How to Write Apartment Address? Writing your apartment address properly is important. If you write your address properly, you minimize mistakes during delivery. It also makes it easier to file a claim if a mistake does happen.
Do you know how to write apartment address properly? If you don’t, no worries. This article will show you how.
The Proper Format
1. Full and Legal Name
When you write the apartment address, the first thing you need to write is the recipient’s name. Do keep in mind that you should write the recipient’s full and legal name. Never write their nickname.
Why? Here’s why. If the recipient moved into the apartment recently, they may not receive the mail because the nickname you wrote isn’t associated with their address.
Also, the recipient’s nickname may not specifically identify the said recipient. This can cause confusion.
By writing the full and legal name of the recipient, it ensures that the mail is going to be forwarded to the recipient if they have changed their address.
If the recipient must pick up the mail from the post office, they must show their ID. This is where writing the recipient’s full and legal name helps.
2. How to Write Apartment Address: First and Second Line
After you write the recipient’s name, you need to write the recipient’s apartment address. In general, you should write this in two lines.
In the first line, you should include the following information:
- Street number of the apartment building
- Name of the street
- Building where the apartment unit is located
- The number of the apartment
Don’t forget to add a comma after writing the name of the street and building letter/number.
Here’s an example:
John Doe
222 Main Street, BLDG B, APT 2
The second line may vary depending on circumstances. Usually, it includes the following information:
- City
- State
- ZIP Code
A complete apartment address looks like this:
John Doe
222 Main Street, BLDG B APT 2
New York, NY 12345
If you are sending the mail internationally, add an extra line to include the name of the country.
It looks like this:
John Doe
222 Main Street, BLDG B, APT 2
New York, NY 12345
USA
3. Different Formats for Special Circumstances
There are some special circumstances where you should write the apartment address differently. For example, if the recipient’s name and address are long.
In this case, the first line should include the street number and name, the second the building letter/number and apartment number, and the last line the city, state, and postal code.
It looks like this:
John Doe
111 Main Street
BLDG B, APT 2
New York, NY 12345
Another example is when you need to include care of (c/o) or another special designator in the address. These should be written after the name of the recipient. The format looks like this:
John Doe
c/o Jane Doe
111 Main Street, BLDG B, APT 2
New York, NY 12345
Some Tips
1. Use Secondary Address Designators
When it comes to how to write apartment address, there are secondary address designators. What are these? These are abbreviations in the address.
To make it easier to understand, here are some examples of secondary address designators.
- Building: BLDG
- Floor: FL
- Department: DEPT
- Apartment: APT
- Room: RM
- Suite: STE
- Unit: Unit
Notice that the secondary address designator of “unit” is unit. Why? Because the term “unit” doesn’t have an abbreviation.
2. Use a Number Sign
You can also use a number sign to write the number of the apartment. If you use a number sign, just make sure that you add a space between the number sign and the number.
An apartment address with a number sign looks like this:
John Doe
222 Main Street, BLDG B, APT # 2
New York, NY 12345
3. Include Your Return Address
Yes, so the recipient can send a mail back to you. Write your return address in the same format as the above.
4. Write the Apartment Address Clearly
Before you send your mail, make sure to write the recipient’s apartment address clearly. Make sure that the address can be read easily.
Now that you know how to write apartment address properly, you should start practicing it next time you send a mail.
It might take time before you get used to it, but it is an easy yet valuable skill to learn. After all, it helps to minimize mistakes during delivery. That alone is a good enough reason to learn the skill.