Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Tenancy agreements - Key money, bonds, and rents

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

You could also call this:

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

This section explains how the government can share your address information to give you back your bond money.

Address information means your last known address and phone number. MSD is the government department that looks after social security.

Sometimes, the government tries to give you back your bond money, but they can’t find you. If this happens, they can ask MSD for help. MSD might have your current address.

The government can ask MSD to check if they have your address. If MSD does have it, they can give it to the government department that handles bonds. This helps the government find you and give you back your money.

MSD can give your address to a person who works for the bond department and is allowed to have this information.

This helps make sure you get your bond money back, even if you’ve moved and the government doesn’t know where you are.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3296211.

Topics:
Housing and property > Renting
Money and consumer rights > Banking and loans
Government and voting > Government departments
Rights and equality > Privacy
Previous

22D: Chief executive may take steps to refund bonds, or

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

Next

22F: Landlord must state amount of rent when advertising residential premises, or

“Landlords must tell you how much the rent is when they advertise a place for you to live in.”

Part 2 Tenancy agreements
Key money, bonds, and rents

22EMSD may disclose address information for bond refund purposes

  1. In this section, unless the context otherwise requires,—

    address information, in relation to a person, means the last known address and (if available) the telephone number of the person

      MSD means the department of State that, with the Prime Minister’s authority, is for the time being responsible for the administration of the Social Security Act 2018.

      1. The purpose of this section is to facilitate the disclosure of address information by MSD to the department to enable the chief executive to locate persons who are entitled to bonds to which section 22D(1) applies and that the chief executive continues to hold despite previous attempts to refund them.

      2. If the chief executive is satisfied that reasonable steps have been taken, under section 22D, to refund a bond but that those steps have not been successful, the chief executive may, for the purposes of this section, request MSD, in accordance with arrangements made with the chief executive of MSD,—

      3. to ascertain whether MSD holds any address information about any person entitled to the bond who is named in the request; and
        1. if that is the case, to supply that information to the department.

          1. On receipt of a request made under subsection (3), MSD may supply the information requested to any officer or employee of the department who is authorised to receive that information.

          Notes
          • Section 22E: inserted, on , by section 18 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 95).
          • Section 22E heading: amended, on , by section 459 of the Social Security Act 2018 (2018 No 32).
          • Section 22E(1) MSD: inserted, on , by section 459 of the Social Security Act 2018 (2018 No 32).
          • Section 22E(1) Social Welfare: repealed, on , by section 459 of the Social Security Act 2018 (2018 No 32).
          • Section 22E(2): amended, on , by section 459 of the Social Security Act 2018 (2018 No 32).
          • Section 22E(3): amended, on , by section 459 of the Social Security Act 2018 (2018 No 32).
          • Section 22E(3)(a): amended, on , by section 459 of the Social Security Act 2018 (2018 No 32).
          • Section 22E(4): amended, on , by section 459 of the Social Security Act 2018 (2018 No 32).