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Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Tenancy agreements - Rights and obligations of parties

42G: Reasonable conditions relating to tenant keeping pet

You could also call this:

"Rules for having a pet in a rental home"

Illustration for Residential Tenancies Act 1986

You need to follow some rules when you want to keep a pet in a rental property. A landlord can set conditions for having a pet, but these conditions must be reasonable. The conditions must consider the type of property and the type of pet you have. You might have to pay a pet bond, which is an extra amount of money to cover any damage your pet might cause. This pet bond is set by the landlord and must follow the rules set out in section 18AA. You might also have to agree to change your tenancy agreement under section 13B to include the pet bond. A landlord can also set conditions like keeping your pet under control when they visit the property. If your pet is allowed inside, you might have to get the carpets professionally cleaned when you move out.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1561982.

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Part 2Tenancy agreements
Rights and obligations of parties

42GReasonable conditions relating to tenant keeping pet

  1. For the purposes of sections 42C to 42F, a condition relating to a tenant keeping a pet that is set out in a tenancy agreement or attached to a landlord’s consent must be reasonable having regard to the nature of the premises and the type of pet or pets to which it applies.

  2. Reasonable conditions may include the following (for example):

  3. a condition that the tenant agree to pay an amount of pet bond set by the landlord in accordance with section 18AA (and agree to a variation of the tenancy agreement under section 13B to that effect):
    1. a condition requiring a pet or pets to be restrained while a landlord lawfully enters the premises:
      1. if a pet is allowed inside the premises, a condition requiring the carpets in the premises to be cleaned to a professional standard at the end of the tenancy.

        1. Subsection (2) is subject to subsection (1).

        Notes
        • Section 42G: inserted, on , by section 20 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 (2024 No 52).