NZ Bond Lodgement Checklist: Step-by-Step for Landlords

For a standard residential tenancy, landlords who collect a bond must follow this sequence. Boarding-house bonds of one week's rent or less are exempt from lodgement. Missing a step can lead to exemplary damages; for example, late lodgement can carry up to $1,500, while charging more than two weeks' rent for a pet bond can carry up to $3,000. Here is the complete checklist.

Before Collecting the Bond

• Confirm the amount is within the cap — maximum four weeks' rent for a general bond. If the tenant starts keeping a pet on or after 1 December 2025, you consent to it, and a pet bond is a condition of that consent, you can charge up to two weeks' rent as a pet bond. Total maximum: six weeks' rent.
• Set up your Bond Hub account — register at mybond.tenancy.govt.nz and sign in with RealMe, Microsoft, or Google. Register before the tenancy starts so your account is ready.

When You Receive the Bond

• Record the exact date you receive the payment. The 23-working-day period is triggered by receipt; count the first working day from the next working day.
• Issue a written receipt immediately containing the tenant's full name, the date, the exact amount, the property address, and the classification (general bond, pet bond, or both). If the tenant paid by bank transfer, the bank record may serve as the receipt.

Lodge Within 23 Working Days

• Log into Bond Hub and complete the lodgement form — property address, tenant names and contact details, weekly rent, and bond amount.
• Pay the bond online by credit or debit card or Account2Account, or nominate an eligible tenant to pay through the email link.
• Confirm both are submitted — the form alone does not satisfy the lodgement obligation. Neither does the money alone. Tenancy Services needs both the completed form and the matching funds within the deadline.

Working days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and the year-end period from 24 December to 3 January inclusive. Count carefully if your tenancy starts near the holidays.

After Lodging

• Wait for the Acknowledgement — once the lodgement is complete and correct, Tenancy Services can take up to 10 working days to process it. The confirmation contains the Bond Number and Landlord ID.
• Follow up if no confirmation arrives after 10 working days. Check Bond Hub first. If it still shows as pending, call 0800 836 262 or use the bond enquiry form on the Tenancy Services Contact Us page with the property address and transaction dates.
• File the Acknowledgement — you will need the Bond Number for every future transaction: refunds, top-ups, tenant changes, and property transfers.

Ongoing Obligations

• Appoint a local agent if you leave New Zealand for more than 21 consecutive days — notify the tenant and submit a change-of-landlord request through Bond Hub or connected property management software.
• Keep records for at least 12 months after the tenancy ends (RTA requirement) and 7 years for IRD tax purposes.
• Update Bond Hub within 10 working days if the property sells or management changes. Either the departing or incoming landlord can submit the request; the other must respond.

For a printable version of this checklist with a working-day calculator and audit log, see the NZ Bond Lodgement Guide.

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