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Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Tenancy agreements - Key money, bonds, and rents

22D: Chief executive may take steps to refund bonds

You could also call this:

“The government can try to give back money that was kept safe for renters if no one claims it after a long time.”

The chief executive can take reasonable steps to refund a bond they are holding if they believe the tenancy has ended and no one has claimed the bond within 2 months, or if someone’s application to get the bond back has been approved but they haven’t collected the money within 2 months.

These steps might include making public some information about the bond. This could be the name of the person who should get the refund, the tenant’s name, how much money the bond is for, and where the rented place is located.

This rule applies to all bond money the chief executive is holding, no matter when they received it.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3292127.

Topics:
Housing and property > Renting
Money and consumer rights > Consumer protection
Previous

22C: Payments of bond to be made out of Residential Tenancies Trust Account, or

“The government uses a special account to give back bond money to tenants and landlords.”

Next

22E: MSD may disclose address information for bond refund purposes, or

“The government can share your address to give back your rental bond money if they can't find you.”

Part 2 Tenancy agreements
Key money, bonds, and rents

22DChief executive may take steps to refund bonds

  1. The chief executive may take any steps that the chief executive considers reasonable in the circumstances to refund a bond held by the chief executive if the chief executive believes on reasonable grounds that—

  2. the tenancy to which the bond relates has terminated and no claim is made for the bond within 2 months of the termination; or
    1. an application for the refund of the bond has been approved but the bond money has not been collected within 2 months of the approval.

      1. The steps that the chief executive takes under subsection (1) may include the publication of 1 or more of the following:

      2. the name of the person to whom the bond is to be refunded if the circumstances described in subsection (1)(b) apply:
        1. the name of the tenant in whose name the bond is held:
          1. the amount, or approximate amount, of the bond:
            1. the location of the premises to which the bond relates.

              1. To avoid doubt, this section applies to all bond money held by the chief executive, whenever it is received.

              Notes
              • Section 22D: inserted, on , by section 18 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 95).