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Boarding houses: Renting a room

Rent and bond in a boarding house

Rent and other costs in a boarding house

Residential Tenancies Act 1986, ss 24, 66E, 66K, 66U

You must pay your rent on time. Your landlord can give you 48 hours’ notice to move out if you’re 10 days overdue with your rent (see: “Ending a boarding house tenancy”).

Your landlord can increase the rent if they give you 28 days’ written notice. But they can’t increase it more than once every six months.

You have to pay the bills for services that only you use, like electricity and gas, and phone and internet connected to your room. The landlord is responsible for paying all other bills – for example, for electricity or gas used in shared areas like communal lounges.

Paying a bond in a boarding house

Residential Tenancies Act 1986, ss 18, 19, 66D

Your boarding house landlord can ask you for a bond of up to four weeks’ rent.

If the bond you pay is equivalent to more than a week’s rent, all the normal rules about bonds apply, including that the landlord has 23 working days to give it to Tenancy Services for them to hold hold (see: “Rent, bond and other costs”).

If the bond is only one week’s rent or less, your landlord doesn’t have to give it to Tenancy Services, but they do have to give you a receipt. They have to refund you the bond when you move out, except for any amount needed to cover unpaid rent or pay for any damage you’ve caused. If your landlord holds on to your bond at the end of the tenancy, or holds on to more than you think they’re entitled to, you can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to order the landlord to give you back the bond.

Next Section | Your use of your room and the shared facilities

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Tenancy and housing

Where to go for more support

Community Law

Your local Community Law Centre can provide you with free initial legal advice.

Find your local Community Law Centre online: www.communitylaw.org.nz/our-law-centres

Tenancy Services – Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

MBIE’s Tenancy Services section provides information to tenants and to landlords. It also provides dispute-resolution services. Free translation services are available.

Website: www.tenancy.govt.nz
Tenancy advice: 0800 83 62 62 (0800 TENANCY).
Bond enquiries: 0800 737 666.

Ministry of Social Development – Work and Income (WINZ)

Work and Income assess eligibility for social housing provided by Kāinga Ora and other registered community housing providers. WINZ also calculates income-related rent for social housing and conducts tenancy reviews.

Website: www.workandincome.govt.nz/housing/index.html
Phone: 0800 559 009
No where to stay: www.workandincome.govt.nz/housing/nowhere-to-stay/index.html
Who can get public housing: www.workandincome.govt.nz/housing/find-a-house/who-can-get-public-housing.html
Apply for public housing: www.workandincome.govt.nz/housing/find-a-house/apply-for-public-housing.html

Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand)

Kāinga Ora manages New Zealand’s public housing and places people in public homes.  Kāinga Ora’s website provides information for existing and prospective tenants.

Website: www.kaingaora.govt.nz
Phone: 0800 801 601
Office locations: kaingaora.govt.nz/our-locations
When to contact Kāinga Ora vs Work and Income resource: kaingaora.govt.nz/tenants-and-communities/renting-a-home

Note: to apply for a Kāinga Ora home, you need to contact Work and Income – “Ministry of Social Development – Work and Income (WINZ)” above.

Tenancy Tribunal

The Tenancy Tribunal can help you if you have an issue with a tenant or landlord that you can’t solve yourself. The Tribunal will hear both sides of the argument and can issue an order that is legally binding.

Information on how to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal: www.tenancy.govt.nz/disputes/Tribunal/making-an-application

Aratohu Tenant Advocacy

The Aratohu Tenant Advocacy is a comprehensive online resource that provides support and guidance to tenants and their advocates.

Website: tenant.aratohu.nz
Email: admin@cab.org.nz

Tenants Protection Association Auckland (TPA)

The Tenants Protection Association provides advocacy and support to renters in Auckland.

Website: tpaauckland.org.nz
Phone: 09 360 1473

Manawatū Tenants’ Union

The Manawatū Tenants’ Union provides advocacy and support to renters in the Manawatū region.

Website: www.mtu.org.nz
Email: info@mtu.org.nz
Phone: 06 357 7435

Renters United

Renters United is an organisation for renters in Wellington. They focus on organising renters and campaigning to make renting better for everyone.

Website: rentersunited.org.nz
Online contact form: rentersunited.org.nz/contact
Instagram: www.instagram.com/fairrentnow
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rentersunitednz

Community Housing Regulatory Authority

The Community Housing Regulatory Authority registers and regulates community housing providers.

Website: chra.hud.govt.nz
Email: CHRA@hud.govt.nz
Phone: 0800 141 411

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

CAB provides free, confidential and independent information and advice.  See CAB’s website for valuable information on a range of topics.

Website: www.cab.org.nz
Phone: 0800 367 222
Facebook: www.facebook.com/citizensadvicenz

Find your local CAB office: www.cab.org.nz/find-a-cab

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