Use the street number in preference to a building’s name. However, if you only have a building name, put it by itself on the line immediately above the street name and put any unit or floor above the building name.

Don’t use corner addresses (eg. ‘corner Main and High Streets’) or street number ranges (e.g. ‘4-12 Main Street’).

If the street number includes a letter, leave out the space (e.g. ‘21A Main Street’, not ‘21 A Main Street’).

Use the suburb if it is in common use. You can leave out a central city suburb (e.g. ‘Auckland Central’).

If you’re using a PO Box or Private Bag address, don’t include a street address as well.

PO Box and Private Bag numbers are space-free (e.g. ‘PO Box 23226’, not ‘PO Box 23 226’).

‘PO’ is space-free (e.g. ‘PO Box 23226’ not ‘P O Box 23226’).

‘PO’ is also punctuation-free – leave out the full stops.

You can leave out the box lobby name if it is exactly the same as the town/city name.

Private Bag addresses do not need a box lobby name.

Use ‘RD’ plus the RD number where the suburb would normally appear.

‘RD’ is space and punctuation free (e.g. RD 1 not R D 1 or R.D.1)

Include the recipient’s name and where a Street Number is available, use it.

The mailtown on rural addresses does not relate to the physical location of the property, but rather where the rural delivery round for the address is based. e.g. rural addresses in Piha are serviced from New Lynn, therefore the mailtown and postcode would be New Lynn 0772.