Tenant FAQ
We know there are lots of questions to ask, so have prepared a list of our most frequently asked questions. We hope they help you!
Need a Bond?
Bondhub specialises in helping tenants with find the money for a bond.
Can I use my bond to pay my last rent payment?
Your bond is held in trust with Tenancy Services.
It is illegal to not pay your last rent payment with the expectation that the owner can use your bond as rent.
The purpose of the bond is to cover any damage to the property, not to cover your last rent payment.
Am I able to rent out the property on Air BnB?
Before going ahead and putting the property you are renting or even a room on AirBnB read through your tenancy agreement to see if it’s allowed or not.
Many owner’s insurance policies prohibit this so it’s mission critical to check first.
Can I bring in flatmates to help pay the rent?
Legally, the only people that are able to live in the property that you have rented are those named in the tenancy agreement.
If you are wanting to get a flatmate in you would need to communicate with the owner/property manager first and ask permission.
You would be required to get a full application completed by the new person and that person would have to go through the same process as you did when you applied for the property you are living in.
If one of your current flatmates wants to move out and you want to replace them with someone new you would have to go through the same process as above.
What if I can’t pay my rent on time?
As soon as you realise that you aren’t able to pay your rent on the day that it is due either let your owner or property manager know.
Make an arrangement and stick to what you say you are going to do. The most important thing is to keep in close communication.
What if I have pets?
Finding a home to rent can be difficult when you have pets. Renthub matches you with owners who are happy to have furry as well as human tenants.
Your tenant profile is a great place for you to let an owner know that you’re a responsible pet owner who will look after your home.
What if I’m new to New Zealand?
If you’ve just immigrated, then Renthub is perfect for you! Looking for a property in an unfamiliar country with different systems and processes can be daunting, but we take care of the whole process for you.
What do I do if I want to give notice?
There are two types of tenancy’s, fixed term and periodic. Check your tenancy agreement to see what type of tenancy you have.
If you are on a fixed term tenancy you have a legal obligation to stay at the property until the end of the fixed term. If your circumstances change during the tenancy and you have to leave earlier get in touch with your owner/property manager straight away to see if he is agreeable to you leaving earlier.
If you do break a fixed term tenancy the owner/property manager may pass the cost of advertising the property plus any other associated costs on to you which could include a tenant finder fee (this is usually paid by the owner but when a fixed term is being broken then the tenant finder fee would be paid by you).
If you are on a periodic tenancy all you have to do is give the owner/property manager three weeks’ notice in writing.
Where is the bond lodged?
Your bond will be lodged with Tenancy Services and must be lodged within 23 working days.
You will receive notification from them acknowledging receipt of your bond once it is lodged.
How much does it cost to get into a property?
Most of our owners ask for a bond equivalent to four weeks rent.
On top of that you will be paying two weeks rent in advance
What happens when my application is approved?
Once approved you are sent a confirmation email. This email will state the terms of your tenancy and request that you pay the first two weeks rent within 48 hours to secure the tenancy.
You will be sent your tenancy agreement electronically to read over, sign and return. We request that your bond be paid as soon as possible but not later than three working days prior to your move in date.
No keys will be given out unless all the move in costs have been paid and all the paperwork signed and returned.
What is the screening process and when will I be notified if I’m successful or not?
Once we receive your application, we check over all the information you have supplied.
Your application, together with any others that may have been received for that property are then either sent to the owner for their consideration or handed to our property manager to look over.
Sometimes the owner will decide quickly on the successful applicant and at other times they ask us to do a number of viewings so that they have a number of applications to look at.
We understand how stressful it can be waiting to find out if you are the successful tenant and we aim to keep you waiting for as little time as possible. Either way if you are the successful tenant or not, we will notify you.
How do I apply to rent a property?
Once you have seen a property that you are interested in renting you will need to complete the tenancy application form by clicking on the ‘apply now’ button beneath the property listing.
You will be required to attach references from past owners so it’s a good idea to have these ready.
If you don’t have a current or recent owner that is able to provide a reference, we will require a reference from your employer or a character reference from someone that knows you well but is not a friend or relative e.g. a church pastor.
How do I arrange to view a property?
Our company has a couple of different ways that you can get to see a property that you are interested in.
We often will take a video of the property and send you a link so that you can ‘walk through’ before viewing.
If you like what you see you can then book a time to view the property. We run a number of ‘open viewings’ many of which are after work hours and on Saturdays for your convenience.
Each of our properties we have available for rent are on our website with a link beneath them to book in for a viewing.