Heads-up: Changes to the Residential Tenancy Act

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