New Zealand
Renting & Tenant Rights
Last verified August 15, 2026
Written for U.S. passport holders
Bond Rules
- The bond (deposit) is capped at 4 weeks' rent.
- Landlords must lodge the bond with Tenancy Services (a government body) within 23 working days of receiving it; they can't simply hold it themselves.
- At the end of the tenancy, both parties apply online for the refund. If you and the landlord disagree on the amount, Tenancy Services holds the bond until the Tenancy Tribunal decides.
Ending a Tenancy
- As of January 30, 2025, landlords can end a periodic (rolling) tenancy 'no cause,' with 90 days' notice, or with just 42 days' notice for specific grounds like the owner needing the property as their own home or an unconditional sale.
- As a tenant, your own notice period to end a periodic tenancy is 21 days (reduced from 28 days by the same 2025 amendment).
- A fixed-term tenancy automatically converts to a periodic (rolling) tenancy at the end of its term unless either side gives notice between 90 and 21 days before it ends.
The Gotcha
New Zealand actually reversed course on tenant protections: 'no cause' terminations, where a landlord doesn't have to give any specific reason, were reintroduced in January 2025 with 90 days' notice. If you're reading older guidance describing New Zealand as having ended no-cause terminations, that's now out of date, it's back, in the opposite direction from what the UK did around the same time.
Sources
This page was drafted from the primary sources below. Rules change, so check the linked page directly before relying on any of this.
- Changes to tenancy terminations now in force (Tenancy Services, New Zealand Government)
- About lodging a bond (Tenancy Services, New Zealand Government)