How to Present Unit Numbers on Your CV
What the Hell Is a Unit Number Anyway?
A unit number identifies your specific residence within a larger building or complex. If you live in an apartment, flat, condo, or any building with multiple dwellings, you have one. It's the "Apt 4B" or "Unit 12" part of your address.
Most people don't think twice about this. But when you're crafting a CV, suddenly every detail feels like it matters. And honestly, for once, that's not paranoia — the address section of your CV does get scrutinized.
Should You Include Your Unit Number on Your CV?
Short answer: Yes, include it.
Here's why. Your CV needs to be a complete, accurate representation of your contact information. If a recruiter or hiring manager needs to mail you something (yes, this still happens), they need your full address. Incomplete addresses get discarded.
But there's a nuance. The real question isn't whether to include the unit number — it's how to format it so it doesn't look sloppy or confuse ATS systems.
The ATS Problem
Applicant Tracking Systems parse addresses like robots. They expect a certain format. Too much variation and your address might get garbled. Too little detail and it looks like you don't know your own address.
Recruiters manually reviewing your CV will notice sloppy formatting. It signals carelessness. And that's not the first impression you want to make.
How to Format Your Address on a CV
There are three common formats, and one of them is objectively better than the others.
Format 1: Street Address with Unit on Same Line
123 Oak Street, Apt 4B
New York, NY 10001
This is clean. It's readable by humans and doesn't confuse ATS systems. The "Apt" abbreviation is standard and universally understood.
Format 2: Unit on Separate Line
123 Oak Street, Unit 4
Apartment 4
New York, NY 10001
This is redundant. You're repeating the unit number twice. Recruiters will notice. It looks like you didn't know how to format it once and just added more information to cover your bases.
Format 3: No Unit Number
123 Oak Street
New York, NY 10001
This is incomplete. If someone tries to send you mail, it goes to the building, not your specific unit. Packages get lost. Opportunities get delayed.
The Best Format: One Line, Clearly Labeled
Stick with "Street Address, Apt/Unit/Suite [Number]" on a single line. It's standard, it's professional, and it works with every ATS system.
Abbreviations: What Works and What Doesn't
Not all abbreviations are created equal. Here's what to use:
- Apt — universally recognized, safe to use
- Unit — works, especially for non-residential buildings
- Ste — short for Suite, acceptable in business contexts
- # — the "#4B" format is common in the US but can cause ATS parsing issues. Avoid it if possible.
If your building uses a letter-number combination like "4B" or "C2," don't try to spell it out. Keep it exactly as it appears on your lease or utility bill.
International Considerations
If you're applying for jobs in another country, the address format changes. What works in the UK won't work in the US, and vice versa.
| Country | Format Style | Unit Notation |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Number Street, Apt X, City, State ZIP | Apt, Unit, Ste, or # |
| United Kingdom | Number Street, Flat X, Town, Postcode | Flat, or no notation |
| Canada | Number Street, Apt X, City, Province, Postal Code | Apt, Unit |
| Australia | Number Street, Unit X, Suburb, State, Postcode | Unit |
Research the standard format for your target country. A US recruiter seeing "Flat 4" might not know what to make of it, even if you're British and that's correct for your home address.
When to Leave Out the Unit Number Entirely
There are exactly two situations where you should omit your unit number:
- Privacy concerns. If you're applying widely and worried about your exact location being known, you can list just your city and state. This is acceptable and common.
- The job is remote. If location genuinely doesn't matter, a city and state (or just country) is sufficient.
In both cases, you're not hiding anything — you're providing the information that's actually relevant. A hiring manager doesn't need to know you're in apartment 4B. They need to know you're in New York.
Getting Started: Fix Your CV Address Now
Here's what to do in the next five minutes:
- Find your exact address. Pull it from your lease, a utility bill, or Google Maps. Get it exactly right.
- Write it in standard format. Street number, street name, comma, Apt/Unit, space, your unit number.
- Check your city, state, and ZIP/postal code. Double-check the spelling and formatting.
- Proofread it. Read it out loud. Does it sound like a real address? Good.
- Test it in Google Maps. Type it in. Does it find your actual location? If not, something's wrong.
Related CV Address Mistakes You're Probably Making
While we're on the topic, here are other address-related CV disasters I see constantly:
- Missing state or province. Just "New York" isn't enough. Include the state abbreviation or full name.
- Wrong ZIP code. This happens more than you'd think. Verify yours.
- PO Box instead of street address. Recruiters prefer a street address. PO Boxes can be a problem for courier deliveries.
- Overly detailed addresses. Floor number, building name, landmark — none of this belongs on your CV. Keep it simple.
The Bottom Line
Your CV address should be accurate, formatted correctly, and easy to read. Include your unit number unless you have a specific reason not to. Use "Apt" or "Unit" followed by your number on the same line as your street address.
That's it. That's the whole thing. Fix your address and move on to the parts of your CV that actually matter — your experience and skills. Nobody's going to hire you because your address formatting was perfect. But they might not hire you if it looks like you don't know your own address.