Pets in NZ Rentals: What Landlords Can and Cannot Do

Pets in rentals are a perennial issue for NZ landlords. Tenants want to keep their animals. Landlords worry about damage, smell, and complaints from neighbours. The law sets clear limits on what landlords can and cannot do, and the biggest recent change is that pet bonds became legal on 1 December 2025: you can now charge up to 2 weeks rent as a pet bond, on top of the normal bond.

Can You Charge a Pet Bond?

Yes, since 1 December 2025. The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 introduced the pet bond: you can charge up to 2 weeks rent as a pet bond, on top of the ordinary bond of up to 4 weeks rent. You can only charge one pet bond per tenancy regardless of how many pets there are, it applies only to pets the tenant starts keeping on or after 1 December 2025 with your written consent, and it must be lodged with Tenancy Services and clearly recorded as a pet bond. Charging more than 2 weeks rent as a pet bond risks a penalty of up to $3,000 (Tenancy Services - Charging a pet bond).

This is a recent change. Until 30 November 2025 pet bonds were not legal in NZ, so older guides and tenancy templates may still tell you that you cannot charge one. For the full mechanics, including the cap, lodgement, existing pets, and disability assist dogs, see our dedicated guide to pet bonds in NZ.

Can You Refuse to Allow Pets?

Yes. You can include a clause in your tenancy agreement prohibiting pets, or requiring your prior written approval before any pet is kept at the property. This is enforceable, and a tenant who keeps pets in breach of a no-pets clause is in breach of the tenancy agreement.

However, there are limits. If a tenant has a disability and requires a companion animal or assistance dog, you cannot unreasonably refuse to allow that animal. The Human Rights Act applies alongside the RTA in these cases.

What About Properties With Body Corporate Rules?

If your property is in a complex governed by a body corporate (most apartments and some townhouses), the body corporate rules may prohibit pets or require body corporate approval. In that case, you should not approve pets without first checking whether the body corporate rules allow them - because the tenant would be breaching body corporate rules even with your approval.

If You Allow Pets, Get It in Writing

If you approve a pet, document it. A short addendum to the tenancy agreement works well:

• Species and breed of the pet
• Any conditions (pet must be kept outdoors, no more than 2 cats, etc.)
• Tenant's acknowledgment that they are responsible for all damage caused by the pet
• Requirement to have the property professionally cleaned and carpet steam cleaned at the end of the tenancy if pets were kept indoors

This last point is important. Requiring professional cleaning at tenancy end is enforceable if it was agreed in writing - and it shifts the cleaning cost clearly onto the tenant rather than leaving it as a dispute.

Claiming for Pet Damage

You can now hold a pet bond to cover this, and where the damage exceeds the bond you can still claim the balance through the normal bond process or a Tribunal application. Pet damage claims are common and generally succeed if:

• The tenancy condition report shows the property was in good condition at the start
• The move-out inspection documents the damage with photos
• You have receipts for repairs or professional cleaning
• The costs are reasonable and relate specifically to the pet (not pre-existing wear)

Flea treatment, carpet replacement due to pet odour, and garden damage from dogs are all regularly awarded by the Tribunal when properly evidenced.

The Practical Risk Assessment

Many landlords with a blanket no-pets policy miss out on good tenants and longer tenancies. Pet owners, especially with dogs, tend to stay longer because it is harder to find pet-friendly rentals. The actual damage risk is manageable if you document properly and require appropriate cleaning at the end.

A balanced approach: allow pets on application, document the approval, take a thorough TCR, and require professional cleaning in the tenancy agreement. This gives you most of the protection of a no-pets policy with fewer vacancies.

How RentManager handles pets end to end: mark the property as pet-friendly, build the pet clause and pet-bond terms straight into the tenancy agreement, and lodge the pet bond directly through the genuine Tenancy Services bond integration (the General plus Pet Bond split), so the bond reference lands on the tenancy record automatically. You can try it without signing up, set a property pet-friendly and walk through lodging a pet bond, and keep everything you build if you turn the demo into your own account. For the full rules on the cap, lodgement, and existing pets, see our guide to pet bonds in NZ.