If you are searching for how the rental bond works in New Zealand, the first rule is simple. The bond is the tenant's money held by Tenancy Services, not by the landlord and not by the agency. Climber lodges it, tracks it and helps you claim only what the file supports when the tenancy ends.
How much bond can you take?
The maximum is 4 weeks rent. That is the same for furnished and unfurnished homes. Asking for more is unlawful. Asking the tenant to pay the bond in cash to you personally is how files go wrong. The money goes to Tenancy Services and the tenant gets a receipt.
The Act gives 23 working days to lodge the bond after it is received. Late lodging can mean exemplary damages. Climber lodges as part of the start of tenancy, with the written tenancy agreement. You should not be holding a cheque in a drawer while the tenant has already moved in.
What is the bond actually for?
Unpaid rent. Damage beyond fair wear and tear. Cleaning that is needed because the house was not left reasonably clean. It is not a slush fund for a renovation you wanted anyway. Fair wear is the scuff that comes from living in a house. A smashed window or a missing appliance is not fair wear.
That distinction only works if you have an ingoing report. Photos at the start are what make photos at the end useful. Without them, a claim becomes a story against a story. Climber's exit inspections are written against the ingoing record, not against memory.
What happens at the end of the tenancy?
We inspect. We compare the house with the start photos. We send you the report with what looks like damage and what looks like wear. You decide what to claim. We do not invent deductions to look tough and we do not waive a real claim because it is awkward.
The refund is lodged with Tenancy Services. Both sides need to agree, or the Tribunal decides. Water bills need to be paid if they sit with the tenant. Tenants get the paperwork by email. If they dispute a deduction, the bond stays put until it is resolved. That delay is annoying. It is still better than refunding everything and chasing later.
Why do bond disputes drag on?
Missing photos. A bond that was never lodged. A claim for painting a whole room because of one nail hole. Tenants also delay when they have not paid the last water invoice. The cleanest files are boring. The bond is lodged on time. The ingoing is complete. The exit is booked. The claim matches the photos.
A team helps here. The person who collected the bond at the start is not always the person at the exit. The file still has to make sense to both. That is the point of clear communication. You see the same photos the tenant sees. Nobody is guessing from a text thread.
What should you do if you currently hold a bond yourself?
Lodge it. Tenancy Services is where it belongs. If you are handing the property to Climber, tell us the bond number and the amount. We will not pretend a private arrangement is safer. It is not.
If you want the process handled from the first week, that is part of full property management. Casual letting still uses a proper agreement and a lodged bond. The difference is who stays on the file after the keys are handed over.
What should you keep on file besides the bond number?
The signed agreement. The Healthy Homes statement. The ingoing report with photos. Any later photos from routine inspections. Those four things are what make an exit claim stand up. A bond number on its own is not a claim.
Owners sometimes ask us to 'just take it off the bond' for a worn carpet that was already tired at the start. If the ingoing photos show the wear, we will tell you that. Protecting the file means saying no to a weak claim as well as yes to a strong one. The Tribunal sees the same pictures.
If you want the law in one place, the tenancy law overview covers the 4 week cap and the 23 working day lodging rule. The exit piece covers photos. This page is the path we actually run between those two rules.
Questions landlords ask us
Can Climber keep the bond in its trust account?
No. The bond is lodged with Tenancy Services. That is the legal holder, not the agency and not the owner.
Who decides what comes off the bond?
You decide the claim after you see the exit report and photos. Tenancy Services pays out when both sides agree or when the Tribunal decides.
What if the tenant disagrees?
The refund waits. A dispute can go to the Tenancy Tribunal. Photos from the ingoing and exit inspections are the evidence, not a memory of how the house looked.
If you want this handled for a property in Auckland, talk to the Climber team or read how residential property management works with us.