Tenancy Issues

The Residential Tenancies Act covers the landlord-tenant relationship. It gives both landlords and tenants legal rights and obligations. The Act also provides a dispute resolution service by allowing for mediation, and hearings at the Tenancy Tribunal.

This booklet for tenants and landlords is designed for people who need to know the basics of what the law relating to tenancy means, especially when they’re renting for the first time.

This information sheet explains some important points about tenancy, including tenancy agreements, bond, rent in advance, maintenance, ending a tenancy, and knowing your rights and obligations.

This information sheet describes what tenants and landlords can and can’t do when they're renting.

This information sheet for tenants provides some helpful hints and advice about tenancy agreements and payments and your rights as a tenant or flatmate.

This is a checklist for landlords of all the things that need to be done before renting out their property. 

This form is for landlords to gather information from a prospective tenant.

This information sheet explains the law relating to discrimination in tenancy matters and who to contact for help.

This information sheet offers helpful tips on selecting tenants.  It suggests questions to ask and criteria to evaluate when selecting tenants.

This information sheet suggests questions to ask a referee and also things to consider when speaking to a referee.

This information sheet details the steps to take to obtain a credit check.  It also tells you the information contained in a credit check.

This information sheet details the questions you should prospective property managers.  It also lists the contractual arrangements you should consider.

This form is for landlords and tenants to fill in together before the tenant moves in. It sets out the key things the landlord and tenant agree to do, like when rent is paid, if pets are allowed etc. 

Use this form for pre-tenancy property inspection, periodic property inspection during tenancy and final inspection after tenancy.

This information sheet explains what a bond is, how to lodge it, how to transfer it, and how to get a bond refund.

This form is for landlords and tenants to fill in at the beginning of the tenancy. It records how much bond money the landlord has collected, and it is sent with the money to the Department of Building and Housing to be held until the tenancy ends and the tenant moves out.

This is a template letter is for landlords to record their contact details and other emergency numbers, and then give it to their tenant.

This information sheet explains the insurance landlords and tenants should have, and what happens if an insurance company takes over a claim.

This information sheet explains rent receipts and statements.

This form can be used by landlords and tenants to track the payment of rent during a tenancy.

This information sheet describes who is responsible for paying water charges in which situations.

This information sheet explains what action landlords and tenants should take if they suspect a property has been used as a P lab.

This information sheet explains the terms surrounding keeping pets on the premises.

This information sheet outlines what landlords needs to be aware of in terms of legal health and safety-related requirements. 

This information sheet explains the laws that apply when letting a home as a holiday home.

Use this form for property inspection prior to tenancy, after move out and during periodic inspections to ensure standard of your rental property is being maintained.

This information sheet explains what a bond is, how to lodge it, how to transfer it, and how to get a bond refund.

This form is for landlords and tenants to fill in at the end of a tenancy, to claim the bond they lodged with the Department of Building and Housing. It must be filled in and signed by the same people who signed the original bond lodgement form.

Landlords and tenants should fill in this form when a tenant wants to transfer the bond they paid for one rental property to a new rental property. It must be filled in and signed by the same people who signed the original bond lodgement form.

Landlords and/or agents should fill in this form when they take over rental property where a bond has been lodged and the tenancy is going to continue.

Tenants should use this form to let the Department of Building and Housing know that there has been a change of tenant in a rental property where a bond has been lodged.

This information sheet details the information you need to obtain from a tenant when they give notice to end a tenancy.  It also explains the process for a final property inspection.

Make sure your tenants are well informed of the key changes to the RTA

Download and customise this letter template to send to your tenants.

Use this form for property inspection prior to tenancy, after move out and during periodic inspections to ensure standard of your rental property is being maintained.

This is a template letter for a tenant to send to a landlord who hasn’t met their responsibilities. It notifies the landlord that they have 14 working days' notice to fix the situation.

This is a template letter for a landlord to send to a tenant who hasn’t met their responsibilities. It notifies the tenant that they have 14 working days' notice to fix the situation.

This is a template letter for a landlord to send to a tenant who gets behind in the rent. It notifies the tenant that they have 14 working days to fix the situation and that they should get in contact with the landlord.

This information sheet for landlords and tenants explains the Tenancy Tribunal process.

This information sheet explains how and why particular people should be named in a tenancy agreement.

Tenants or landlords should use these forms to make an application to the Tenancy Tribunal.

This information sheet for landlords describes the wording to use on the Tenancy Tribunal application when the rent is less than 21 days in arrears.

This information sheet for landlords describes the wording to use on the Tenancy Tribunal application when the rent is more than 21 days in arrears.

This information sheet for landlords explains how to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for rent arrears after a tenancy is over. 

This information sheet for landlords explains what procedure to follow when a tenant abandons a property without giving notice, and how to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for rent arrears and compensation.

This information sheet describes how to request information about your debtor if you have a Tenancy Tribunal order and you're having trouble collecting a debt.

This form is used to request information about a debtor if you have a Tenancy Tribunal order.

This information sheet is for landlords explains what procedure to follow when a tenant leaves goods in a property when they leave, and how to dispose of the goods.

The brochure provides information about how to enforce a sealed mediator’s order or Tenancy Tribunal order.

This brochure talks about the Tenancy Tribunal orders online website. The website features Tenancy Tribunal orders from February 2007.

This information sheet details the legal process for conducting property inspections.  It also has some helpful tips for conducting property inspections.

This information sheet explains why you need an address for service when you apply to the Tenancy Tribunal. It details how you can serve notice to the other party when you don’t have their address for service and explains substituted service options.

This information sheet details the other options available when you’re trying to find address information for a previous landlord or tenant. It also suggests ways landlords can prevent problems in the future by asking tenants for more information at the start of a tenancy.

This information sheet details the Department’s role investigating landlords and tenants who breach the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA). It gives examples of breaches, benefits of complying with the RTA and contact details for more information