When we lived in a mobile home park, we had cluster boxes, but the delivery driver would drive around our circle and the Grumman truck had a distinct sound. This was often to deliver packages right to the door of the individual mobile home rather than just left at the common cluster box. So we would know when it was delivered. I also knew about what time it arrived and would often meet the mailperson at the box to get our mail.
If you have such a situation, its on you to be proactive, especially in a retirement community, where ideally you have the time to meet the delivery driver.
Where we currently live, we have the door to door service, which should save on driving costs, but can take its toll on the carriers hips, knees, and back walking from house to house. Packages are delivered door to door by a separate delivery driver during the busy holiday situation.
If you are concerned about the cluster box, you basically have 3 choices. 1) meet the carrier at the box at delivery time or get there close to it. 2) get a PO box and make a trip every day or every few days , assuming the local post office has boxes available. 3) ask the PO to hold your mail for a week and go to the post office to collect say once a week.
Im surprised many of you dont think you should bear the cost of any such box. Just like a box on the side of the house, just like a rural street side box, the HOMEOWNER recipient of mail is responsible for maintaining/ replacing the box if damaged.
We have the box on the house and i went to Lowe's and home depot in search of a LOCKED mailbox. Oh it can still be pried, but it would require a thief to walk up to the house, pry it open while anyone could look on, but still could do it if they wanted.
Another way to be sure theres little or no identity/ c c info stolen from mailbox is to sign up for online only statements. I like a paper copy, wait for it in the mail and know between which hours the mailman arrives with the mail. I check it frequently around those times, or look for his minivan parked up the street while he makes his walking rounds, knowing hes close. Hes always later on mondays or after a holiday, and earlier by the weekend. Hes always within a 2 hour window.
If you DO have a HOA, discuss the options for mailbox maintenance with the board. But most likely they will pass the cost of maintenance of the cluster boxes to the homeowner, or make a huge separate assessment when its time to replace the cluster. What surprises me is i thought most "retirement communities " were gated communities. In that case it would be one of your neighbors prying open your boxes, rather than some drive by thief in the night. And that would be the security of your home is threatened.
If your development is open to all, but has cluster boxes located in some central locale, see the ideas i posted above to secure your mail. Only certain mail of a security risk could be sent to your PO box, and pick it up only infrequently when you expect a statement, not every day.
Its a shame our society has come to this, where your neighbor or random person is a threat to your security . Just a part of the wealth inequality conondrum where they think your neighborhood has something to steal.