Renting in New Zealand: four weeks' bond, no letting fees and 90 days' notice without a reason

Yes, you can rent in New Zealand straight away, and the rules are national and clear. The bond is at most four weeks' rent, rent in advance at most two weeks, and letting fees have been banned since 12 December 2018. What you pay on arrival is therefore manageable: with rent of $600 a week, at most $2,400 bond and $1,200 rent in advance. The finding at the source concerns the flip side: a landlord can end a periodic tenancy with 90 days' notice without giving a reason. Anyone who wants to stay in a school zone with children should watch the type of agreement.

What do I pay at the start?

Item	Maximum	What you check
Bond	4 weeks' rent	the landlord lodges it with Tenancy Services within 23 working days
Pet bond	2 weeks' rent, one per tenancy	only for a pet you were given consent for
Rent in advance	2 weeks	the next payment only once the prepaid rent is used up
Letting fees	banned	also for renewing or extending a tenancy
Key money	banned	except an option fee to hold a property briefly

The bond does not go to the landlord but to Tenancy Services, which holds it during the tenancy. The landlord must lodge it within 23 working days; if they do not, they can receive a penalty. So check that your bond is actually registered there.

May I bring my pet?

Since 1 December 2025 a landlord may only refuse a pet request with a good reason; refusing without one can lead to a penalty. With consent they may ask for a pet bond of at most two weeks' rent, and only one per tenancy, even if you have two animals. If they ask for more, they risk a penalty of up to $3,000. No pet bond may be charged for a disability assist dog.

How your dog or cat gets into New Zealand is another story: that is in household goods, car and pet to New Zealand.

How often can the rent go up?

Once every twelve months: no earlier than twelve months after the start of the tenancy, and twelve months after the previous increase. The landlord must give at least 60 days' written notice, stating the new amount and the date it applies from.

How tied am I to my tenancy, and how tied is the landlord?

There are two types of agreement, and the difference is large.

A periodic tenancy you can end as a tenant with at least 21 days' written notice. The landlord can end it with 90 days' written notice without a reason, as long as it is not retaliatory, or with 42 days if they or a family member will live there themselves.

A fixed-term tenancy runs until the end date and can only be extended if both agree. If either does not want to continue, notice must fall between the 90th and the 21st day before the end date. If it does not, the agreement automatically becomes a periodic tenancy.

The 90 days without a reason. A periodic tenancy feels like security, but the landlord can end it with 90 days' notice without explanation. If you have just enrolled your children in a school's zone, you do not want to do that again after three months. For a home you want to keep longer, ask for a fixed-term agreement, and put the window from 90 to 21 days before the end in your calendar.

What should I look out for at the viewing?

Warmth. New Zealand houses are often cold, which is why the healthy homes standards apply: minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and draughts. Among other things the landlord must provide one or more fixed heaters that directly heat the living room, and ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory since 1 July 2019. Tenancy Services has a checklist for tenants.

Expect an application form as well. A landlord may ask questions relevant to the tenancy, and may do a credit check, but should not ask about, for example, your religion or what you spend your income on.

Buying is often not yet possible in your first year: why you may not buy a house in New Zealand straight away. The order of the arrival phase is at /nieuw-zeeland.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.5: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to New Zealand or go straight to step 5.5 in the open plan.