What Bond Refund Records Should New Zealand Landlords Keep in 2026?
A New Zealand landlord guide to digital bond lodgement, Bond Hub refund requests, final inspections, general bond and pet bond evidence, tenant agreement, Tenancy Tribunal disputes, and records to keep in 2026.
Part of the Rental Rule Changes Watch 2026 series.
In New Zealand in 2026, a landlord’s bond refund file should show what bond was charged, when it was receipted and lodged, the Bond Hub or property management software confirmation, the final inspection evidence, the itemised reason for any proposed deduction, the tenant’s response, and the refund or Tenancy Tribunal outcome. Since 29 June 2026, Tenancy Services bond refund, change of tenant, and change of landlord transactions are online through Bond Hub or integrated property management software.
This guide is for New Zealand residential tenancies. It covers general bond and pet bond records under Tenancy Services guidance and the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. It does not cover state or territory bond systems in Australia.
What Bond Refund Records Should New Zealand Landlords Keep?
Keep the records that prove the bond was handled lawfully from payment to refund.
Tenancy Services’ bond overview, reviewed for this article on 11 July 2026, says New Zealand has two bond types: a general bond and a pet bond. A general bond is held by Tenancy Services during the tenancy and can cover money owed at the end of the tenancy. A pet bond can be charged only where the landlord has consented to a pet, and it is used for pet-related damage beyond fair wear and tear.
For a New Zealand landlord file, the useful record stack is:
| Record | Why it matters in New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Bond receipt | Shows the amount, date, payer, property, and bond type |
| Bond Hub or software lodgement confirmation | Shows the bond was lodged digitally with Tenancy Services |
| Bond number and landlord ID | Links later refund, transfer, and change transactions |
| Tenant and landlord contact updates | Supports notices and confirmation emails |
| Tenancy agreement and pet consent record | Explains whether the bond was general, pet-related, or both |
| Final inspection report | Shows the property condition at move-out |
| Move-out photos | Supports damage, cleaning, or fair-wear-and-tear assessment |
| Rent, water, and reimbursement ledger | Supports money owed before any deduction is proposed |
| Contractor quotes, invoices, and receipts | Supports repair, cleaning, or gardening amounts |
| Bond Hub refund request | Shows the proposed split and submission date |
| Tenant response | Shows agreement, disagreement, or no response |
| Tenancy Tribunal or mediation record | Supports a disputed refund outcome |
Key Takeaway
A New Zealand bond refund is not just an end-of-tenancy payment. It is the final record in a chain that starts with the receipt and lodgement and ends with either tenant agreement, payment, mediation, or a Tenancy Tribunal order.
What Changed for New Zealand Bond Refunds in 2026?
Bond administration is now a digital workflow.
Tenancy Services’ “How to apply for a bond refund” page, listed as last updated on 29 June 2026 when reviewed, says bond refund, change of tenant, and change of landlord forms are no longer available from 29 June 2026. Landlords can submit those transactions through Bond Hub or integrated property management software.
That creates a different evidence file from the old paper form process. Keep:
- Bond Hub registration or authorised property management software record
- refund request submission confirmation
- proposed payment split
- tenant notification or email trail
- tenant response date
- final payment confirmation
- any failed, withdrawn, or corrected request
Tenancy Services says tenants have 12 working days to respond when the landlord submits a refund request in Bond Hub. Once tenants agree, the bond is refunded the following day. If a completed application is received, Tenancy Services says processing can take up to 10 working days.
What Should the Lodgement Record Show?
The lodgement record should prove the bond reached Tenancy Services and can be found later.
Tenancy Services’ bond lodgement page, listed as last updated on 29 June 2026 when reviewed, says all bond transactions moved online using Bond Hub and integrated property management software as of 29 June 2026. It also says that once a bond is lodged, the landlord and tenant get confirmation by email or letter, including details such as the bond number, Landlord ID, and Tenant Number.
Tenancy Services’ preventing-problems guidance, listed as last updated on 29 June 2026 when reviewed, says a New Zealand landlord must provide the tenant with a bond receipt and lodge the bond with Tenancy Services. If the tenant paid the bond to the landlord, the landlord must lodge it within 23 working days of receiving it.
For each bond or top-up, keep:
- amount received
- receipt issued to the tenant
- payment date
- payer name
- property address
- bond type: general bond, pet bond, or top-up
- Bond Hub or software lodgement date
- Tenancy Services confirmation
- bond number
- any tenant, landlord, or property manager change record
For a short primer on the lodgement concept, see Bond lodgement (New Zealand).
What Can Support a Deduction from a General Bond?
The deduction needs to be itemised and tied to evidence.
Tenancy Services’ general bond refund guidance, listed as last updated on 26 June 2026 when reviewed, says a tenant receives a full general bond refund at the end of the tenancy if the property is in reasonable condition, there is no damage other than fair wear and tear, no repairs are required, and there are no outstanding payments such as rent or water charges. If money is owed, the landlord receives the amount owed and the tenant receives the rest.
