Charging a bond

If the landlord charges a bond they must lodge it digitally with Tenancy Services within 23 working days.

When landlords must lodge the bond

Landlords who charge a bond:

must give the tenant a receipt.
must lodge it digitally with Tenancy Services within 23 working days of receiving it. This applies whether you send the bond in full or in instalments.

If the landlord charges a bond they must lodge it digitally with Tenancy Services within 23 working days. They must lodge bonds by using an approved form, this is either the bond lodgement form on the Tenancy Services website or a property management software linked to our business-to-business connection.

Make sure you fill out the forms correctly or we won’t be able to lodge your bond. This may also cause delays when applying for a refund.

In a boarding house tenancy, if the bond is one week’s rent or less it doesn’t have to be lodged.

Bulk bond lodgements, and payments via direct credit and direct debit, are only available through the business-to-business connection.

Business-to-business connection

Maximum bond

A bond can be up to the equivalent of 4 weeks’ rent. Other forms of security are not allowed, but a landlord may ask for a guarantor’s agreement.

Increasing or decreasing bond

If the landlord increases the rent, they may ask the tenant to pay additional bond in line with the increase.

For example: the tenant has paid a bond equivalent to 3 weeks’ rent and weekly rent goes up by $10 - this means the landlord can request an extra $30 to be paid to the bond.

You can only request the extra bond payment for a current rent increase. The extra bond payment can’t cover previous rent increases where an extra bond was not requested at the time.

Once the tenant pays the extra bond, it must be lodged digitally with Tenancy Services within 23 working days.

If the rent decreases and the total bond is now more than 4 week’s rent, the tenant can apply to have the extra bond refunded.

Rent increases and reductions

Lodge your bond using our bond lodgement webform

You must lodge your bond digitally through our bond lodgement webform. Bond lodgements through email or post are no longer available.

Account2Account and credit card payments are available when using the online form.

When a bond is lodged, notifications will still be sent to the tenant(s) and landlord or property manager.

You can also lodge your bond using property management software, linked to a new business-to-business connection.

Lodge your bond using our bond lodgement webform(external link)

Lodge your bond using the business-to-business connection

The new business-to-business connection can be built into your existing property management system. Speak with your property management software vendor about accessing this service.

If you’re a landlord that will lodge more than 1 bond, bulk lodgements can be done through the business-to-business connection. Direct debit and direct credit payments are available through the business-to-business connection only.

There is a one-off registration process to complete for the new connection. Your property management software vendor will guide you.

Register to pay by direct debit

Direct credit payments are only available through the business-to-business connection. Speak with your property management software (PMS) vendor about accessing this service.

Once your PMS vendor has confirmed access, you will need to let Tenancy Services know what payment method(s) you will use for transactions in your PMS. You will need to do this before you complete a one-off registration process in your PMS.

If you have paid by direct debit in the past, you are already an authorised direct debit payer. Email bond.finance@mbie.govt.nz to confirm that you will pay using direct debit.

If you have not previously paid by direct debit, you will need to register to become an authorised direct debit payer. Follow the steps below:

1. Read, complete and sign a direct debit authority form [PDF, 270 KB].

This form details the terms and conditions of the service and will remain in force until you advise us you want to cancel the arrangement.
You may only register one bank account for deduction.

If your deduction bank account is not a transactional account, you may need to check with your bank that your account type supports direct debits.

2. Email the completed direct debit authority form to bond.finance@mbie.govt.nz

3. Once your form has been processed, Tenancy Services will email you a unique direct debit authority identifier (DDAUTHID).

Take note of your DDAUTHID. It must be used each time you initiate a direct debit payment. Do not share it with anyone — it is linked to the bank account from Step 1.

Once you are confirmed as an authorised direct debit payer, check in with your PMS vendor about the next steps to register and lodge bonds in your PMS.

Making a direct debit payment

A direct debit payment form must be submitted every time you lodge bonds in your property management software (PMS) using direct debit.

To pay your bonds by direct debit, follow these steps:

Complete and sign the direct debit payment form [PDF, 270 KB], taking care to check your forms. Please be sure the total bond amounts match the total amount of payment.
Enter the bond lodgement details in your PMS and select the option to indicate you will pay by direct debit. Upload the direct debit payment form before submitting your bond lodgement.
We will send you a notification to let you know the amount of payment and the date on which the funds will be deducted from your nominated bank account. Please be sure the funds required to meet the payment are in your account on this date.

Need more help?

Pay using direct credit

Direct credit payments are available through the business-to-business connection. To pay by direct credit, you will first need to register to become an authorised direct credit payer. Please email bond.finance@mbie.govt.nz to set this up before you lodge a bond.

Making a direct credit payment

Once you are an authorised direct credit payer, you may lodge your bonds by direct credit through your PMS.

To pay your bonds by direct credit, follow the steps below:

Prepare a remittance advice, providing a summary (or schedule) of the bond amount to be paid in relation to each bond lodgement. A remittance advice must be completed every time you lodge bonds.
Enter the bond lodgement details in your PMS and select the option to indicate you will pay by direct credit. Upload the remittance advice before submitting your bond lodgement.

Need more help?

Bonds on properties leased by Community Housing Providers

There are several issues that need to be considered regarding bonds on properties leased by Community Housing Providers from property owners. For more information, visit:

Preventing problems with bonds

Refunding a bond

Bond refunds usually take 5 working days when a fully and correctly completed form has been lodged. The bond refund process depends on when your bond was lodged.

Find out more information on refunding a bond

Last updated: 07 July 2025

When landlords must lodge the bond

Maximum bond

Increasing or decreasing bond

Lodge your bond using our bond lodgement webform

Lodge your bond using the business-to-business connection

Register to pay by direct debit

Making a direct debit payment

Need more help?

Pay using direct credit

Making a direct credit payment

Need more help?

Bonds on properties leased by Community Housing Providers

Refunding a bond

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