Skip to content.
Return to Department of Building and Housing home page.

Tips to help sort out rent arrears

75% of Tenancy Tribunal applications received by the Department of Building and Housing are for rent arrears. The following tips will help landlords and tenants sort out problems to do with rent arrears.

If you have a rent arrears situation

Landlords:

  • Contact the tenant immediately to check if they’re aware of the missed payment.
  • Issue a 14 days' notice for rent arrears. It notifies the tenant that they have 14 days to fix the situation and that they should get in contact with the landlord.
  • Talk about what has happened with the tenant.
  • Ask the tenant how they plan to bring rent up to date.
  • Think about possible options to get the matter sorted
  • Consider a repayment plan (e.g. allowing the tenant to add an amount to their regular rent until the debit is paid).
  • Record any agreement you make together in writing.
  • Check to see if the tenant can realistically afford to stay on at the property if it looks like rent arrears is going to be an ongoing problem for the tenant,

Tenants:

  • Check if a payment hasn’t been processed (e.g. by their bank or employer)
  • Pay whatever you can straight away. A part payment is better than paying nothing at all
  • Contact the landlord immediately to let them know if you’re having difficulty in making a payment, or if you have missed a payment.
  • Don’t avoid or ignore the landlord’s calls or messages to discuss the problem.
  • Be upfront and honest with the landlord, and hopefully they’ll work with you in making an arrangement to pay off the rent arrears.
  • Think about options of how you can bring the rent up to date, or to sort the matter out. (i.e. what is a realistic repayment plan you can keep to?).
  • Check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to have boarders, to provide some extra income to help out.
  • Look at other help available (e.g. budgeting, WINZ, other agencies).
  • If it looks like rent arrears will be an ongoing problem, you need to decide if you can afford to continue on with the tenancy (or if you need to explore cheaper options).