Ending your Tenancy
Giving notice
Be sure to let us know if there are any changes to your rental situation. We will need to ensure all records are up to date.
In accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act
- If you are in a periodic tenancy (with no fixed end date), then you need to send us notification to vacate the rental property and this must be in writing and be received at least 21 days before you intend leaving the premises.
- If you are in a fixed term tenancy and the number of days remaining on the tenancy are
- more than 90, then you can only terminate the tenancy by agreement with us;
- between 21 and 90, then you can give notice to say that you do not wish to continue the tenancy after the end date; or
- less than 21, you can’t give notice to end the tenancy. After the fixed term period expires, the tenancy will become periodic unless you or the landlord has already given notice to say that you don’t want this to happen. Once the tenancy is periodic, you can give 21 days’ notice
See https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/ending-a-tenancy/giving-notice-to-end-tenancy/ to find out more.
If you give notice while still under fixed term tenancy, then break fees may apply to secure a replacement tenant:
- Credit Checks - $20 per person applying
- Background Checks - $20 per person applying
- Property Managers service fee - $200
- Advertising Fee - $90
- Letting Fee - one weeks rent
Total for a two person tenancy will be approximately $340 plus one weeks rent.
We will send you a checkout email which contains a checklist of things you need to attend to when leaving the property. The house must be left clean and tidy (including the garden) and keys should be ready to be handed over at the pre-arranged final inspection time. Once the handover of keys is done, you are not allowed to re-enter the premises.
If you abort the final inspection because you are not ready, you will be charged a fee as we will have to come back again at a later time to complete the checkout processes.
Remember to leave yourselves plenty of time to finish the job as commercial cleaning costs will be deducted from your bond if the property is not left clean - don't forget to clean the stove!
Getting your bond back
When the outgoing inspection has been done and if there are no cleaning or repairs required, we will complete the Bond Refund Form and send it to you. This must be completed and signed by the people whose signatures are on the original Bond Lodgement Form and returned to us and we will send it to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.
If we have identified any cleaning or repairs that need to be done, we will arrange for this through our contractors. This can delay the bond refund as we have to wait for the work to be completed and invoiced.
If you do not return all keys, we will have to replace all of the locks. The cost of this will be deducted from your bond.
The best way to make sure you get your bond back quickly is to make sure you leave the property in an undamaged, clean and tidy condition and return all keys.