Tenancy Rent-in-Advance Limit Checker NZ

This checker tells you the most a landlord can legally require in rent in advance and bond when you take on a rental in New Zealand, and flags whether what you are being asked for is within the rules. The Residential Tenancies Act sets firm limits to stop tenants being asked for a daunting lump sum at the start of a tenancy. Rent in advance is capped at two weeks: a landlord can ask for up to two weeks' rent before you move in, and crucially cannot demand the next payment until the rent you have already paid has been used up, so they cannot insist on a month or more up front. The bond is separately capped at four weeks' rent, and it must be lodged with Tenancy Services rather than kept by the landlord, then refunded at the end if nothing is owing. Letting fees charged to tenants have been banned since December 2018. You enter the weekly rent and the amount you are being asked to pay in advance, and the checker shows the maximum rent in advance and bond allowed, and whether the request is within the limit or over it. Use it to stand your ground if you are asked for too much. This is general information, not legal advice; Tenancy Services can help if something is not right.

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Weekly rent

Rent in advance being asked for

$1,200

maximum rent in advance (2 weeks)

Maximum bond (4 weeks)$2,400

Weekly rent$600

Within the legal limit

Rent in advance is capped at 2 weeks and bond at 4 weeks under the Residential Tenancies Act. Letting fees to tenants are banned. General information only.

How it works

The maximum rent in advance is two times the weekly rent, and the maximum bond is four times the weekly rent. The checker compares the amount you are being asked to pay in advance against the two-week maximum and tells you whether it is within the limit or exceeds it.

Worked example

At 600 dollars a week, the most that can be required in advance is 1,200 dollars, and the most bond is 2,400 dollars. Being asked for 1,200 dollars in advance is within the limit; being asked for 1,800 dollars would be over it.

Related calculators

Rent Bond and Move-in Cost: total upfront.
Rent Affordability: what you can afford.
Flatting Costs Calculator: cost of flatting.
Rent Increase: rent rises.
Rent Increases: The Rules and Your Options: the background to this calculation.

Frequently asked questions

How much rent in advance can a landlord require in New Zealand?

A landlord can require a maximum of two weeks' rent in advance. They cannot ask for the next payment until the rent already paid has been used up, so they cannot demand a large block of rent up front.

How much bond can be charged?

The maximum bond is four weeks' rent. It must be lodged with Tenancy Services within 23 working days and is held there, not by the landlord, and refunded at the end of the tenancy if nothing is owing.

Can a landlord charge a letting fee?

No. Letting fees charged to tenants have been banned since December 2018. If you are asked to pay one, or to pay more than the legal limits, you can raise it with Tenancy Services.