hash-markhow do you write an apartment address on an envelope?
The address of an apartment must be written on 3 lines. On the first line, you will write your name. then, on the second line, you’ll write the street name and number, followed by a comma and your apartment number. finally, it will put your city, state, and zip code on the last line.
when finished, your entire address block will follow the following format:
oliver hardy
22 waterloo avenue, apartment 2b
hollywood, ca 90210
The address style above is what the USPS considers standard. however, many people also choose to use the optional second address line for their apartment. While this is not the correct way to write an apartment address, your mail is likely to get through if your address on the envelope looks like this:
oliver hardy
22 waterloo avenue
apartment 2b
hollywood, ca 90210
hash-markhow to write apartment address abbreviations
Part of writing your apartment address correctly is knowing what word to use for your unit and how to abbreviate it. some of the most common are apartment, suite, unit and penthouse. here’s how to abbreviate them.
- room/rm: is used to indicate a room that is marked in an apartment or a room in a hotel or office.
- suite/ste: Although this is more common among office buildings, it occasionally happens in apartments or “hard lofts”.
- apartment /apt: this is the classic resource. if you don’t know what abbreviation to use, use this one.
- building/building: this is to denote a building.
- unit/unit: some buildings call their apartments “units”.
- mailbox/mailbox: if assigned a mailbox or use a mailbox number for your mail, you may be able to use the mailbox number instead.
- penthouse/ph: penthouse generally refers to the upper floors of a building.
hash-markwhat happens if you don’t put the apartment number on the envelope?
In many cases, if you don’t put in your apartment number, your package or envelope will be returned to the sender. this can be a very bad thing, depending on what you want to receive.
In some cases, this may result in a package being received by a gatekeeper or community mailbox. however, this only happens in a few cases and is never guaranteed. to avoid mishaps or confusion, always write the full address.
hash-mark what are you supposed to put in the third address line?
Sometimes company websites will not have an additional space for your suite or apartment number when you have to fill out online forms for submission. if you just need the street address for shipping, you should expect it to look like this:
22 waterloo avenue, apt. 2b
Most, if not all, websites allow you to use commas to delineate your own apartment number from the rest of the people in the building addresses. however, there is an official reason for that third line.
is where you are supposed to put the name of the person who will officially greet you if there is more than one party at the address. this usually happens when the first address line is a company. if you use the third line, it will look like this:
associates of crayon shin-chan
nohara lane 1313
hiro nohara care
tokyo, new york 11011
You can also abbreviate “care of” to “℅” if you wish.
hash-markhow do you write an address that has a building number and a room number?
in most cases, everything goes along with the street address on the second line. the building number is added just before the room number like this:
oliver hardy
22 waterloo avenue, building 2, room 2
hollywood ca, 90210
If the second line is too long, you can put the building and room details on the third line. it will look like this:
oliver hardy
22 waterloo avenue
building 2, room 2
hollywood ca, 90210
hash-markwhat happens if you don’t use your legal name in the address?
In most cases, that won’t be a big problem. most senders won’t mind unless you’re receiving mail from a government agency or major financial institution.
hash-mark happy typing!
When sending a letter or care package to your family, it’s important to keep an eye on the addresses. Sending a letter to the wrong address is a very easy way to waste a ton of postage and also have your letter returned to you in a matter of weeks.
Writing your letter is the easy part, but so is writing your address. The USPS has a bit of leeway when it comes to how you can write it, so don’t stress too much.