This has been an issue for me since I moved to Europe, and I observed the same pattern in several other European countries I visited.
In apartment blocks, the doors and mailboxes are not numbered. They are identified by name only.
I lived for years in an apartment without knowing its number. This has been a problem many times, like sometimes I don’t get my mail delivered – I can imagine the mailman did not find my name among tens unsorted names. And the time I ordered a plate with my name to put on my new box, but of course could not have it delivered because my box was new and did not have a name plate. Also when I get a delivery to my door, I have to give detailed explanation about how to find my apartment, as there are no sorted numbers to guide anyone
Is it some legacy? Is it like this everywhere? Is there a reason why this is not changed?
30 comments
It’s not like that in Finland, apartment numbers are important.
Which countries have you seen this in? In Finland every door and mailbox has always the number, often also the name. But apartment number is more compulsory than name.
It isn’t that way all over Europe. Apartments in Denmark are numbered or sometimes indicated by left/right if there are just two apartments per floor, so you might be 2 Left.
In France, the apartments arent numbered, which did surprise me but I’ve never had a problem with it. I just made a label with it my name on it and stuck on it on my mail box, i also put my name on the outside of my door so if anyone needs to find me it’s easy to do.
I’ve never seen this system. The flats I’ve lived in have either just been numbered (e.g. Flat 3, Flat 12, etc.) or used the floor number and the flat’s position (e.g. 1/L for the left-side flat on the first floor or 2/R for the right-side flat on the second floor).
Just having the recipient’s name and nothing else seems mad. Is the postman meant to memorise every name he might deliver to? Or check every door in the building for a nameplate?
It’s definitely not like this in Poland. I’ve never seen any block of flats where they wouldn’t be numbered. In fact, if it would be named (like who lives there), it would be a violation of privacy.
Never really thought about that since I think we are a country where name plates are the standard as opposed to numbers. Post boxes/door bells generally have names on them in my experience, sometimes alongside the apartment number.
That being said, I never lived in an apartment building with more than 8 or 10 units, which are quite quick to scan for e.g. a postman. I don’t know how this works in really large apartment blocks. I can’t imagine it goes by name there, but someone else might know more.
Yes, I don’t know our apartment number either, it is probably in contract I signed 13 years ago, i think it is number 12 but I am not sure about it. It is unnecessary info for the post office or delivery.
Postman – doesn’t need it, she can read nametags on mailboxes, if it is door delivery then they need to know floor.
Where in Europe? In France at least in urban areas, buildings are always always numbered, by law.
Definitely not the case here , all apartments here have a number wich is written on the mailbox .
Where I live, there are only names, not numbers.
That’s a fairly small ‘condominio’ though…we are only 5 floors, two apartments on each floor.
In the larger blocks…8-10 floors is common in my city, with 3 or 4 apartments (or more) on each floor… they use numbers in addition to the name.
Why would we need apartment numbers? In our building mailboxes are all at the entrance.
Here in Portugal, apartments don’t have a number, they are identified by the building number, followed by the floor and position they’re in (left/right/back/front)
Apartments can be identified by a name/names on the doorbell or a number in larger buildings.
An example of a flat address: *via Roma 3, scala A, interno 2*
“via Roma 3” is the address of the apartment building
“scala A” is the staircase of the building you have to take to get to your apartment; staircases of an apartment building are identified by a capital letter
“interno 2” is the number of your apartment
In Vienna, we have either name AND number, or just the number on the doorbell thing downstairs. A number plate on each apartment door is mandatory. Where did you come across these numberless apartments?
Frequently numbers are not written anywhere because they don’t exist.
My current flat is numbered, but only on plans of the house and in the contract. The number is not wirtten anywhere else (not post boxes, not the door, nowhere). All other flats I’ve rented so far were referred to in the contract by a description rather than a number (eg. First floor West, third floor 2 Bedrooms, or ground floor left). I guess even though my current appartement is numbered that number isn’t written anywhere because that would just be wierd.
Usually (if not always) apartments are numbered. I only lived in one place (in Brussels) where the apartment numbers were really only used in the rental contract, but as all apartments all had one big mailbox that was never really a problem.
We exclusively use numbers, I never seen family name on the mailbox or door even in the form of decoration, also there is no way it would be legally addressable that way anyways.
(you prob can write “to ded moroz” or “to the president” and have it delivered tho)
In Poland they are always numbered.
We also used to have name tags, but it’s less common nowadays.
In Norway apartments are numbered, however those numbers are mostly used only by police/firefighters as they really identify floor and apartment location. And my apartment is marked with this number outside the door, however this is not compulsory as far as I know. You need to put your name on the mailbox, not the number.
Mailboxes are always numbered, the apartments themselves not necessarily so.
The mailbox number (“bus” in Dutch or “boîte” in French) needs to be mentioned in the address or the mail is going to bounce.
Yeah, the appartment numbers here are only a formal thing, nobody uses it during deliveries. But during my 10 years in Prague, I’ve never had nameplate on my mail box, as I’ve never needed it. I still have my permanent address at my parents, where I visit few times a month, and when I want to buy something online, I just get it delivered to nearby shop (which is usually cheaper and you can take it whenever you want during few following days).
I can’t answer *why* Switzerland does not have apartment numbers, but it’s never been an issue for us. When you move into an apartment, you buy a name plate for the mailbox, the interphone (how people ring you up from outside the building,) and the doorbell by your front door. The postman has never had issues finding us, even for large packages, because our mailbox plaque has our floor written on it, so he can come to our door and identify us by the name on the package/doorbell.
In the Netherlands number is required name is not. They always have them near the mailbox and next to their front door. Also when they have a closed communal entry, they have a doorbell next to their mailbox or on a separated panel. Each person needs to know their house number for all kinds of services.
Where are you seeing this? In Finland this is definitely not the case. I think in fact it is the law to have apartments and houses clearly marked so that rescue crews (fire department, ambulances, police) can find places.
Yeah, in Slovenia I’ve never seen numbers, only surnames.
Also the whole of Ljubljana has a single postcode: 1000
Poor postmen.
Here, in Budapest there’s always a number, but on the gate, it’s not in order, it’s infutiating
In Spain usually appartment buildings have numbered floors & doors. Also present in the mailboxes & the doorbells at the building’s entrance. Names are not mandatory. Sometimes you get a left or right instead if there are only 2 appartments per floor.
Here you MUST have the number so where had you see that?
edit: is the building what haves the number then the flats have either izquierda o deracha (left and right) or a letter
What are you talking about?? Which country have you been to? Literally all the apartments are numbered here in Estonia.
In Estonia it’s mandatory to have apartment number on the door and also all numbers shown at the house/staircase front door. Also floors numbered. Done so to help rescuers easily find the desired apartment/floor. And also really helpful for the couriers as well.
In Lithuania they are always numbered, and written in the format “building number – apartment number” (example: 23-7, which is building 23, apartment 7). Not everyone puts their number on their door though, so the delivery drivers have to kind of figure that out on their own.