Landlord questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give in NZ?
A landlord must give 90 days' notice to end a periodic tenancy without giving a reason, or 42 days on one of three specific grounds. A tenant must give at least 21 days.
The three 42 day grounds
- The owner or a family member needs the home as their main home, moving in within 90 days of the tenancy ending and staying at least 90 days
- The home is used for the landlord's employees or contractors, or was bought for them, and the tenancy agreement clearly said so
- The home has been sold unconditionally, and the sale needs it empty
No retaliation
A 90 day notice must not be given in retaliation, for example because the tenant asked for a repair.
Fixed term tenancies
A fixed term becomes a periodic tenancy when it ends, unless notice is given between 90 and 21 days before the end date.
Sources: Tenancy Services, Ending a periodic tenancy, updated 20 March 2025; Tenancy law changes. Checked 2 October 2026. Rules change, so check the current position with Tenancy Services before relying on this.
Latus serves notices within the legal timeframes, as part of property management in Hamilton.
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