Landlord Was Caught on Video Taking a UPS Package Minutes After Delivery

A tenant said a missing package turned into a much bigger problem after security video allegedly showed the landlord taking the UPS delivery shortly after it arrived.

The tenant shared the situation in a post on r/legaladvice, explaining that a UPS package had been delivered and then disappeared. Missing deliveries are frustrating enough when there is no proof. The carrier says it was delivered, the recipient cannot find it, and everyone is left guessing whether it was stolen, misdelivered, or moved by mistake.

But in this case, the tenant said there was video.

According to the post, the footage showed the landlord taking the package minutes after it had been delivered. That detail changed the whole situation. A porch pirate is bad enough. A random stranger taking a package creates a theft problem. But when the person taking it is allegedly the landlord, the tenant has to deal with someone who also controls access, housing, repairs, lease terms, and possibly future retaliation.

That makes the power dynamic messier. A tenant may feel angry enough to confront the landlord immediately, but also worried about what happens afterward. Will the landlord deny it? Will they return the package? Will they retaliate? Will they refuse repairs or make the rest of the tenancy difficult? Will police treat it as a theft, or will the landlord try to frame it as a misunderstanding?

The tenant needed to know what to do with the footage. Should they file a police report? Contact UPS? Ask the landlord directly? Tell the property owner, if the landlord was a manager and not the owner? Could they demand the package or reimbursement? Would the video be enough?

The timing mattered too. If the package had been taken only minutes after delivery, it was harder to explain away as the landlord moving it for safekeeping and forgetting to tell the tenant. Maybe there was some innocent explanation, but the tenant clearly felt the video showed something more troubling.

A landlord handling a tenant’s mail or packages can create serious trust issues. Tenants often rely on shared porches, hallways, mailrooms, or entry areas where the landlord may be present. If the person with authority over the rental is also the person suspected of taking deliveries, the tenant may start questioning every future package, every time the landlord is near the door, and every unexplained missing item.

The post did not describe a dramatic confrontation. It captured the point where the tenant had video evidence and needed to decide how to use it without creating more trouble for themselves.

Commenters focused first on preserving the footage. Several people told the tenant to save a copy immediately and back it up somewhere the landlord could not access. If the footage was stored on a shared system, overwritten by the camera, or controlled by the landlord, it could disappear quickly.

Others said the tenant should file a police report if the package had been stolen. A landlord does not get a free pass to take a tenant’s delivery simply because they own or manage the property. If the package belonged to the tenant and the video showed the landlord taking it, commenters said the incident should be treated like any other theft.

Some commenters also suggested contacting UPS and the seller, especially if the package was valuable. The delivery record, tracking number, item value, and video could all help establish what happened. If the seller or carrier asked for proof, the tenant would have more than a missing-package complaint.

Several people warned the tenant not to hand over the only copy of the video to the landlord. If the tenant chose to ask the landlord what happened, they should do it only after preserving the footage. Even then, commenters suggested keeping the conversation short and factual rather than making threats or getting into an argument.

There was also concern about retaliation. Commenters advised the tenant to keep all communication in writing and document anything that happened afterward. If the landlord suddenly started acting differently, issuing warnings, refusing repairs, or trying to create lease problems after being accused, the tenant would want a record.

The post did not end with the package returned or the landlord charged. It ended with the tenant trying to figure out how to respond when the person allegedly taking the package was also the person with housing authority over them.

That is what made the situation so uncomfortable. A stolen package is one problem. A landlord caught on video taking it is another.

Commenters did not tell the tenant to laugh it off or assume it was harmless. They told them to preserve the video, document the value of the package, consider a police report, and keep a careful record of every step afterward.

Because when a landlord is allegedly caught taking a tenant’s UPS package minutes after delivery, the issue is not only the missing box. It is whether the tenant can still trust the person who has keys, control, and power over the place they live.