Boarding houses: Everything landlords & tenants need to know

Boarding houses, sometimes known as shared accommodation, are homes or buildings that are rented out by the room. Each tenant or boarder will have their own room, (or space to sleep in a room, like a bunk room), then facilities like kitchens, bathrooms and lounges are shared communally. 

A boarding house landlord must have (or intend to have) at least six tenants at any time and each tenancy must last (or be intended to last) at least 28 days. 

Boarding house tenancies must have a written tenancy agreement that is signed by both the tenant and landlord, just like a normal tenancy. This boarding house agreement must include:

• The landlord’s contact details. 

• Contact details of any agent the landlord may use, such as a property manager. 

• The length of the tenant’s stay (28 days, or more).

• The amount of rent. 

• Rules for the boarding house, attached. 

• Body corporate rules if applicable. 

• The maximum number of tenants or occupants. 

• Details of the tenant’s private use area and communal shared areas. 

• A description of fire evacuation procedures. 

• Any services provided by the landlord as part of the agreement. 

Download a template boarding house agreement from Tenancy Services New Zealand. The landlord cannot add any extra conditions to the agreement that would breach tenancy law, for example the landlord cannot require the tenant to professionally clean the carpets after they leave. 

Boarding houses follow similar rules as regular tenancies, with a few key things to note:

All boarding houses, except for those operated by Kāinga Ora or a community housing provider, must meet healthy homes standards, meeting minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation and drainage. Non-compliant landlords can be charged large fines. 

Read more about Healthy Homes compliance. 

Boarding house bonds can be a maximum of four weeks rent in order to cover unpaid rent or damage to the property when the tenancy ends. The landlord must lodge any bonds over one week’s rent with Tenancy Services within 23 working days of receiving it and provide a receipt to tenants. 

Rent in boarding houses can be increased, but only with 28 days’ written notice. Rent can only increase once every 12 months and a landlord cannot ask for more than 2 weeks’ rent in advance. 

Any boarding house rules should be clearly communicated and included in the tenancy agreement. These may include rules about respecting other tenant’s private enjoyment of the property, and tidying up after yourself in communal areas. The rules cannot breach the Residential Tenancies Act and the landlord must provide seven days written notice of any rule changes.

Rules around the landlord or landlord’s agent performing maintenance or inspections are the same as the normal residential rental rules, with a few exceptions:

• The landlord can never interfere with the tenant’s quiet enjoyment of the premises. 

• The landlord can enter the boarding house, but not the tenant’s rooms at any time. 

• Inspections must happen between 8am and 6pm. 

• Rooms can be inspected every four weeks. 

• Landlords must give 24 hours notice to inspect a room. 

• The landlord can re-check a room by providing 24 hours notice if the tenant has agreed to fix something. 

The landlord must make sure the boarding house is in reasonable condition, and is safe and healthy to live in. The communal areas should be kept in a reasonable state of cleanliness. 

• Smoke alarms must be installed within 3 metres of every bedroom door. 

• Smoke alarms must be installed on each level if there are multiple stories. 

• These smoke alarms must be working at the time the tenancy starts. 

• The landlord must provide enough locks to make sure all rooms and the house are reasonably secure. 

• The tenant must have access to their room/rooms, toilet and bathroom facilities at all times.