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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How long must I keep neighbours’ parcels left at my house?

114 replies

Spring1664 · 16/03/2026 06:46

How long do I have to leave neighbours parcels which have been left at my house before I can get rid of them? I have not accepted these parcels, there is more than one notice saying don’t leave parcels here that are not addressed to [address redacted], the other houses have their house number clearly displayed, everybody has been warned I am not redelivering parcels anymore. If I catch a courier trying to leave a parcel I insist they take it back and either keep it or take it to the correct address.
The background. Ever since moving couriers have left parcels for other houses. One week I had about 8 parcels left that were for other addresses no one came for them and I had to drop them off and I said no more.
I am still getting some parcels left, I did leave one at the end of their driveway the other week and they drove past it for 2 days! It was quite a large parcel. There’s one tucked in near my gate atm and they could just reach round and get it but it’s been there for over a week now.
I would like to get a parcel bin thing for my own parcels but at this rate it’ll just fill up with other people’s.

OP posts:
ERthree · 16/03/2026 12:14

PersephoneParlormaid · 16/03/2026 06:48

Do you mean that the courier has left it on your doorstep, or that you’ve taken it off the courier?

They are leaving at here property.

MajorProcrastination · 16/03/2026 12:47

Do you have a neighbourhood WhatsApp? We don't but I have the number of the neighbours who take parcels for us and us for them. We only message to say when we're in for them to pick up or to ask if they've taken in any parcels that have gone missing. They've got a toddler so I don't like to knock on their door too late and texting works for both of us. I work from home so it's no bother for me to take them in.

My next door neighbours don't take parcels in (they're disabled and getting to the door is a huge faff so it's totally fine) but we'll take theirs in.

Sorry - this is all very boring! I think my point is: see if you can find a way of messaging without inconveniencing yourself by having to leave the house. I don't know why the delivery companies are ignoring your signs. How annoying!

BreatheAndFocus · 16/03/2026 13:05

LittleCrumblyBiscuit · 16/03/2026 07:21

Put them on the pavement and leave them there. When they keep getting rained on and ruined or stolen, your neighbours will get the message.

And what if the neighbours have no idea where their parcel is? I had a courier put that I’d accepted my parcel at my address when I was miles away at work! The proof of delivery photo was a photo of my parcel on a piece of tarmac with a tiny strip of grass to one side. Just that, nothing else.

I went round my whole estate knocking everyone’s door but no-one had it. I then walked down the road to another estate looking at pieces of tarmac to see if I could spot one that looked like my photo or, indeed, spot my parcel. I did eventually find it but only by a stroke of luck as some woman had had it dumped down the side of her house, kindly took it into her house, and had then seen me rushing round frantically outside.

Couriers hardly ever leave cards now so the poor recipient has no idea where their parcel is.

OnlyHasEyesForLoki · 16/03/2026 13:52

This drives me nuts too. I will take a parcel for next door because they always come and collect it the same day and vice versa but no one else. They never come to collect! I’ve thrown them over the fence before now but just refuse to get involved in the process. Life admin is enough for my own household without doing theirs too!

Emmz1510 · 16/03/2026 14:33

So they are just leaving them outside your property even though they aren’t yours and you’ve not accepted them? Why can’t they leave them outside the correct address? And they are ignoring sign saying not to leave any? How annoying. I get you’ve decided not to redeliver but I’m not sure how else you get rid of them. I am good terms with my neighbours though so don’t have a particular problem with re delivering and they occasionally do the same for me. If you just binned them or whatever you might get in bother for not just taking them to the person or contacting the courier company. What a complete nuisance.
I wouldn’t destroy them but I would leave them off my property, like out on the street.
Is it the same neighbours all the time? I would send them a one off, generic note saying ‘the couriers are continuing to leave your parcels on my property. I’m not taking responsibility for delivering them to you nor am I keeping them so in future you will need to come and collect them from outside my front fence. They are left there at your own risk so please collect asap’.

sueelleker · 16/03/2026 15:21

CautiousLurker2 · 16/03/2026 10:55

Sadly I think many really do not actually read English, especially if handwritten, and don’t bother to use the translate apps because they are penalised for non delivery or for not completing them in any given day.

In our road we have a whatsapp, and in these circs would simply leave the parcel on the door step and announce in the app, ‘parcel received for Jo Blogs in error. Left on doorstep as I am out’. Then it’s down to them to come and collect it, which luckily people always seem to do. Not sure what you are supposed to do if you have ‘busy’ or forgetful neighbours who don’t collect them? Chuck them over the fence onto their property? But threatening to bin them is legal IMHO - if you have notified them that this is the action you are taking for any wrongly delivered items. If they do not collect their items, then they have technically been abandoned and you are within your rights to bin them.

What gets me is when the email "confirmation" says handed to resident, when it certainly wasn't.

catipuss · 16/03/2026 15:25

Tell the delivery company they've delivered to the wrong address and get them to collect them. It's their fault.

CurlewKate · 16/03/2026 15:35

Why can’t you just send the addressee a message saying they can collect their parcel from your doorstep and forget about it? Why is it such a big deal?

BeGoldLemur · 16/03/2026 19:07

Can you call the courier companies and tell them you won’t accept parcels for other houses?

ConstanzeMozart · 17/03/2026 10:02

BeGoldLemur · 16/03/2026 19:07

Can you call the courier companies and tell them you won’t accept parcels for other houses?

What, do other people's admin for them? I don't think so.
Plus, have you actually tried calling a courier company? You get a bot at best.

pouletvous · 17/03/2026 18:52

Id probably dump them on the correct doorsteps: take photos and pop a note through their door

it may take time but ill bet they make alternate arrangements in future

Laura95167 · 17/03/2026 21:05

Spring1664 · 16/03/2026 06:50

They are just leaving the parcels usually when I’m out. There are notices up saying don’t leave parcels near the door, wheelie bin and a couple of other places where they like to leave them

Id take them to post office marked as return to sender until the message got through

Friendlygingercat · 17/03/2026 21:18

The gates of my garden are mostly locked. I only open when Im expecting a parcel or visitor. In one week Evri left two misdelivered parcels outside my gate. Both were for houses the other side of the estate and I am mobility impaired. A relative appered 3 days later and offered to drop them off on his way home. The first house there was a car in th drive but no one would answer the door. He left the parcel on the step. The second house the woman moaned because he had taken 3 days to deliver her parcel. Relative explained that it was misdelivered to his disabled aunt who had no way of bringing it along. When she still moaned he told her "Next time I will tell my aunt to either bin it or leave it out to get stolen."

No good deed goes unpunished.

PeachShaker · 18/03/2026 10:58

Makes no sense if you’re not on - the couriers are supposed to ask permission to leave a parcel for a neighbour. When this happens I just keep ringing on their door a few times a day in case I was out when they came, ever had one more than about 3/4 days. I’d keep it longer if they were away.

if the address is indeed a neighbour then I’d out of courtesy try to deliver it to them or possibly just dump in in a ‚safe place‘ on their doorstep because I’d have no clue how to return it to a courier.

if you know how to return ton lurker you can do that straight away really as you didn’t t accept the parcel. Royal Mail keep for 2 weeks before resending but they do accept responsibility and they do have storage

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