WA: Strata letterbox break-ins: Who is responsible for improving security?

Question: Our letterboxes are constantly broken into. Who is responsible for better letterbox security? Are there options for us to consider?

Our letterboxes are located outside the front entrance of our building and are constantly broken into. Do WA strata laws and/or Australia Post allow letterboxes to be placed behind the security gate? If not, are lot owners responsible for the security of their box, or should strata pay to increase the security by providing better locks? Are there any other solutions.

Answer: Mail security is a topic strata companies and owners should consider, as mail theft can often lead to identity theft.

Strata letterboxes often sit on common property and therefore are the responsibility of the strata company unless there are by-laws in place that vary this.

In a situation where the letterboxes are on common property, it can be problematic for the strata company because lot owners often do not want the strata company to have a key to their letterbox. The strata company often avoids holding keys to lot owner’s letterboxes. To overcome this, it is not uncommon for a strata company to look towards implementing a by-law to make the lot owner responsible for their letterbox or at least its lock.

It may be possible to have your letterboxes relocated inside a secure area, depending on the dwelling. To establish if this is possible, contact Australia Post. They will usually do a site visit to determine if they are agreeable to the arrangement and, of course, sort out the method of access for their staff to deliver to the address. Australia Post has a document that clearly outlines its requirements for mailboxes and locations. You can access this document here: Appendix 2 – Street Mail Service Conditions of Delivery.

I have found that strata complexes face two common issues with the security of mailboxes. One is the lock’s quality, and the second is the ability for mailbox doors to be bent up to access mail inside the mailbox. Some considerations to overcome this are:

• Consider upgrade of the quality of the lock to make it harder for the mailbox lock to be picked.
• With aluminium letterboxes, consider reinforcement of the mailbox lid to prevent the lid from being folded to gain access.
• Consider upgrade of the letterboxes, in general, to a more secure construction such as stainless steel.

Mail security is a topic strata companies and owners should consider, as mail theft can often lead to identity theft. I encourage lot owners living in an area or building where this is problematic to consider alternatives such as having a post office box. Australia Post also offers 24/7 Parcel Lockers in many areas that provide security for those larger deliveries.

This post appears in the July 2023 edition of The WA Strata Magazine.

Luke Downie
WA Strata Consultant
E: Email
P: 0456 589 639