Information guide for international students, not individual legal, tax or medical advice. The rules depend on citizenship, course and visa conditions: before paying or submitting an application, always check the updated text of the indicated authority.

Tenant or flatmate: the fundamental distinction

If your name is in the tenancy agreement you are a tenant and the Residential Tenancies Act regulates the relationship with the landlord; multiple tenants may be jointly liable for rent and damages. If you live with the tenant but don’t sign with the landlord, you could be flatmate: the internal relationship is generally not covered in the same way by the RTA. Use a written flat-sharing agreement for deposits, notice, bills, cleaning and money back.

Search and application

Compare address with campus, last bus, humidity/heating and costs not included. Visit or have a verifiable video visit; check that the person is entitled to rent and not pay from unverified social ads. Ask for healthy homes compliance statement, insulation/heating, ventilation, smoking and maintenance. In many areas, a seemingly affordable home can lead to high winter expenses.

Signature, bond and entry

The tenancy agreement must be written. The residential bond is normally a maximum of four weeks’ rent and must be deposited through Tenancy Services; keep confirmation. Complete property inspection report and dated photos of mold, glass, floors, appliances and counters. Do not accept clauses that generically transfer any repairs to the tenant.

During tenancy

Pay with a traceable method. Report repairs in writing and use the Tenancy Services process if they are not addressed. Landlords and property managers must comply with notices and entry reasons. Tenants must keep the home reasonably clean and notify of damage; mold requires distinguishing daily ventilation from structural defects.

Exit and controversies

Check whether the tenancy is periodic or fixed-term and use the current notice. Do final inspection, meter reading, return of keys and bond refund form. Don’t sign a blank bond form. For disputes between landlord and tenant there are mediation and Tenancy Tribunal; a dispute between just flatmates can follow a different civil path.

Official sources to open before acting

Weekly cost and healthy home

Convert weekly rent to monthly with ×52÷12 and add power, internet, water when chargeable, heating, transport and laundry. Ask for Healthy Homes compliance statement and check heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress, drainage and draft stopping. Nice photos show no condensation in winter - visit, smell, look at windows and closets.

Tenancy agreement and joint liability

Each tenancy must have written agreement. If multiple people sign, they can be jointly and severally liable: the landlord can ask one for the entire arrears or damages. An internal agreement divides shares but does not necessarily limit external liability. To replace a tenant you need consensus and formal update; do not pay the bond to the outgoing roommate without documentation.

Flatmate agreement

The non-tenant flatmate does not automatically have RTA protection against the primary tenant. Write amount, bond, notice, bills, guests, cleaning, damages and disputes. Keep receipts. The Disputes Tribunal may be relevant between flatmates, while Tenancy Tribunal concerns relationships covered by the RTA.

Bond and rent in advance

The bond is normally up to four weeks and the landlord must deposit it on time with Tenancy Services. Rent in advance follows its own limits; it cannot become a hidden bond. Use official bond lodgement/refund and do not sign blank forms. Online transactions require correct data from all tenants.

Inspection reports and tests

Complete report with dated photos of walls, carpets, glass, appliances, mold and counters. Send corrections within the agreed deadline and save emails. Wear and tear is not damage, but negligence can be. A good inventory protects both parties.

Repairs and 14-day notice

Report problems promptly and provide reasonable access. If a party breaches the agreement, the 14-day notice is a formal remedy; Fill it out correctly and keep proof of service. For emergencies or an unsafe home, look for Tenancy Services/community law before withholding rent or making repairs yourself.

Landlord’s entrance and privacy

Notice and reasons change for inspection, repairs, valuation and showing. The landlord must respect quiet enjoyment; the tenant must allow legitimate access. Document unannounced entries and communicate in writing. Internal cameras or excessive data collection require privacy attention.

Rent increases and arrears

The increases follow the frequency and notice of the law. Check date of last increase. If you risk arrears, immediately contact the landlord and budgeting/student support and propose a written plan; ignoring messages speeds up termination. Don’t take a payday loan to cover a structural problem without advice.

