NZ Bond Receipt Requirements: What Landlords Must Include

When a tenant pays bond money in New Zealand, you have a legal obligation to provide a written receipt unless the payment is made by direct bank transfer and the bank statement provides a verifiable electronic record. Missing this step is an unlawful act under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, carrying up to $1,500 in exemplary damages.

What the Law Requires

Section 19(1) of the RTA says a landlord must immediately provide a written receipt when bond money is received. The one exception: if the tenant pays by direct bank transfer, the bank statement itself serves as a verifiable electronic record, so a separate receipt is not strictly required. For cash or cheque payments, there is no exception — you must issue one.

What the Receipt Must Contain

The receipt needs five specific details under the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024:

1. Full name of the person paying the money
2. Date the payment was received
3. Exact dollar amount received
4. Physical address of the rental property
5. Classification of the money — whether it is a general bond, a pet bond, or both

Getting the classification right matters because the caps differ: four weeks' rent maximum for a general bond, two weeks' rent maximum for a pet bond. Lumping them together on one receipt line creates confusion if there is a dispute later about what was collected and for what purpose.

Receipt vs. Acknowledgement — Two Different Documents

Your receipt to the tenant confirms you physically received the payment. It is not the same document as the Acknowledgement of Bond Lodgement that Tenancy Services sends once the bond is processed and matched. That official acknowledgement comes later — Tenancy Services can take up to 10 working days to process a complete, correct lodgement — and contains the Bond Number assigned to the tenancy.

You need to issue the receipt regardless of whether you lodge through Bond Hub or connected property management software.

Practical Tips

Keep a duplicate copy of every receipt. If the tenant later disputes the amount or timing of their payment, your receipt is your primary evidence. At the Tenancy Tribunal, landlords who cannot produce a receipt for the bond payment face an uphill credibility challenge on related claims.

For a receipt template and the full compliance sequence from payment through to Bond Hub confirmation, see the NZ Bond Lodgement Guide.

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