Being a landlord comes with more than simply finding a tenant and collecting rent. From providing a safe, healthy home to keeping up with maintenance, inspections and tenancy requirements, there are a number of responsibilities that come with owning a rental property in New Zealand.

Understanding your obligations helps you protect your investment, maintain a positive relationship with your tenants and avoid potentially costly problems down the track.

Here are some of the key responsibilities every landlord should understand.

Provide a safe and healthy home

One of your most important responsibilities is making sure your rental property is safe, healthy and legally suitable to live in.

This includes meeting relevant building, health and safety requirements, as well as ensuring the property complies with the Healthy Homes Standards. These standards cover heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping. All rental properties must comply with the Healthy Homes Standards, unless a specific exemption applies.

Working and compliant smoke alarms are also required in rental properties.

Importantly, compliance isn't a one-off exercise. Once your property meets the standards, you need to continue maintaining the systems and features that help it meet those requirements. The Tenancy Services website is a great resource for landlords on how to ensure they are providing a safe and healthy home, and meeting their current obligations.

Keep the property in a reasonable state of repair

Landlords are responsible for providing and maintaining the property in a reasonable state of repair. This includes addressing maintenance issues and ensuring essential parts of the property, such as plumbing, electrical systems, locks and the structure of the home, remain safe and functional.

When you become aware of a maintenance issue that isn't the tenant's responsibility, you should arrange for it to be addressed within a reasonable timeframe. Keeping tenants informed about the progress of repairs is also good practice.

Regular inspections can help identify problems before they become expensive repairs. They can also give you an opportunity to check that the property is being reasonably cared for and that maintenance requirements are being addressed. It is recommended to check with your insurance provider as some providers have requirements for how often inspections need to be undertaken.

Respect your tenant's privacy and quiet enjoyment

Having ownership of a property doesn't mean you can access it whenever you like.

Tenants are entitled to reasonable peace, comfort and privacy in their home. If you need to enter the property for an inspection, maintenance or another permitted reason, you need to follow the appropriate notice requirements or obtain the tenant's permission, depending on the circumstances.

A professional property manager can help ensure inspections, maintenance visits and other access are handled correctly and consistently.

Get your tenancy agreement right

A written tenancy agreement isn't just useful paperwork – it's an important part of establishing the expectations and responsibilities of both parties.

Landlords must provide a written tenancy agreement before the tenancy begins, and it needs to contain the information required under the Residential Tenancies Act. For example, new or renewed tenancy agreements must include a signed Healthy Homes compliance statement outlining the property's current level of compliance.

It's also important to keep accurate records relating to the tenancy, including maintenance, inspections and Healthy Homes compliance information.

Understand the rules around rent

Landlords need to follow specific rules when setting and increasing rent.

For example, rent increases require at least 60 days' written notice and cannot occur more than once every 12 months. There are also specific requirements around when an increase can take effect, particularly for fixed-term tenancies.

You can ask for up to two weeks' rent in advance, but you cannot require a tenant to pay more than two weeks' rent in advance.

Keeping rent reviews aligned with current market conditions can help you balance a competitive rental price with the return you're seeking from your investment.

Handle the bond correctly

If you take a tenant's bond, there are rules around how it must be handled and lodged.

You can collect up to four weeks rent as a general bond in addition of up to two weeks rent for a pet bond. Conditions apply for collecting pet bond under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Any bond collected must be lodged with Tenancy Services within 23 working days. Proper handling of bonds is crucial to avoiding fines and maintaining trust.

From 29 June 2026, all bond transactions have moved online through Tenancy Services' Bond Hub or integrated property management software.

It's important to understand the current requirements around receiving, lodging, increasing and refunding bonds, rather than treating the bond as simply another payment associated with the tenancy.

Keep good records

Good record keeping is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself as a landlord.

Keep records of things such as:

  • The tenancy agreement and required statements
  • Healthy Homes compliance information
  • Inspection reports and photographs
  • Maintenance and repair requests
  • Invoices and receipts for work completed
  • Rent payments and increases
  • Bond transactions
  • Communication with your tenant
  • Insurance information and relevant property documents

 

For Healthy Homes compliance specifically, landlords must keep records and documents demonstrating compliance, and tenants can request this information.

Having everything documented can make it much easier to resolve questions or disputes if they arise.

Know what is your responsibility – and what isn't

Landlords and tenants both have responsibilities during a tenancy.

While landlords are generally responsible for maintaining the property and carrying out necessary repairs, tenants are expected to keep the property reasonably clean and tidy and let the landlord know about damage or maintenance issues.

Understanding where those responsibilities sit can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure issues are dealt with by the right person.

Stay up to date

Perhaps the biggest responsibility of all is keeping yourself informed.

New Zealand's tenancy laws and regulations can change, and what was acceptable a few years ago may no longer meet current requirements. The Residential Tenancies Act, Healthy Homes Standards and other relevant legislation should all be considered when managing a rental property.

For landlords who don't have the time, knowledge or desire to stay on top of every requirement, professional property management can take much of the day-to-day responsibility off your plate.

Here at EVES, our property management team can help landlords navigate the practical side of owning a rental property – from finding and managing tenants through to inspections, maintenance and keeping up with changing requirements.

Want to make renting out your property easier? Talk to the EVES Property Management team about how professional property management can help you protect your investment while giving you more time back.

This article provides general information only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Tenancy laws and requirements can change, so landlords should refer to Tenancy Services or obtain independent professional advice for advice specific to their circumstances.