Can a landlord refuse a tenant's pet in New Zealand in 2026?

Yes, but only on reasonable grounds. Under the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024, a New Zealand landlord must respond to a pet request in writing within 21 days. There is no deemed consent — failing to respond is an unlawful act with a fine of up to $1,500, rather than automatic approval.

Which New Zealand and Australian jurisdictions allow a pet bond?

As of 2026 only two do. New Zealand allows a pet bond of up to two weeks' rent on top of the standard bond (from 1 December 2025), and Western Australia allows a fixed pet bond of $350 (from 28 March 2026). New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory all prohibit a separate pet bond.

What pet records should a landlord keep?

Keep the tenant's written pet request, your written decision with reasons, any agreed conditions, the pet bond record where one applies, dated before-and-after condition photos, inspection notes, and end-of-tenancy cleaning or damage evidence. The written decision tied to its evidence is what makes a later tribunal question answerable.

By Proppi Editorial Team 21 May 2026 9 min read

Pet Requests in New Zealand and Australian Rentals: The Records That Protect You

How pet request, consent, and refusal rules differ across New Zealand and the eight Australian states and territories in 2026 — and the document evidence every landlord should keep.

Part of the Rental Rule Changes Watch 2026 series.

As of 2026, every jurisdiction across New Zealand and Australia restricts how a landlord can say no to a pet — but they split into two models. In New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia, a landlord refuses directly on reasonable or prescribed grounds. In Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia, the landlord cannot refuse alone — they must apply to a tribunal or the Commissioner. Only New Zealand and Western Australia allow a pet bond. Whichever model applies, the job is the same: a written request, a written decision, conditions, and condition evidence.

Pet rules are the clearest example of how rental compliance becomes a document problem. The rule sounds simple — tenant asks, landlord responds — but every step can later become a dispute about what was requested, what was approved, whether a refusal was reasonable, what damage already existed, and whether a bond claim is fair.

This guide compares New Zealand and all eight Australian states and territories. For the single-market deep dive on New Zealand pet bonds, see Pet Bonds in New Zealand Rentals: What Changes From December 2025.

The Cross-Tasman Pet Rules Comparison

This is the table to bookmark. Rules are current as at May 2026.

Jurisdiction	Refusal model	Response window	Pet bond allowed?
New Zealand	Reasonable grounds	21 days written; no deemed consent (fine for non-response)	Yes — up to 2 weeks’ rent
New South Wales	Prescribed grounds	21 days; deemed consent if no response	No
Victoria	Must apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to refuse	14 days to apply; otherwise deemed consent	No
Queensland	Prescribed reasonable grounds	14 days; auto-approved if no valid response	No
South Australia	Prescribed grounds	14 days to approve, condition, or refuse	No
Western Australia	Refuse only with the Commissioner for Consumer Protection’s consent	Commissioner determination process	Yes — fixed $350
Tasmania	Must apply to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to refuse	14 days to apply; otherwise deemed consent	No
Australian Capital Territory	Must apply to the Australian Capital Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal to refuse	14 days to apply; otherwise deemed consent	No
Northern Territory	Presumption favours the tenant; refuse via objection plus tribunal	14 days to object and apply; otherwise deemed consent	No

Key Takeaway

Two facts surprise most landlords. First, in Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia you cannot simply refuse a pet — silence becomes consent, or you must take the matter to the tribunal yourself. Second, a separate pet bond exists in only two places: New Zealand (two weeks’ rent) and Western Australia ($350). Everywhere else the standard bond has to cover any pet damage.

The Two Models, Explained

Grounds-based: New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia

In these jurisdictions the landlord makes the decision and can refuse directly — but only on grounds the law recognises, and usually within a fixed window. The tenant can challenge a refusal at the tribunal afterwards.

New Zealand — refuse only on reasonable grounds, in writing, within 21 days. Unlike every Australian state, there is no deemed consent: a landlord who does not respond commits an unlawful act (a fine of up to $1,500), and a tenant who keeps a pet without consent can be fined up to $750. The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 also allows a pet bond of up to two weeks’ rent from 1 December 2025.
New South Wales — refuse only on the six prescribed grounds, within 21 days, or consent is deemed. Pet bonds, extra rent for pets, and “no pets” advertising are all banned. Consent, once given, lasts the life of the pet.
Queensland — refuse only on prescribed reasonable grounds within 14 days, or the request is automatically approved. A rent increase or a pet bond is not a reasonable condition.
South Australia — approve, approve with conditions, or refuse on prescribed grounds within 14 days. Reasonable conditions, such as professional carpet cleaning at the end of the tenancy, are allowed; a separate pet bond is not.