End of tenancy

Periodic and fixed-term have different rules. Use written notice, calculate date and save delivery. Clean reasonably, do final inspection, photos, meters and keys. Presents full bond refund; if there is disagreement do not sign a deduction not understood. Tenancy Tribunal can decide.

Scams and privacy

Verify address, identity and right to rent. Don’t pay for shipped keys, “guaranteed” visa with room or crypto. Obscure unnecessary data and use official website to check agent/provider. Report scam to Netsafe and bank quickly.

Practical case manual

These scenarios do not replace an individual assessment: they serve to recognize the problem, stop the risky action and identify the next control.

  • Case 1— The room is in a humid house: ask for a healthy homes statement, test heater and ventilation and photograph condensation before signing.
  • Case 2— Six flatmate: use separate agreement with bond, notice and bills; Tenancy Services does not automatically cover the internal relationship.
  • Case 3— Sign as a tenant with strangers: understand joint liability; a quota agreement does not prevent the landlord from demanding the entire debt from you.
  • Case 4— The landlord holds bonds personally: ask for lodgement Tenancy Services and receipt; Report soon if no confirmation arrives.
  • Case 5— They ask you for more than four weeks bond: verify the nature of the payment and limits; do not accept renamed deposits.
  • Case 6— The report says no damage: add photos and notes on time. Include mold, heater, glass and counters.
  • Case 7— No compliant fixed heating: ask for a remedy with Healthy Homes reference, don’t just buy an inefficient stove.
  • Case 8— A leak creates mold: notify immediately, limit damage and document. Ventilation does not replace structural repair.
  • Case 9— The landlord enters without notice: records dates and sends written request for quiet enjoyment.
  • Case 10— Rent increases: check 12-month frequency, written notice and market rent challenge according to current rules.
  • Case 11— You’re in arrears: propose a plan now and use budgeting support. Continuing to ignore may lead to notice and Tribunal.
  • Case 12— You want to get out of the fixed term: negotiate assignment or agreement and quantify costs; do not leave keys without a release.
  • Case 13— Change a tenant: use change of tenant and bond process; do not settle everything with private bank transfer.
  • Case 14— The landlord sells: verify notice, access and continuity of the tenancy. Sale does not mean instant eviction.
  • Case 15— In the end they contest cleanliness: compare reports and reasonable cleanliness, ask for proof and don’t sign a blank bond deduction.

Due diligence before handing over money

Do a three-level check: person, property and contract. For the person, confirm agent or owner through registry, office or consistent documents; do not just use the number provided in the advert. For the property, compare address, visit, photographs and actual availability. For the contract, identify applicable law, parties, duration, rent, bond, utilities, exit and repair procedure. If one of the three levels doesn’t add up, don’t pay to “don’t miss out”.

Use traceable payments with reason and keep receipt. A bank transfer does not in itself prove that it was a bond, rent or fee: the reason and the agreement make it clear. Do not hand over cash without a receipt and do not use crypto, gift cards or transfers in a foreign name. Protect your passport and bank statement: a real estate scam can also become identity theft.

Tenancy diary

Maintain a timeline from announcement to bond repayment. Archive agreements, condition reports, original photographs, receipts, notices, repair requests and responses. By phone, he then sends an email: “I confirm today’s conversation…”. Photograph the damage in context and in detail, without changing metadata. Record when you allowed access and what was done.

If a dispute arises, separate facts from conclusions. Write the date, obligation, proof, consequence and remedy requested. Avoid insults or threats to stop paying. Use the local form and ask for support before a deadline. Continuing to meet undisputed obligations strengthens your position.

Exit checklist

Calculate notice and delivery date; agree inspection; photograph every room, meters and keys; close or transfer utilities; communicate forwarding address when appropriate. Ask for a final rent ledger and start the official bond procedure. Keep evidence after the transfer and don’t assume that silence closes the case: check the claims and terms of the tribunal.

Verified: 2026-08-14. Next scheduled review: 2026-11-14.