NZ Move-Out Checklist for Landlords: Protect Your Bond Claim

The moment a tenancy ends in New Zealand, whatever evidence you have is whatever you get. Landlords who skip the move-out inspection or do it casually — a quick walkthrough, a few phone photos — routinely lose bond claims at the Tenancy Tribunal. The Tribunal expects contemporary, dated documentation.

Before the Tenant Moves Out

Schedule the final inspection for the last day of the tenancy or as close to it as possible. Give the tenant reasonable notice of the inspection time — ideally do it together so both parties see the same condition. A joint inspection reduces the chance of disputed claims later.

Pull out your original property condition report from the start of the tenancy. This is your baseline. Every claim for damage beyond fair wear and tear gets measured against what the property looked like when the tenant moved in.

What to Check Room by Room

Go through every room systematically:

• Walls and ceilings — holes, marks beyond normal scuffs, patched areas, stains
• Floors — carpet stains, burns, scratches on hard floors, tile damage
• Kitchen — oven cleanliness, benchtop damage, cabinet doors, rangehood
• Bathroom — mould, broken fittings, silicone condition, drainage
• Windows and doors — broken glass, damaged frames, missing keys
• Exterior — garden condition (if tenant was responsible), fencing, outdoor structures
• Fixtures and fittings — light fittings, curtain tracks, blinds, shelving

For each issue, note the specific location and whether it existed at the start of the tenancy.

How to Document Properly

Photographs: date-stamped, with enough context to identify the room and location. Close-up shots of damage paired with a wider shot showing where in the room it sits. The Tribunal has dismissed claims where photos were too zoomed-in to identify the property.

Written notes: a brief description of each issue — "kitchen benchtop: burn mark approximately 5cm diameter near the stove, not present in move-in report dated 15 March 2025."

Comparison evidence: side-by-side reference to the original condition report. If you have move-in photos, they strengthen your position enormously.

After the Inspection

Calculate any deductions you intend to claim: unpaid rent from the ledger, cleaning costs (with a professional quote or invoice), and repair costs for damage beyond fair wear and tear.

Submit the bond refund request through Bond Hub with the split between landlord and tenant clearly specified. Once all tenants agree, the refund is paid the following day; a completed application can take up to 10 working days to process. If they dispute it, your documentation is what carries the case through mediation or the Tribunal.

The Most Common Mistake

Not having a condition report from the start of the tenancy. Without a baseline, you cannot prove when damage occurred. Start every tenancy with a thorough, signed, photographed condition report — it protects your bond position years later.

The NZ Bond Lodgement Guide includes a structured condition report template and a move-out evidence organiser that walks through exactly what the Tribunal expects to see.

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