The government has revealed plans to make it easier for tenants with pets to rent properties. These plans include a two-week pet bond and requiring tenants to cover any damage caused by their pets. The government aims to amend the Residential Tenancies Act next month to give pet owners more rental options.
The announcement was made by Housing Minister Chris Bishop and his dog, Ladyhawke, along with ACT leader and Regulations Minister David Seymour. Bishop stated that pets are an important part of many New Zealand families, with around 64% of households owning at least one pet. He acknowledged the difficulty of finding pet-friendly rental properties and expressed the government’s intention to ease this process.
Seymour added that the new policy would address the issue of landlords being hesitant to rent to tenants with pets. He expressed confidence that tenants would be willing to pay extra (up to two weeks’ rent) if it meant they could have their pets with them. He also highlighted the policy’s potential to help domestic abuse victims who often stay in harmful relationships to protect their pets, stating that it would enable them to find pet-friendly rentals and move on safely.
The government plans to introduce a bill to change the current laws in May. The policy was initially proposed by ACT during the election campaign as part of other tenancy changes, with the aim of increasing the number of rentals allowing pets and facilitating better negotiation between landlords and tenants. The policy was secured in the coalition agreement with National.
