How to open a package locker in an apartment building

To open an apartment package locker, find the pickup notification the system sent by text or email, go to the locker kiosk, and enter the access code (or scan the QR barcode / tap the pickup button in the provider's app). The compartment door pops open on its own — pull it fully open, remove every package inside, then close the door firmly until it latches so the compartment returns to the available pool.

Step by step

1. Open the delivery notification
Locker systems send a text and/or email the moment a carrier loads your package. That message holds the access code, QR barcode, or deep link you need. If you never got one, your contact info in the property's resident system is usually the culprit.
2. Go to the kiosk screen, not the compartment
Almost every locker bank opens from one central touchscreen. Tap 'Pick up' (wording varies by platform), then choose code, barcode scan, or app sign-in.
3. Enter the code or scan the barcode
Type the code exactly as sent — codes are usually single-use and time-limited. For barcode scanning, hold your phone screen flat against the scanner window with brightness turned up.
4. Empty the compartment completely
One code can open a compartment holding several packages. Check the back and the floor of the compartment before you walk away.
5. Close the door until it latches
An unlatched door keeps the compartment marked 'occupied,' which is one of the quiet reasons locker banks run out of space during peak season.

Frequently asked questions

What if I never received a locker code?

First check spam and your text message filter, then confirm the phone number and email on file with the leasing office — locker systems notify whatever contact the property's system holds. If the package was delivered but never loaded into a locker (common when the bank is full), it is sitting somewhere in the package room instead, and someone has to physically find it.

Can someone else pick up my package from a locker?

Practically, yes — a locker code is a bearer credential, so anyone holding it can open the compartment. Share it only with someone you trust, and ask them to take everything in the compartment so the door can close and free the space.

How long do I have before the locker code expires?

Most platforms hold a package for a set window, often a few days, then either extend, charge, or flag it for staff removal. Once the hold expires the package is usually pulled out and stored in the package room until you claim it.

What happens if the compartment does not open?

Try the code once more, then use the kiosk's help option or the provider's support number printed on the unit. Property staff usually cannot force a compartment; they can, however, locate a package that was never loaded into the bank at all.

Do package lockers work when the power or internet is out?

Electronic locker banks need power and connectivity to authenticate a pickup. During an outage most communities fall back to manual handoff at the office or a staffed package room, which is exactly the scenario a daily on-site Package Manager is built for.

For property teams

Lockers handle intake. We handle everything they can't.

Most 'my locker won't open' tickets are not hardware failures — the package never made it into a compartment because the bank was full. A daily on-site Package Manager clears overflow, logs those packages by name, and notifies residents so the pickup still takes 30 seconds.

See how apartment package locker management works