6 Month Tenancy Agreement Template for New Zealand

The tenancy continues automatically as a periodic tenancy unless either party gives notice, between 90 and 21 days before the end date, that they do not want it to carry on. Since 30 January 2025 a landlord giving that notice does not have to give a reason. If the window is missed, the fixed term rolls into a periodic tenancy on the same terms, and the ordinary periodic notice rules apply from then on. Put both dates in a diary when the agreement is signed: the earliest and the latest day on which the notice can validly be given, counted back from the last day of the term.

Only if the agreement provides for an increase, and rent cannot be increased more often than the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 allows. Check whether the agreement contains a rent review clause, because a fixed-term agreement that is silent on the point holds the rent for the term. Where a clause does exist, look at what triggers the increase, how it is calculated, and how much written notice the tenant gets, since an increase imposed without following those steps is open to challenge. An agreed variation part way through the term is a different route and needs both signatures, not a message announcing that the rent is going up.

A bond cannot exceed four weeks' rent, and the landlord must lodge it with Tenancy Services within 23 working days of receiving it. Holding a bond in a private account instead is not permitted, and the tenant is entitled to a record showing the money has been lodged. For the tenant, the practical step is asking for the bond receipt or reference number rather than assuming it has been dealt with, because an unlodged bond is harder to recover at the end of the tenancy. For the landlord, the working day count runs from receipt of the money, not from the date the tenancy started.

Consent in writing from the landlord is needed unless the agreement already allows it. The agreement should state whether subletting and assignment are permitted, because a tenant who brings someone in without consent remains liable for the rent and for any damage that person causes. One distinction is worth keeping clear: a flatmate occupying under your tenancy has no direct relationship with the landlord, whereas adding someone as a tenant makes them jointly liable and changes who has to sign the bond refund at the end. Ask for the consent in writing and keep the reply, so the position cannot be disputed later.

No. Short-stay holiday accommodation and arrangements where you live with the owner generally fall outside the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and boarding houses have their own rules within it. Using a fixed-term residential agreement for one of those situations does not bring it inside the Act, and it leaves both sides relying on terms that do not fit what was actually agreed. Use a form drafted for the arrangement you have. Where the position is unclear, the questions that usually settle it are whether the occupier has exclusive possession of their own space, how long the stay is, and whether the owner lives on the premises.