Protect Your Presents During the Holidays
Answers for Renters

Tis the season for receiving holiday gifts and greeting cards. Renters should take precautions to ensure that your presents do not disappear.
    
The US Postal Service does not leave packages when you are not home. However, shipping companies, such as UPS or FedEx, may leave a box at your door. Apartment dwellers are fortunate because their on-site manager usually accepts mail and packages for them. Check to see if this is the case at your apartment community.
    
Renters living in single family homes, duplexes or small apartment buildings won’t have a manager to provide such a service. One option is to post a note by your doorbell that states "Do not leave packages without a signature." Another option is to arrange for a nearby neighbor to accept deliveries, and then post a note that directs the delivery person to your neighbor.
    
Such actions will protect packages delivered to your home, but you should take precautions to ensure they are not stolen once inside your home. Burglaries typically occur when criminals know you are away. Leave lights and music on inside your home when you are not home, especially during the evening.
    
If you go out of town for the holidays, arrange for a neighbor to pick up your mail and newspapers. Otherwise, notify the post office and newspaper carrier that you want delivery stopped. During this season, overflowing mailboxes and newspaper piles attract criminals that are naughty, not nice.