Mailboxes: federal rules!
Mailboxes: federal rules!
"I'd like to install a new letterbox in front of my villa in Chancy, and I found a model without a milk box on a website. However, a friend advised me against ordering it because, according to him, the Post Office has set rules in this area. Is that true?"
Mario, Chancy
Swiss Post is an autonomous public-sector company whose main task is to deposit, collect, transport and distribute letters, parcels, magazines and other items in Switzerland and abroad. This activity is a task under public law and is subject to federal regulations.
The Federal Council has issued an ordinance on Swiss Post, in which it entrusts the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications with setting the conditions for ensuring that letterboxes and other facilities are suitable for the delivery of postal items.
The Department first laid down the principle that all letterboxes must include a compartment for letters and a secondary compartment to which the postman will have free access. Minimum dimensions have also been laid down: the letter compartment must measure 10 centimetres horizontally and 35.5 centimetres vertically, while the ancillary compartment must be at least 25 centimetres wide and 25 centimetres high.
To facilitate the work of Post Office employees, letterboxes should be placed close to the house, and homeowners should opt for the location closest to the road or path, at the boundary of their property. In the case of blocks of flats, letterboxes may be placed in the entrance hall, but must be grouped together and not scattered throughout the floors. Exceptions to these location requirements may be granted by Swiss Post, particularly if the owner puts forward arguments relating to the aesthetics of the building.
Apart from these formal constraints, owners are free to choose their letterbox. Depending on their tastes and imagination, they can opt for an American-style design with a red flag indicating a letter, or be seduced by fuchsia pink or apple glass. Of course, it's important to bear in mind the cost of an extravagant letterbox, as the owner is responsible for its installation and maintenance!
In conclusion, you are not entirely free to choose your letterbox. It's essential that your letterbox has an additional box so that your postman can put parcels that are too big for the letter compartment.
