Bonds and pet bonds in New Zealand: the rules since December 2025

The general bond

• Up to four weeks’ rent. A landlord cannot ask for any other security on top of it.
• Lodged with Tenancy Services within 23 working days of receiving all or part of it, with a receipt to the tenant.
• Lodged and paid online since 18 December 2024; signatures are no longer needed for lodgement or top-ups.
• If the rent goes up, a top-up can be asked for: the increase multiplied by the number of weeks’ bond taken at the start.

The pet bond

Since 1 December 2025, a tenant can keep a pet if the agreement allows it or the landlord consents in writing, and a landlord can refuse only on reasonable grounds. A landlord who consents can charge a pet bond of up to two weeks’ rent, as a condition of that consent, and only one pet bond at a time. It covers pet damage beyond fair wear and tear.

There is no pet bond for a disability assist dog, and none for a pet that was lawfully kept before 1 December 2025. Charging a pet bond when no pet is kept can bring a penalty.

Keeping it straight

In Propex the bond, the date it was lodged and the Tenancy Services reference are kept on the tenancy, so you can see at a glance that each one was lodged in time.