Tenants Protection Association (Christchurch) Inc.
Te Tōpū Tiaki-ā-Kainoho
Tenancy Law are changing
Major changes to the Residential Tenancies Act
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 came into force on 12 August. Two of these changes came into force on 12 August, while all other changes will come into force later.
Law changes in effect from 12 August 2020
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Transitional and emergency housing: Accommodation provided for these purposes, which is funded by the government or part of a special needs grants programme, is exempt from the Residential Tenancies Act.
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Rent increases: Rent increases are limited to once every 12 months. This is a change from once every 180 days (six months). There continues to be a freeze on rent increases, which means landlords cannot increase rent until after 25 September 2020. Any rent increase notices given to tenants from 12 August must comply with the new 12-month rule.
