Pets in Rental Homes

Pet rules for New Zealand rentals changed on 1 December 2025. If you want to start keeping a pet on or after that date, check whether consent is required and make the request in writing to the landlord or authorised manager. Your tenancy agreement, the property and any relevant council or body-corporate rules may also matter.

Tenancy Services explains what counts as a pet, how to request consent, when a landlord may decline and what conditions may be reasonable. If consent is given, any conditions should be confirmed in writing. A pet bond may apply only under the current rules and circumstances; use the official guidance rather than relying on older advice.

Some rules differ for pets that were already approved before 1 December 2025. Disability assist dogs have separate protections. Read the specific current guidance before acting, and keep copies of your request and the response. If the property is in a body corporate or subject to local animal bylaws, check those rules as well.

Ray White Mangawhai does not provide ongoing property management. Send your request to the landlord or property manager named in your tenancy agreement, not to the sales team, unless the agreement specifically directs you otherwise. For a current rental listing, ask the listing contact how to raise property-specific questions.