Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act

Residential tenancies in New Zealand are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act.  This means the tenant’s rights are protected by law, even if these rights are not written in the contract.

A number of new changes to the rules have come into effect in 2021.  Some of the main changes are as follows:

1. Rent increases are now limited to once every 12 months.  Further, landlords must give tenants at least 60 days’ written notice before increasing the rent.
2. Landlords can no longer end a periodic tenancy for no reason.  A landlord can only terminate a periodic tenancy under certain legal grounds, such as having sold the property. Even under approved circumstances, the landlord must give at least 90 days’ written notice.
3. All rental property advertisements must include the rental price, and the landlord can’t ask tenants to send in bids for the rent.
4. Landlords must install fibre broadband at the property if the tenant makes a request, unless the installation will weaken the structural integrity of the property.
5. Tenants can request to assign a fixed term tenancy to another person, and the landlord can’t unreasonably decline the request.
6. It is illegal not to provide a written tenancy agreement to the tenant, and the tenancy agreement must contain new types of information.

If you have any questions about residential tenancies, speak to us at Capstone Law, and we would be happy to assist you.