Landlord rules to keep you covered

Being a landlord in New Zealand comes with a few must-dos, and staying covered is one of them. There's also a range of responsibilities you have, focused on the safety and well-being of your tenants.

Whether you're already renting out a property or thinking about becoming a landlord, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind to make sure your place is safe, compliant, up to scratch for your tenants, and covered by insurance.

If something goes wrong and you haven't met your legal obligations, your insurance might not be there to back you up.

Let's break it down to help keep your rental in tip-top shape, and your cover future ready.

What you need to do to stay covered

Tenancy agreement

A tenancy agreement is a must-have contract between you and your tenant. It needs to be in writing and clearly outline the terms, like rent amount, payment schedule, and responsibilities of each party. Without this, you could run into trouble enforcing your rights and it may affect your ability to make an insurance claim. Both you and your tenant need to sign the agreement, and you'll also need to provide three additional statements:^1,2

Follow the healthy homes standards

Your rental needs to be clean, safe, and meet all relevant building, health, and safety standards. New Zealand has specific standards to make sure rental properties are safe, warm and dry. This means having things like working smoke alarms, proper insulation and making sure there's no mould or dampness.³

Healthy homes standards

If your rental doesn't meet these standards, it's not just your tenant who's at risk, your insurance could be too. That's why it pays to use the Landlord compliance checklist to make sure you've ticked all the boxes.

Smoke alarms

Make sure they're working at the start of each tenancy and stay in working order. Tenants are responsible for replacing dead batteries and reporting any issues. Tenancy Services provide a great guide on what type of smoke alarm to use and how they should be installed.

Smoke alarm guide

Insulation

Ceiling and underfloor insulation have been compulsory in all rental properties, (where it is reasonably practicable to install), since 1 July 2019. New or renewed tenancies must meet the healthy homes insulation standards, and all rental properties have had to comply with these standards since 1 July 2025.

Insulation standards a landlord must meet.

If you're unsure whether you need to upgrade or replace your insulation, use the Tenancy Services online tool to find out. Not meeting these standards could affect your ability to make a claim.

Bond lodgement

You can charge a bond (up to four weeks' rent) as security against damages and unpaid rent. Just make sure to lodge this bond with Tenancy Services within 23 working days and it'll be held until the end of the tenancy.⁴

Not lodging your bond could mean you're in breach of your obligations and may impact your insurance.

Refund

If everything's in order at the end of a tenancy, the bond gets refunded. The tenant and landlord should do a final inspection together, and if all looks good, just fill out a bond refund form and send it to Tenancy Services.⁵

Regular inspections

Regular inspections help you spot maintenance issues early and keep your property in good shape. Snap detailed photos and take notes during these inspections - they can be super handy as evidence of the property's condition over time if you ever need to make a claim.

Maintenance and repairs

Keeping your rental in good shape isn't just important for health and safety, it's also about protecting your investment. Regular tasks include checking and servicing heating and cooling systems, plumbing, and electrical systems.

Be quick to fix things, especially urgent issues like blocked drains and electrical faults as neglecting them could lead to bigger problems and may affect your insurance cover. If you can't get to urgent issues in time, your tenant can sort them out, and you can reimburse them.⁶

Who's responsible for fixing damages depends on who caused them.

Going overseas

Heading out of New Zealand for more than 21 consecutive days? You'll need to appoint an agent to manage the property while you're away. Let your tenant and the bond holder know and fill out a change of landlord form for Tenancy Services.⁷

Selling your rental property

If you decide to sell your rental property, let your tenants know so there are no surprise visits from a real estate agent! Inform them in writing to keep everything transparent and give them time to prepare for any changes.

Property access

Your tenants need to give permission for property access for listing photos and viewings. They can request specific days and times and may choose to be present during viewings.

Accessing your property

After the property has sold

The time a tenant has to vacate the property depends on the reason the house was sold and the tenancy agreement in place. Check out the different scenarios and their notice period.

If the new owner decides to take over the tenancy, they'll need to contact the tenant and provide their contact and bank details. If the bond is held with Tenancy Services, both the old and new landlords will need to complete a change form for the bond to move to the new owner.

Selling a rental property

Handling left-behind belongings

Sometimes tenants leave stuff behind when they move out, and it can be tricky to tell if it's just rubbish or something valuable. Make reasonable attempts to contact them, and if they don't collect their items, you can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal or dispose of the items following specific rules.

Insurance for your investment

Having the right cover in place means you're protected when things go wrong, but only if you've met your responsibilities as a landlord. That's why it's important to choose a policy that's built for rentals, suits your needs and supports you when things go wrong. Here are some key benefits to look out for when choosing your insurance provider:

Deliberate damage cover: Covers you against deliberate damage caused by your tenants or their guests, so you can avoid being out-of-pocket if intentional damage occurs.
At Tower, we'll pay up to $20,000 for each event, with an additional $500 excess applied to your claim for each event.*
Loss of rent: Covers loss of rental income if your property becomes uninhabitable due to an insured event. It helps you keep your cash flow steady while repairs are being made.
Tower's Landlord's Plus cover provides you with up to eight months' rent if your rental is made uninhabitable by loss or damage covered under our policy while the property is tenanted.*
Landlord's whiteware and window covering: Covers whiteware and window coverings you provide in the rental property.
Tower will cover up to $20,000 for these items under our Landlord's Plus policy, so you don't need a separate contents policy.*

Take a look at Tower's Landlord's Plus cover for more information on our benefits and their limits.

Landlord insurance obligations

There are certain obligations in your landlord insurance contract you need to meet. Not sticking to these may result in your claim being declined or your insurance provider seeking to recover payments already made.

You want to make sure you've met the conditions in your policy, like having a written tenancy agreement, meeting the healthy homes standards, and keeping up with maintenance.

If you have Landlord's Plus cover with Tower or are thinking about getting it, it's important to know your obligations before and during the tenancy. You can find all the details in your policy document.

Top tip: Read your policy carefully and stick to your obligations, as it's the best way to stay protected.

Tower's Landlord's Plus cover.

Making a landlord insurance cover claim

If you need to make a claim, start the process as soon as possible. Supply your insurance provider with detailed information, including any proof that shows you've taken reasonable steps to care for your property.

At Tower, you can make a Landlord's Plus claim online. Once a claims manager has been assigned, they'll share their contact details with you, and you can get in touch with them directly for updates anytime.

You can log in to My Tower 24/7 to check your claim status and access your claim manager's direct contact information.

Being a landlord in New Zealand comes with a bit of admin, but it doesn't have to be hard. When you know your responsibilities and stay on top of them, you'll avoid common issues and help protect your investment.

Things like regular inspections, a solid tenancy agreement, and keeping up with your maintenance all play a part in keeping your place, and your insurance, sorted.

Having landlord insurance gives you extra peace of mind. It's built for the unique risks that come with renting out your place, and it's there to back you up when things don't go to plan.

Get a Landlord's Plus insurance quote today.

*Policy terms, excesses, limits and exclusions apply. Cover subject to current underwriting criteria.

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