NZ Bond Top-Up After a Rent Increase: Rules and Process

When you lawfully increase the rent on a New Zealand tenancy, the law lets you request a bond top-up. The general bond is capped at 4 weeks' rent, and the top-up is limited to the increase in 4 weeks' rent.

How Much Can You Request

The maximum general bond at any point is 4 weeks' rent at the current weekly rate. If the rent increases from $550 to $600, the bond cap rises from $2,200 to $2,400. You can request a top-up of $200.

If you originally collected less than 4 weeks' rent, the top-up is still limited to the increase in 4 weeks' rent. For example, if you originally took 3 weeks' rent ($1,650 at $550/wk) and the rent rises to $600/wk, you can request up to $200 (4 × the $50 weekly increase), bringing the bond to $1,850.

If a pet bond is also held, it remains capped at 2 weeks' rent. The pet bond cap also rises with rent increases, but you must request the pet bond top-up separately.

When You Can Request It

Ordinary rent increases under section 24 of the RTA must be at least 12 months apart. A landlord and tenant can agree to a qualifying increase within that period for property improvements, better facilities or services, or a tenancy variation that benefits the tenant; the Tribunal can also order an increase for specified reasons. A bond top-up can be requested only after a lawful rent increase.

Request the top-up at the same time as or shortly after the rent increase takes effect. There's no separate statutory deadline for making the request, but the 23-working-day lodgement deadline starts from when you receive the tenant's top-up payment.

How to Lodge the Top-Up

Once the tenant pays the top-up amount:

1. Issue a written receipt for the additional payment
2. Lodge the top-up through Bond Hub, referencing the existing Bond ID number
3. Pay online through Bond Hub, or nominate an eligible tenant to pay through the link sent by email

The 23-working-day lodgement deadline applies to the top-up just as it does to the original bond. Missing it carries the same penalty risk — up to $1,500 in exemplary damages.

What If the Tenant Refuses

The RTA gives landlords the right to request a bond top-up following a rent increase, but the mechanism for enforcing it can be slow. If the tenant refuses to pay:

1. Put the request in writing, clearly showing the old rent, new rent, old bond, and requested top-up amount
2. If the tenant still refuses, you can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for an order requiring payment
3. The Tribunal will assess whether the request is within the statutory cap and whether the rent increase was lawful

In practice, most tenants pay the top-up without dispute — the amounts are usually modest, and the legal basis is clear.

Common Mistakes

Requesting more than the cap. A top-up cannot exceed the increase in 4 weeks' rent, and the total general bond cannot exceed 4 weeks' rent at the new rate. Requesting more is an unlawful act.

Forgetting to lodge the top-up. Some landlords collect the top-up but forget to lodge it with Tenancy Services. The same 23-working-day deadline and penalty applies.

Not issuing a receipt. Every bond payment — including top-ups — requires a written receipt unless the payment was a bank transfer with a verifiable electronic record.

For the full bond top-up workflow — including a calculator that accounts for pet bonds and working-day deadlines — see our NZ Bond Lodgement guide.

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