There are a myriad of different mailbox options offered today for homeowners and renters, aside from classic locking roadside mailboxes and wall mounted mailboxes. Homeowner and commercial customers the same have a wide range of options for mail delivery, though things are changing and the need for more security has triggered the need for additional options. The days of the unlocked roadside mailbox and unlocked residential mailbox are long gone and sunk into oblivion.

One of the newest entries into residential mailboxes is the cluster mailbox. Rather than individual mailboxes on each home, residents have to collect their mail in a generalized location of locked mailboxes, thus the name “cluster.” These boxes can be common in townhouse communities and are beginning to make their way into mobile home parks as well.

While they could possibly be somewhat bothersome for those who must leave their homes or offices to gather mail, they allow the mail carrier to make fewer stops and thus deliver the mail faster. A number of people may also feel they are less secure than wall-mounted mailboxes since they are not always located close to the building. However, they are just as secure if not more so than the wall mounted mailboxes you see in apartment buildings.

Door slots are also very common mailbox options even though they are becoming less common in residential areas than they were in the past. In commercial building with a reception area where outsiders may enter, it is also becoming common for those who have door slots to attach a locked box to the other side. This allows the mail to get there securely within the box instead of being scattered all over the floor.

Many business customers also use the boxes when they offer after hours drop off of payments to prevent coming in to a pile of checks that have made their way all over the floor of the front office.

Another option that some people pick is a mail drop which means they pay a vendor to receive their mail. Companies such as Mailboxes Etc. and UPS offer customers an option for secure delivery of their mail to an assigned post office box.

This is yet another option for those who live in an area where boxes at the post office may perhaps be in short supply but they do not want their mail taken to their home or business for security reasons.