Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Introduction

“Rules for renting homes and solving renting problems”

This law changes the rules about renting homes. It explains what tenants and landlords can and can’t do when someone is renting a place to live. The law sets up a special group called a tribunal that can quickly solve problems between tenants and landlords.

The law also creates a fund where tenants’ bonds (money they pay when they start renting) are kept safe. This new law replaces two older laws about renting: the Tenancy Act from 1955 and the Rent Appeal Act from 1973, along with any changes that were made to those laws.

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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.

Topics:
Housing and property > Renting
Crime and justice > Courts and legal help

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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:
2023-03-31
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