Mailboxes for apartments may stay small

If apartment dwellers were looking forward to larger and more secure mailboxes as proposed by the U.S. Postal Service, forget it. The Postal Service on Wednesday modified its retrofitting requirements of a year ago after two apartment trade groups estimated the changes would cost the industry about $2 billion.

The Postal Service’s mandatory redesign sought larger, more secure mailboxes to improve mail safety and keep up with growing mail volume.

Under a compromise agreement between the USPS and the National Multi Housing Council and National Apartment Assn., existing buildings will not have to alter their mailboxes unless they undergo renovations that include structural alterations to the mailbox area. Buildings that undergo minor renovations may still install replacement mailboxes that conform to the old requirements, as long as they conform to upgraded security systems.