That means a proposed New Zealand bond deduction should not be a single line saying “damage” or “cleaning”. Keep:
- starting condition report
- final inspection report
- dated photos or video
- tenant messages about the issue
- rent ledger or water reimbursement calculation
- quote, invoice, or receipt
- fair wear and tear assessment
- calculation showing the amount claimed from the bond
- tenant agreement or disagreement
For unpaid rent records, use the event-timeline pattern in What Records Do New Zealand Landlords Need for Rent Arrears in 2026?. For water charge records, use the calculation approach in Who Pays Water and Wastewater Charges in a New Zealand Rental in 2026?.
How Should Pet Bond Records Stay Separate?
Do not mix a general bond claim and a pet bond claim without showing why.
Tenancy Services says a pet bond is for pet-related damage that is more than fair wear and tear, and that if there is no pet-related damage, tenants should receive a pet bond refund when the tenancy ends or when they stop keeping a pet, whichever comes first.
For a New Zealand pet bond file, keep:
- tenant pet consent request
- landlord consent and conditions
- pet bond amount and receipt
- pet bond lodgement confirmation
- photos of pet-related areas at the start of consent
- inspection notes during the tenancy
- final inspection photos
- invoice for pet-related damage, if any
- refund request when the pet bond is no longer needed
If the pet bond is not enough to cover pet-related damage costs, Tenancy Services says the general bond can be used for the remaining costs only if the landlord and tenant agree or the Tenancy Tribunal has ordered it. Keep the tenant agreement or Tribunal order with the general bond deduction record. For the pet-bond rule change itself, read Pet Bonds in New Zealand Rentals: What Changes From December 2025.
What If the Tenant and Landlord Cannot Agree?
Disputed bond refunds need a dispute file, not just an accounting file.
Tenancy Services says that if the landlord and tenant cannot agree on a bond refund, either party can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal. It also says that if the tenant applies, the landlord must also apply if the landlord wants any bond money. Mediation may be used if both parties agree, and if mediation is not used or does not work, the dispute goes to a Tenancy Tribunal hearing.
For a disputed New Zealand bond refund, keep:
- proposed refund split
- tenant response or objection
- itemised landlord claim
- final inspection evidence
- invoices and receipts
- tenancy agreement clauses relied on
- mediation record, if used
- Tenancy Tribunal application
- Tenancy Tribunal order
- final Bond Hub or payment confirmation
Do not wait until the hearing to assemble this. A clean bond file is built during the tenancy, not after the tenant disagrees.
Practical Filing Pattern
For each New Zealand rental property, keep a bond folder with:
receipts-and-paymentsbond-hub-lodgement-confirmationbond-number-and-contact-updatestenant-and-landlord-change-recordsfinal-inspection-reportmove-out-photosrent-water-and-other-ledgersrepair-cleaning-and-gardening-invoicespet-bond-recordsrefund-request-and-tenant-responsemediation-or-tenancy-tribunal
The practical question is simple: can someone open the file and see why the proposed refund amount matches the evidence?
Related Proppi Guides
- Property Document Types: New Zealand Landlord Reference
- New Zealand Landlord Compliance Checklist 2026
- What Records Do New Zealand Landlords Need for Rent Arrears in 2026?
- Who Pays Water and Wastewater Charges in a New Zealand Rental in 2026?
- What Amateur Property Investors Actually Need in New Zealand
Source Note
This article is specific to New Zealand. It relies on Tenancy Services bond, lodgement, general bond refund, pet bond refund, and dispute guidance reviewed on 11 July 2026, plus the current Residential Tenancies Act 1986. It is general information for document organisation, not legal advice.
Last reviewed: 11 July 2026. Tenancy Services’ bond lodgement, preventing-problems, and bond refund pages were listed as last updated on 29 June 2026 or 26 June 2026 when reviewed. Confirm the current position with Tenancy Services or a qualified adviser before withholding bond money, applying to the Tenancy Tribunal, or handling executor, transfer, or deceased-estate bond refunds.
The Short Version
- New Zealand bond refunds are now a digital Bond Hub or integrated property management software workflow.
- Keep the bond receipt, lodgement confirmation, bond number, final inspection, photos, ledgers, invoices, and tenant response together.
- A general bond deduction needs evidence of money owed, damage beyond fair wear and tear, repairs, cleaning, gardening, water, or rent.
- Pet bond records should stay tied to pet consent and pet-related damage.
- If there is no agreement, keep the mediation or Tenancy Tribunal record with the refund file.
Suggested citation
Proppi Editorial Team, "What Bond Refund Records Should New Zealand Landlords Keep in 2026?", Proppi, 2026-07-11.
Sources used
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