Paying rent each month is tough enough as it is, so why factor in the added stress of having to worry about whether your money is safe when you slip it into a drop box? After all, what's to keep someone from breaking into it and stealing a few checks? Or worse, what's to keep someone from stealing the drop box altogether? It's impossible to know for sure whether your rent will find its way to the apartment community safely. Drop box thefts do happen, and hurts both you and the apartment community. Many apartments will take special precautions to prevent drop box theft, but theft happens more often than you'd think.
If paying rent using a drop box makes you nervous, there are a couple of alternative payment methods you can look into to put your mind at ease.
Pay Online
A lot of apartments provide residents the option to pay their rent securely online 24 hours a day using an online portal. Online payments are safer and more convenient than paying using a drop box, and you won't have to rush to the leasing office during their hours to make sure you pay your rent before they close for the day. You'll be able to pay your rent from anywhere, provided you have Internet access. One tiny downside to this payment method is that you will usually need to pay a small fee if you pay online using your credit or debit card. Not all communities have an online rent payment option, but if it's available you should definitely look into it as an alternative to paying using a drop box.
Pay in Person
Another safe way to pay your rent is to bypass the drop box entirely and pay your rent in person. During the leasing office's hours, you can stop by and hand off your rent so that it reaches the apartment community directly. There's no risk of it being stolen from a drop box.