Tenant Not Responding to Bond Refund NZ: What Landlords Can Do

The tenancy has ended, you have submitted a refund request through Bond Hub, and the tenant is not responding. No signature, no acceptance, no rejection — just silence. This is one of the most common bond frustrations for NZ landlords, and the Residential Tenancies Act has a specific mechanism for it.

The Standard Refund Process

Normally, a bond refund requires agreement on the split — how much goes back to the tenant and how much (if anything) goes to the landlord. The landlord submits a request through Bond Hub or connected property management software, and each named tenant receives a notification. Tenants get a 12-working-day window to accept or decline the request digitally.

Once all tenants agree to a Bond Hub refund request, the refund is paid the following day; a completed application can take up to 10 working days to process. Simple enough when everyone cooperates.

If a tenant does not respond to a Bond Hub request within 12 working days, Tenancy Services advises landlords not to submit another request. Follow up with the tenant or contact Tenancy Services. A section 22A application is a separate process.

When the Tenant Does Not Respond: Section 22A

Under section 22A of the Residential Tenancies Act, either party can apply for payment of the bond without the other party's agreement when that party refuses to agree or cannot be contacted. A landlord must apply within 2 months of the tenancy ending; a tenant can apply at any time after it ends. Here is the process:

1. Submit the approved section 22A application to Tenancy Services for payment of the bond without the other party's agreement, specifying how you want it split
2. Tenancy Services sends a formal written notice to the non-signing party at their recorded address for service
3. The tenant has 10 working days after being notified to indicate whether they contest the application
4. If the tenant does not respond within 10 working days, Tenancy Services automatically releases the bond according to your instructions

That last point is the key one. Silence from the tenant after the statutory notice period works in favour of whoever filed the application. If you requested the full bond back to the tenant (no deductions), it goes to them. If you requested a deduction for cleaning or damage, that split is what Tenancy Services processes.

What Happens If the Tenant Objects

If the tenant contests the application within the 10-working-day window, the bond is held pending resolution through one of two paths:

• Tenancy Services mediation — free, confidential, and often faster than a hearing
• Tenancy Tribunal application — the $29 application fee gets you a formal hearing where an adjudicator makes a binding order on the bond split

If you are claiming a deduction, bring your evidence: the original condition report, dated exit photos, repair quotes or invoices, and a rent ledger.

Practical Tips

Update the tenant's address for service before the tenancy ends. The section 22A notice goes to the address for service Tenancy Services has on file. If the tenant moved and did not update their records, the notice might not reach them; the tenant has 10 working days after being notified to indicate whether they contest the application.

Do not wait months to submit the refund. A landlord making a section 22A application must file within 2 months of the tenancy ending. Filing promptly also makes it easier to reach the tenant and preserve current evidence.

Keep copies of everything. Every Bond Hub submission, every email to the tenant about the refund, every communication record. If the case goes to the Tribunal, your paper trail matters.

For a detailed walkthrough of the refund process — including templates for the exit inspection and a Bond Hub submission guide — see the NZ Bond Lodgement Guide.

See more New Zealand guides →