Notice Period Checker
How much notice is required to end a tenancy depends on who's ending it, why, and whether it's a periodic or fixed-term tenancy.
Law change: the no-cause 90-day notice for periodic tenancies was removed in 2020 and reinstated from 30 January 2025. If you're working from an older source, it may be out of date.
Periodic tenancies
No cause given
Landlord
Must not be retaliatory.
Owner or family member moving in
Landlord
They must move in within 90 days of the tenancy ending and live there at least 90 days.
Needed to house an employee or contractor
Landlord
The tenancy agreement must already record that the property is used to house employees or contractors.
Unconditional sale requiring vacant possession
Landlord
The sale must be unconditional.
Physical assault on the landlord, their family, or another tenant
Landlord
Requires police to have filed a charge.
Single instance of rent arrears
Landlord
If arrears reach 21 or more days, the landlord can go straight to the Tenancy Tribunal instead.
Repeated rent arrears
Landlord
Rent unpaid 5+ working days, on 3 separate occasions within 90 days.
Repeated anti-social behaviour
Landlord
3 separate occasions within 90 days.
Other breach of the tenancy agreement
Either party
A Tribunal application follows only if the breach isn't fixed.
No cause given
Tenant
Or shorter, if the landlord agrees.
Family violence
Tenant, or an affected person
Needs an approved form and qualifying evidence.
Fixed-term tenancies
Ending it early
Can't be done by one-sided notice. It needs mutual written agreement, an assignment, or (for family violence) 2 days' notice with an approved form and qualifying evidence.
Ending at the end of the fixed term
Either landlord or tenant can give notice, with no reason required, between 90 and 21 days before the term ends. Give no notice in that window and the tenancy automatically becomes periodic.
General information only, not legal advice. Grounds involving the Tenancy Tribunal (repeated arrears, repeated anti-social behaviour) aren't ended by a standalone written notice the way the others are. Confirm your situation at tenancy.govt.nz.
RentGuide generates the actual notice for you
Once you know which notice applies, RentGuide fills in the details from your tenancy record and logs it as sent.
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