Heads-up: Changes to the Residential Tenancy Act

The Residential Tenancies Act changed last month. Here’s a rundown of some of the key moves.

• Tenants now have to give their landlord 28 days written notice to end their tenancy, and landlords can’t end tenancies by providing 90 days’ notice without reason.

• There are new grounds to end a tenancy to deal with anti-social behaviour and rent arrears, and tenants can challenge a notice issued because of anti-social behaviour through the Tenancy Tribunal.

• All fixed-term tenancy agreements will become periodic tenancies at the end of the fixed term unless the parties agree otherwise, the tenant gives a 28-day notice, or the landlord gives notice in accordance with the termination grounds for periodic tenancies.

• Tenants can ask to make minor changes to the property and the landlord can’t decline if minor. Landlords must respond in 21 days.

• Tenants can ask  to install fibre broadband and landlords must agree if it can be installed at no cost to them.

• There are now provisions allowing suppression orders to remove names and identifying details from published Tenancy Tribunal decisions.

• All requests to assign a tenancy must be considered and landlords can’t decline unreasonably.

• Not providing a tenancy agreement in writing is an unlawful act and landlords will need to retain and provide new types of information.

• The Regulator (the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) has new measures to take action against parties who are not meeting their obligations.

• The Tenancy Tribunal can now hear cases and make awards up to $100,000. This is a change from $50,000