How Do I Ask My Landlord to Keep a Pet in NZ?

Since 1 December 2025, asking your landlord for permission to keep a pet is a formal process with a real deadline attached - not just a text message you hope gets a reply. Here is exactly how it works, from the tenant's side.

How Do I Make a Valid Request to Keep a Pet?

Put it in writing. An email, a letter, or a message through your landlord's tenant portal all count, as long as there's a written record. Verbal requests do not start the legal clock - if your landlord later says "you never asked," a text or email is your proof that you did. Include what pet you want to keep (species, breed if relevant, how many), and any details that help your landlord say yes - whether it's desexed, microchipped, registered with the council, and how you plan to manage it (indoor only, outdoor access, and so on).

How Many Days Does My Landlord Have to Respond?

21 calendar days from when they receive your request - not 21 working days. That distinction matters: a request made on a Friday still has the clock running through the weekend and any public holidays, it doesn't pause. Your landlord's written response has to say one of three things: consent given, consent given with reasonable conditions attached, or consent refused with the grounds for refusal stated.

What If My Landlord Doesn't Respond in Time?

This is the part most guides get vague on, so here it is precisely: silence does not mean your pet is automatically approved. There is no deemed-consent rule in the Residential Tenancies Act for pet requests. What actually happens is that your landlord, by failing to respond within 21 days without a reasonable excuse, has committed an unlawful act under the Act. You can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal, which can order a penalty. It is a real compliance failure on your landlord's part, just not an automatic yes for you. In practice, most landlords do respond - this consequence exists specifically to make sure they do.

Can My Landlord Refuse for No Reason?

No. Since 1 December 2025, a landlord can only refuse a pet request on reasonable grounds, and has to state them in writing. The Act gives examples of what counts as reasonable, including: the property genuinely isn't suitable for the pet (size, fencing, or other features of the place), a bylaw prohibits that pet at the property, you haven't complied with relevant bylaws for that type of pet, the number, size, type, or breed of pet isn't suitable for the property, the pet is likely to cause damage or disturb neighbours, the pet is a dog classified as dangerous or menacing under the Dog Control Act, there's good reason to believe the pet has previously attacked people or other animals, you wouldn't agree to a reasonable condition your landlord proposed, or you've previously broken a pet condition on this tenancy. A blanket "no pets, no explanation" clause in your tenancy agreement is no longer valid on its own either - your landlord has to have stated reasonable grounds in the agreement itself for any pet prohibition to hold up.

What Conditions Can My Landlord Attach to Approval?

Reasonable ones, judged against your specific property and pet. The Act names a few examples directly: a pet bond (see below), requiring the pet to be restrained while the landlord is lawfully on the property, and professional carpet cleaning at the end of the tenancy if the pet lives indoors. In practice landlords commonly also ask for things like desexing, current microchipping, council registration, and a commitment to clean up after the pet - all of that is standard and reasonable, just make sure whatever's agreed gets put in writing so there's no dispute later about what you signed up for.

Can My Landlord Charge a Pet Bond?

Yes, up to 2 weeks' rent, on top of your normal bond (up to 4 weeks' rent). It's a separate amount, lodged with Tenancy Services alongside your general bond, and it's refundable the same way - it covers pet-related damage beyond fair wear and tear, not a blanket "pet fee" your landlord keeps regardless. Full detail on how the pet bond itself works, including what happens with existing pets from before the law changed, is in our companion guide to pet bonds in NZ.

Does My Landlord's Consent Override My Building's Body Corporate Rules?

No, and this catches people out. If you're in an apartment or unit-title complex, the body corporate (also called an owners' corporation or unit title body corporate) can have its own rules about pets, completely separate from what your landlord agrees to. Your landlord saying yes does not mean the body corporate has said yes. If the body corporate's rules prohibit or restrict pets, that rule applies regardless of your tenancy agreement - your landlord can't consent around it, and a landlord approving a pet without checking the body corporate rules first is setting both of you up for a problem later. Ask your landlord (or check with the property manager) whether the building has body corporate pet rules before you get too attached to the idea.

What About a Disability Assist Dog?

A disability assist dog isn't treated as an ordinary pet under this process. Your landlord can't unreasonably refuse one, and can't charge a pet bond for it - the Human Rights Act applies here alongside the Residential Tenancies Act.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days does my landlord have to respond to a pet request?

21 calendar days from when they receive your written request, not 21 working days.

What happens if my landlord doesn't respond within 21 days?

Your landlord commits an unlawful act and you can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for a penalty. It does not mean your pet is automatically approved - there is no deemed-consent rule for pet requests in the Residential Tenancies Act.

Can my landlord refuse my pet for no reason?

No. Since 1 December 2025 a landlord must have reasonable grounds, stated in writing, to refuse a pet request or to prohibit pets in the tenancy agreement at all.

Does my landlord's approval override my building's body corporate rules?

No. Body corporate rules on pets apply independently of whatever your landlord agrees to. Check with your landlord or property manager before assuming you're covered.

How RentManager handles this end to end: a tenant's pet request lands directly in the landlord's queue with the 21-day clock already running, a countdown that turns red if the deadline passes, a built-in library of reasonable conditions and reasonable grounds to choose from, and the approved conditions flow straight into the tenancy agreement once a decision is made. You can try it without registering first to see how the request and decision screens work.