A major change to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) later this year will enable greater pet ownership in rental properties and make it more difficult for landlords to say no to pet owners or stop tenants keeping pets.
Under the new regulations tenants will have to obtain written consent from their landlord to keep a pet, however the landlord will only be able to decline their request on ‘reasonable grounds’.
What these reasonable grounds are is not yet 100% clear and will be determined from the Tenancy Tribunal’s rulings and guidance from relevant ministries. But some grounds will include:
- lack of space
- inadequate fencing
- a body corporate rule that prohibits pets on the property
- tenants not complying with relevant bylaws relating to their pet
- pets that are not suitable for the property (for example, due to their size, breed or propensity to cause damage, if they are a dog classified as dangerous or menacing, or if there is reason to believe they have previously attacked people or other animals)
- tenants not agreeing with a reasonable condition that the landlord proposes regarding their pet
In return, the RTA changes give landlords the ability to charge two weeks rent as a pet bond (this is on top of the standard bond) if the tenant wants to keep a pet. Two weeks bond will be the maximum amount no matter the number of pets, and if the landlord already allows pets, they will be able to update the bond at the next tenancy agreement. This bond means that a tenant will be fully liable for any careless or accidental pet related damage that goes beyond the normal wear and tear on a rental property.
According to Regulation Minister David Seymour, these RTA changes should provide a win / win situation for both renters and landlords. With an estimated 64% of New Zealand households owning at least one pet (including many of the team at Irelands!) there will be tenants out there willing to pay a little extra to rent a property that allows them to keep their pets. And on the flipside, landlords will have protection from some of the financial risks involved with renting their property to tenants with pets through the introduction of the additional pet bond.
The property management team at Irelands understand you may have some concerns about what pet-friendly rentals mean for you and are always available to answer any questions you may have.
Alternatively, you can find out more information at:
Government announces proposed pet-related changes to tenancy laws » Tenancy Services
www.hud.govt.nz/news/encouraging-pets-in-rental-propertieshttp://www.hud.govt.nz/news
It is important to note these RTA changes have not yet passed into law and do not affect your tenancies yet. However, with submissions closing on 3rd July 2024, they are expected to come into effect later this year. We’ll keep you posted!