How to Lodge a Bond Without a Property Manager in NZ

You do not need a property manager to lodge a tenancy bond in New Zealand. The process is the same whether you are a self-managing landlord from day one or switching to self-management after ending an agency contract. The difference is in the starting point.

Lodging a Bond Yourself for a New Tenancy

If you are starting a new tenancy without a property manager:

1. Collect the bond from the tenant — maximum four weeks' rent for a general bond, plus up to two weeks' rent for a pet bond if the tenant starts keeping the pet on or after 1 December 2025 and the bond is a condition of your consent
2. Issue a written receipt immediately, unless a direct bank transfer provides a verifiable electronic record
3. Log into Bond Hub at mybond.tenancy.govt.nz using your RealMe, Microsoft, or Google account
4. Complete the online lodgement form with the property address, tenant details, weekly rent, and bond amount
5. Pay online by credit or debit card or Account2Account, or nominate an eligible tenant to pay through the email link
6. Wait for the Acknowledgement of Bond Lodgement — processing can take up to 10 working days once the lodgement is complete and correct — which confirms your Bond Number and Landlord ID

The process is digital; paper bond forms are no longer accepted. You do not need to post anything or visit an office. The 23-working-day lodgement period is triggered when you receive the bond payment; count the first working day from the next working day.

Taking Over the Bond From a Property Manager

When you end a management agreement and take over an existing tenancy, the bond does not need to be refunded and re-lodged. It stays in the Tenancy Services trust account. What changes is who is recorded as the responsible landlord.

Submit a change-of-landlord request through Bond Hub within 10 working days of the changeover. Either you or the departing landlord/agent can start it; the other must respond. This updates the record so that future refund requests come to you rather than the old manager.

Before the handover, get the following from your property manager:

• Bond Number for each property
• Landlord ID they used in the system
• Copies of the original tenancy agreement and any condition reports
• Rent ledger showing what has been paid and what is outstanding

If the property manager is uncooperative about providing the Bond Number, call Tenancy Services on 0800 836 262 with the property address — they can confirm the bond details with you directly.

Common Issues When Switching

The property manager delays responding to the Change of Landlord request — this is frustrating but does not affect the bond itself. The money is safe in the trust account. Keep written records of your requests and, if necessary, contact Tenancy Services for assistance.

The existing bond is lower than the current maximum — if the rent has increased since the bond was lodged, you have the right to request a top-up from the tenant to bring the bond up to four weeks' current rent. Lodge the top-up through Bond Hub within 23 working days of receiving it.

No condition report on file — if the property manager did not complete one, you are starting fresh. Do a thorough condition report now, signed by the tenant, so you have a baseline for the current tenancy.

For the full self-management workflow including a compliance checklist and an audit log, see the NZ Bond Lodgement Guide.

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