Tribunal-application: Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, Western Australia

Here the default tilts toward the tenant. The landlord cannot unilaterally refuse — they must take a positive step.

Victoria — a rental provider who wants to refuse must apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for an order that refusal is reasonable, within 14 days of the request. No application means consent. Pet bonds are prohibited.
Tasmania — under the Residential Tenancy Amendment (Pets) Act 2025 (in force 20 March 2026), a landlord cannot unreasonably refuse a pet and must respond within 14 days. To refuse, the landlord must apply to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal within 14 days to justify it; otherwise consent is deemed. Pet bonds are not permitted; the standard bond of up to four weeks’ rent covers pet damage.
Australian Capital Territory — a lessor must apply to the Australian Capital Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal within 14 days to refuse; reasonable conditions can be set without a tribunal. Pet bonds are not allowed.
Northern Territory — the law presumes in favour of the pet. A landlord who objects must do so in writing and apply to the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal within 14 days, or consent is deemed.
Western Australia — a landlord may refuse only with the consent of the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, through a determination process. Western Australia is the only Australian state that allows a pet bond: from 28 March 2026 it rose from $260 to $350 and now covers both fumigation and pet damage.

The Records That Actually Protect You

Whichever model applies, a pet decision should be handled like a mini tenancy variation, not a casual message thread. The records that matter:

Step	Document to keep
Tenant asks to keep a pet	The written pet request, dated
Landlord assesses the request	Notes on premises suitability, bylaws, pet type and size
Landlord responds (or applies to the tribunal)	The written decision and reasons, or the tribunal application
Conditions are agreed	Signed conditions or a tenancy variation
Pet bond is collected (New Zealand and Western Australia only)	The bond record and lodgement receipt
Property condition is checked	Dated before-and-after photos and the inspection report
Tenancy ends	The exit inspection, plus any cleaning or damage evidence beyond fair wear and tear

A refusal should read like a decision record, not a preference. “Large dog refused” is weak. “Refused because the property has no secure fencing, the tenancy is a compact upstairs unit, and the tenant did not agree to the proposed restraint condition” is defensible. Tie the decision to the property, the pet, and the evidence.

For tenancy agreement structure, see Tenancy Agreement Anatomy 2026: New Zealand and Australia. This is also one of the places where AI document management for property earns its keep — connecting a pet request to the decision, the bond record, the condition photos, and the tenancy agreement so the whole story is ready for review in one cited trail.

Source Note

This article compares residential tenancy pet rules across New Zealand and the eight Australian states and territories, current as at May 2026. It relies on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Tenancy Services (New Zealand) and the relevant state and territory consumer or tenancy authorities (Australia), each linked above. Rules in Tasmania commenced on 20 March 2026 and the Western Australia pet bond increase commenced on 28 March 2026 — both are in force as at publication. Confirm the current position with the relevant authority before acting.

Rental Rule Changes Watch 2026

Keep Reading

The Short Version

Every New Zealand and Australian jurisdiction now restricts how a landlord can refuse a pet.
Grounds-based jurisdictions (New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia) let the landlord refuse directly on recognised grounds within a fixed window.
Tribunal-application jurisdictions (Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, Western Australia) require the landlord to apply to a tribunal or the Commissioner, or consent is deemed.
Only New Zealand (two weeks’ rent) and Western Australia ($350) allow a pet bond.
New Zealand is the only jurisdiction with no deemed consent — a non-responding landlord is fined instead.
Keep the request, the written decision, the conditions, the bond record, and before-and-after condition evidence together.

Last reviewed: May 2026. Tenancy law and pet rules change frequently in both New Zealand and Australia. The rules above reflect guidance current at the date of publication — confirm the current requirements with Tenancy Services in New Zealand, or the relevant state or territory tenancy authority in Australia, before acting on any tenancy obligation. This guide is general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified legal adviser for advice on your specific circumstances.

Suggested citation

Proppi Editorial Team, "Pet Requests in New Zealand and Australian Rentals: The Records That Protect You", Proppi, 2026-05-21.

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