Proposal:Multi-unit address relation

Multi-unit address relation
Proposal status:	Draft (under way)
Proposed by:	Hayleox
Tagging:	type=multi-unit_address
Applies to:	relation
Definition:	Links units that all share the same base address
Statistics:
Draft started:	2026-04-08

Problem Statement

In the U.S., it is common that we will have access to data that describes the position of each separate unit in a multi-unit complex (e.g. apartment complex, office park, etc). Often, each unit will have the same house number, and the unit number will be the only thing differentiating them. Additionally, the address with no unit number is typically considered the address of the complex as a whole, and it may also be the address of a specific building in the complex (in apartment complexes, it's often the leasing/management office).

Currently, the norm is that each unit will be its own node (or closed way) containing all of the addr:* tags. Renderers don't have a straightforward way to detect that all of these units are part of a larger complex with a shared base address; they have to render each unit without knowing that context. The result is that renderers will have to play it safe and render the house number too, and the result is a cluttered mess. Here's an example of an apartment complex I mapped in Hillsboro, Ohio:

The house number "415" is repeated for every single apartment,

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