Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Tenancy agreements - Preliminary matters

13AB: Address for service

You could also call this:

"Where you get important tenancy notices and documents sent"

Illustration for Residential Tenancies Act 1986

When you are a landlord or tenant, you need to give an address where you can get notices and documents about the tenancy. This address is called an address for service. You must give a physical address in New Zealand. When you give an address for service, you can also give a Post Office box number or an electronic address. An electronic address can be an email address, a facsimile number, a mobile telephone number, or an instant messaging account. This is so you can get information and keep it for later. You can find more information about the rules for addresses for service in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 and the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3279741.

This page was last updated on 24 December 2025 — View changes

13A: Contents of tenancy agreement, or

"What your rental agreement must include"

13B: Variations and renewals of tenancy agreements, or

"Changes to your rental agreement must be written down and signed by you and your landlord."

Part 2Tenancy agreements
Preliminary matters

13ABAddress for service

For the purposes of this Act, an address for service means an address given by the landlord or tenant under this Act as an address at which notices and other documents relating to the tenancy will be accepted by or on behalf of the landlord or tenant, as the case may be.
Whenever a party is required to give an address for service, the party—
must give an address of a physical place in New Zealand; and
may, in addition, specify a Post Office box number or electronic address as one of the party’s addresses for service.

In this section, electronic address means an email address, facsimile number, mobile telephone number, or instant messaging account through which information transmitted is readily accessible for subsequent reference.

Notes

Section 13AB: inserted, on 1 October 2010, by section 10(1) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 95).
Section 13AB(2)(b): amended, on 20 March 2025, by section 7(1) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 (2024 No 52).
Section 13AB(3): inserted, on 20 March 2025, by section 7(2) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 (2024 No 52).