Tenancy law changes in New Zealand: what's changed and what it means for you

The short answer: what changed, and when

• 18 December 2024 — Online bond lodgement; signatures no longer required
• 30 January 2025 — 90-day no-cause terminations reinstated; 42-day notice for specified grounds; fixed terms auto-convert to periodic
• 20 March 2025 — Electronic notices permitted; smoking clauses enforceable; Tribunal can decide on the papers; family violence provisions extended to dependants
• 1 December 2025 — Pet consent rules and pet bonds
• 16 April 2026 — Methamphetamine contamination regulations
• 29 June 2026 — All bond transactions move online via Bond Hub

Can a landlord end a periodic tenancy without giving a reason?

Yes. Since 30 January 2025, a landlord can end a periodic tenancy with no cause by giving 90 days’ written notice. No reason is required. This reversed the position under the 2020 amendments — if you’ve read older guidance saying a landlord always needs stated grounds, that guidance is out of date.

A landlord can use the shorter 42 days’ notice in three situations only:

• The owner or a family member requires the property as their principal place of residence within 90 days of the tenancy ending, and will live there at least 90 days
• There is an unconditional agreement for sale requiring vacant possession
• The property is required for the landlord’s employees or contractors, is usually used for that purpose, and this is stated in the current tenancy agreement

A tenant ending a periodic tenancy gives 21 days’ notice.

What happens when a fixed-term tenancy expires?

For fixed terms expiring on or after 1 May 2025, the tenancy automatically becomes periodic unless somebody acts. To prevent that, either party must give notice between 90 and 21 days before the expiry date. No reason required. Alternatively both parties can agree to something different. The trap: if you assume a fixed term simply ends on its date and do nothing, you’ll find yourself in a periodic tenancy. Diarise the 90-day mark, not the end date. Fixed terms that started on or after 11 February 2021 and expired on or before 30 April 2025 are still governed by the previous rules.

Can I be given notice for complaining or asking for repairs?

No. Retaliatory notices remain unlawful, and the 2025 changes strengthened the protection. If a landlord terminates because a tenant exercised a legal right, requesting maintenance, or because Tenancy Services’ Compliance and Investigations team became involved, the tenant can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to have it declared retaliatory and an unlawful act. Timing matters:

• Apply within 28 working days of the notice and you can ask for the notice to be cancelled
• Apply within 12 months and you can still seek a declaration and exemplary damages

The pet rules that started on 1 December 2025

• A tenant may keep a pet if the tenancy agreement allows it, or with written landlord consent
• A landlord can only refuse on reasonable grounds — blanket “no pets” clauses are no longer enforceable
• A landlord can charge a pet bond of up to two weeks’ rent, in addition to the standard bond, and only one at a time
• Tenants are fully liable for pet damage beyond fair wear and tear
• Disability assist dogs are exempt — no consent needed, no pet bond
• Pets lawfully kept before 1 December 2025 are grandfathered

Full detail on the pets in rentals page.

Changes to how notices can be served

Since 20 March 2025, notices and documents can be served to an electronic address — email, mobile number, fax, or an instant messaging account — provided it is listed as an address for service in the tenancy agreement. A physical address for service is still required as well. An email address given as an address for service can be used for up to two years after the tenancy ends. This changes what counts as proper service: a text to a number listed as an address for service may now be valid notice, but a text to a number that isn’t, is not.

Methamphetamine regulations from 16 April 2026

• Above 15µg/100cm² of meth residue, an area is contaminated and must be decontaminated to that level or below
• Above 30µg/100cm², the property is uninhabitable, allowing substantially shorter termination notices from either party

Testing and decontamination must follow NZS 8510:2017, as modified by the Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026.

Bonds are now fully online

From 29 June 2026, all bond transactions must be completed through Bond Hub or integrated property management software. Lodgement by post or email has been discontinued, and signatures have not been required since 18 December 2024. Bonds must still be lodged within 23 working days of receipt.

What to do with this

If you’re renting: check which tenancy type you hold, then the notice period that applies. If you receive a notice, confirm it is in writing, gives the correct number of days, and, where a reason is required, states a ground the Act actually permits. Keep a dated copy of everything.

If you own: notice periods are now the compliance risk. A 42-day notice served on grounds that don’t qualify is invalid, and serving it may expose you to a retaliatory-notice claim. So is a pet refusal without reasonable grounds.

Frequently asked questions