Ending a tenancy in New Zealand after the 2025 changes

Periodic tenancies (since 30 January 2025)

• A landlord can end a periodic tenancy with 90 days’ notice, without giving a reason.
• 42 days’ notice is enough when the owner or a family member will live there as their main home (within 90 days of the tenancy ending, for at least 90 days), when the property has been sold with vacant possession under an unconditional agreement, or when it is needed for employees or contractors and the agreement said so.
• A tenant ends a periodic tenancy with 21 days’ notice.
• A notice given on or before 29 January 2025 keeps the period it was given with.

Fixed-term tenancies

A fixed-term tenancy ends on its end date only if the landlord or the tenant gives notice between 90 and 21 days before that date, or both agree something else. No reason is needed. Otherwise it becomes a periodic tenancy. These rules apply to fixed terms ending on or after 1 May 2025.

Retaliation

A tenant who believes a notice was given because they exercised their rights can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal within 12 months; within 28 working days, they can also ask for the notice to be cancelled.

Notices on the record

Whatever the notice, keep it, the date it was served and how. Propex keeps every notice on the tenancy with the date it was served, so the history is there if it is ever questioned.