep it and keep track every day, send reminders or anything. Just keep it with you. People will come and collect it," Wadhwa said.
Camden said it notified residents 30 days before the change went into effect. Carriers can still drop off packages at doorsteps.
