NZ Tenancy Law Changes 2024–2025: What Changed for Rent Increases

The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 changed parts of New Zealand tenancy law. The core rent-increase process is governed by Section 24, with service rules in Section 136. Landlords searching for what changed about rent increases will find that distinction matters.

What Changed (Not the Rent Increase Rules)

These separate tenancy-law topics are easy to confuse with rent increases:

Termination notices. Termination rules concern ending a tenancy, not increasing rent. They do not change the Section 24 requirements for a rent increase.

Notice delivery and service. Section 136 sets how notices are served and when they are treated as received. For rent increases, deemed-receipt timing affects the 60-day notice calculation.

Pet approval and pet bonds. Separate 2025 reforms introduced pet-bond requirements alongside pet-approval rules. They do not change the Section 24 rent-increase requirements.

Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes compliance is a separate property-standard issue. Work required to meet those standards does not qualify as an out-of-cycle improvement increase under Section 28.

What Still Governs Rent Increases

Rent increases are governed by Section 24 of the RTA. The current requirements include:

• Frequency: once every 12 months, minimum
• Notice period: 60 calendar days' written notice (28 days for boarding house tenancies under Section 66E)
• Fixed-term restriction: no increase during a fixed term unless the written agreement includes an explicit review clause
• No rent cap: no percentage limit, no CPI indexation, no government-set maximum
• Market rent standard: a tenant can challenge an increase at the Tenancy Tribunal under Section 25 if the new rent substantially exceeds comparable local rents

The form is still MBIE Form T190 (revision T190 03/25). The Tenancy Tribunal filing fee for market rent challenges increased from $28 to $29 on 1 July 2026 — but that's a fee adjustment, not a legislative change.

Why the Confusion Exists

Media coverage of the 2024 amendments frequently grouped all tenancy changes together under broad headlines like "new tenancy rules" or "landlord law overhaul." Landlords reading these articles assume the rent increase process changed along with termination rights and pet rules.

Rent adjustments and tenancy termination are governed by different parts of the RTA. Termination rules concern ending a tenancy; the 60-day notice period applies to a standard rent increase.

What Actually Matters for Your Next Rent Increase

If you're planning a rent increase in 2026, follow the current Section 24 requirements:

1. Verify the 12-month clock (from tenancy start or last effective date)
2. Check for a fixed-term review clause if applicable
3. Complete Form T190 with the dollar amount and effective date
4. Add service buffer days based on your delivery method
5. Count 60 calendar days from the day after deemed receipt
6. Log your service and update your rent ledger

If you're using email, confirm that your tenancy agreement permits electronic service and note the before/after 5pm deemed-receipt distinction.

The NZ Rent Increases guide is dated to October 2026 rules and covers every current requirement — including current service delivery mechanics under Section 136.

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