At the request of a number of national apartment providers operating in Florida, NMHC/NAA filed an appeal with the United States Postal Service (USPS) on June 1 expressing concerns about a new policy that denies direct-to-mailbox delivery for certain apartments in cities with large student populations. Under the new policy, found only in Florida to date, USPS is characterizing apartments where each resident signs a separate lease (multiple-lease units) as "dormitories or residence halls" which receive single-drop mail delivery, even where the property bears no relationship with any school. In some cases, USPS has first defined a property as an apartment and begun conventional, direct-to-mailbox delivery before reversing course and requiring "single-drop" delivery to the property.

Under single-drop mail delivery, USPS deliversmail in bulk to the property, and then the property manager becomes responsible for mail sorting, delivery, and forwarding. NMHC/NAA are also conveying to Members of Congress whose districts are affected by this practice the industry's opposition to this reduction in service. Letter carrier unions and student groups have also expressed opposition to this practice.

In an August 3 response to Campus Development Group, the United States Postal Service (USPS) Consumer Advocate reiterated USPS's "single-drop" mail delivery policy for apartment properties that "primarily house university students." Under single-drop mail delivery, USPS delivers mail in bulk to the property, and then the property manager becomes responsible for individual mail delivery and forwarding. The "broad delivery characteristics" of the student population, rather than the physical design of the property, determines the sort of delivery, wrote USPS.

NMHC/NAA have expressed the industry's opposition to single-drop delivery to apartments in college towns to members of Congress whose districts are affected by this practice. Letter carrier unions and student groups have joined in expressing opposition to this practice.

NMHC Comment Letter   
USPS Reply  

NMHC Contact Information:
Jay Harris
Vice President of Property Management
202/974-2344
jharris@nmhc.org