Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill
This bill changes the rules for renting homes in New Zealand. Landlords would be able to end a periodic (ongoing, no fixed end date) tenancy without giving a reason, as long as they give 90 days' notice. Renters would only need 21 days' notice to leave, down from 28. The bill also gives tenants the right to keep pets, as long as the landlord agrees — and landlords can only say no for reasonable reasons. Landlords could charge an extra bond (a refundable deposit) of up to two weeks' rent for pets.
What this affects
Tap a topic to see how this bill touches it, and the parts of the text that show it.
The bill changes how and when landlords and tenants can end a rental agreement, and sets new rules for keeping pets in rental homes.
A landlord may terminate a periodic tenancy in any case by giving at least 90 days' notice.
A tenant may terminate a periodic tenancy in any case by giving at least 21 days' notice.
A landlord may require payment of a bond (a pet bond) of no more than 2 weeks' rent... if the tenant is keeping, or intends to keep, a pet on the premises.
A landlord must not refuse consent without reasonable grounds.
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Social Services and Community Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 2 July 2024.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.