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Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Introduction

You could also call this:

"Rules for Renting Homes in New Zealand"

Illustration for Residential Tenancies Act 1986

This law is about the rules for renting homes. It explains what landlords and tenants can and cannot do. You will learn about your rights and responsibilities when renting a home. The law sets up a special group to help solve problems between landlords and tenants quickly. The law also creates a special account to hold the bond money that tenants pay when they rent a home. The law replaces some old laws that are no longer needed.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM94277.

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Highlights from this law

Topics:
Housing and property > Renting
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1: Short Title and commencement, or

"This part tells us the name of the law and when it starts working."

Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Reprint as at:
2025-12-01
Assent:
1986-12-17
Commencement:
see section 1(2)

The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

An Act to reform and restate the law relating to residential tenancies, to define the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants of residential properties, to establish a tribunal to determine expeditiously disputes arising between such landlords and tenants, to establish a fund in which bonds payable by such tenants are to be held, and to repeal the Tenancy Act 1955 and the Rent Appeal Act 1973 and their amendments

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