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Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Tenancy agreements - Key money, bonds, and rents

30: Landlord to keep records

You could also call this:

"Landlords must keep records of rent and bonds for their tenants."

Illustration for Residential Tenancies Act 1986

As a landlord, you must keep proper business records. You need to record all rent payments made by your tenant, so you can show them if they ask, as stated in section 29(3). You also need to record the type and amount of any bond paid by your tenant. You must keep these records for 7 tax years after the tax year they relate to. A tax year can be 9 months from 1 July 2016 to 31 March 2017, or 12 months from 1 April to 31 March in later years. If you do not keep these records, you will commit an unlawful act and may have to pay a fine or infringement fee, as specified in Schedule 1B.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM95067.

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"Landlords must give renters a proper receipt when they pay rent"

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Part 2Tenancy agreements
Key money, bonds, and rents

30Landlord to keep records

  1. Every landlord under a tenancy to which this Act applies shall keep or cause to be kept proper business records showing—

  2. all payments of rent paid by or on behalf of the tenant, sufficient to enable the landlord to comply within a reasonable time with any request made by the tenant under section 29(3); and
    1. the type and amount of any bond paid by or on behalf of the tenant on or after 1 May 1996.

      1. The records must be kept for 7 tax years after the tax year to which they relate.

      2. In subsection (1A), tax year means—

      3. the period of 9 months beginning with 1 July 2016 and ending with 31 March 2017; or
        1. a later period of 12 months beginning with 1 April and ending with 31 March.

          1. A landlord who fails to comply with this section—

          2. commits an unlawful act; and
            1. commits an infringement offence and is liable to a fine or an infringement fee specified in Schedule 1B.

              Compare
              • Residential Tenancies Act 1978–1981 s 38 (SA)
              Notes
              • Section 30(1): replaced, on , by section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 7).
              • Section 30(1)(b): amended, on , by section 18 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 (2024 No 52).
              • Section 30(1A): inserted, on , by section 10 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 26).
              • Section 30(1B): inserted, on , by section 10 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 26).
              • Section 30(2): replaced, on , by section 21 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).