diff --git a/app/models/verification/residence.rb b/app/models/verification/residence.rb
index d254ccaa6..82cc2d046 100644
--- a/app/models/verification/residence.rb
+++ b/app/models/verification/residence.rb
@@ -106,9 +106,9 @@ class Verification::Residence
     def valid_postal_code?
       Setting["postal_codes"].split(",").any? do |code_or_range|
         if code_or_range.include?(":")
-          Range.new(*code_or_range.split(":")).include?(postal_code)
+          Range.new(*code_or_range.split(":").map(&:strip)).include?(postal_code&.strip)
         else
-          postal_code == code_or_range
+          postal_code&.strip == code_or_range.strip
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/models/verification/residence_spec.rb b/spec/models/verification/residence_spec.rb
index cdfee621b..7c3e671e3 100644
--- a/spec/models/verification/residence_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/verification/residence_spec.rb
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ describe Verification::Residence do
         allow(residence).to receive(:census_data).and_return(census_data)
       end
 
+      it "is not valid when it's nil" do
+        residence.postal_code = nil
+
+        expect(residence).not_to be_valid
+      end
+
       it "is valid with postal codes included in settings" do
         residence.postal_code = "28012"
         expect(residence).to be_valid
@@ -98,6 +104,28 @@ describe Verification::Residence do
         expect(residence).not_to be_valid
       end
 
+      it "does not ignore spaces inside the postal code" do
+        Setting["postal_codes"] = "00001,000 05,00011"
+
+        residence.postal_code = "000 05"
+        expect(residence).to be_valid
+
+        residence.postal_code = "00005"
+        expect(residence).not_to be_valid
+      end
+
+      it "ignores trailing spaces in both the setting and the postal codes" do
+        Setting["postal_codes"] = " 00001,00002: 00005, 00011 "
+
+        residence.postal_code = "  00003  "
+
+        expect(residence).to be_valid
+
+        residence.postal_code = "00011   "
+
+        expect(residence).to be_valid
+      end
+
       it "is not valid with postal codes not included in settings" do
         residence.postal_code = "12345"
         expect(residence).not_to be_valid