The Tenancy Tribunal has just delivered its first ruling on the new pet consent rules — and it’s a wake-up call for anyone still running a blanket “no pets” policy.
What happened
A Christchurch landlord said no to tenants who wanted to adopt a golden Labrador puppy in their upstairs unit within a three-storey building. The tenants had previously fostered dogs while living elsewhere. The landlord’s concerns were real ones: the deck’s suitability for a dog, noise for other people in the building, and the property not being fully fenced so the dog could roam.
The tenants offered extra conditions, including a trial period and support from an upstairs neighbour. The landlord still refused. So it went to the Tribunal.
The ruling
The Tribunal ruled the refusal was unreasonable, making it clear the starting point is no longer “no pets.” Pets are presumed allowed unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse. Importantly, the Tribunal said if risks can be managed through reasonable conditions, landlords should consider saying yes with conditions instead of issuing refusals.
Principal adjudicator Brett Carter found the landlord’s concerns did not meet the legislative requirement that a landlord provide reasonable grounds for declining a pet request, and found the landlord had breached the relevant sections of the Residential Tenancies Act Amendment Act (ss 42E, 42F and 42G) by committing an unlawful act.
The tenants still walked away with conditions attached. They must supervise the dog in communal areas, remove any temporary fencing when they leave, and have the carpet professionally cleaned and flea-treated at the end of the tenancy.
Why this matters beyond one Labrador
Tenancy.co.nz consultant Chris Matthews said the recent amendments allow landlords to hold tenants fully liable for pet-related damage, giving landlords more financial protection — and that the Christchurch decision was likely to influence future cases. This isn’t a one-off. It’s the template.
And it’s not the only case setting the tone. In March, the Tribunal ordered an Auckland landlord to let a tenant keep more than 10 aquariums at a rental property, as long as certain conditions were met.
What this means if you own a rental in Queenstown
If you’re still declining pet requests outright, that approach is on shaky ground. The law now expects you to say yes with sensible conditions, not no by default.
The good news: conditions still work. A pet bond, a trial period, a professional-clean requirement at exit, supervision rules for shared spaces — all of that is fair game and gave the landlord in this case some protection, even after losing.
The takeaway for owners:
- Blanket “no pets” clauses won’t hold up if challenged
- Reasonable, specific conditions are your real protection
- Get pet clauses built into the tenancy agreement properly, not bolted on after a request lands
Simple fees, honest advice
This is exactly the kind of change we track so you don’t have to. We build pet conditions into agreements properly from day one — bonds, cleaning requirements, and clear expectations — so if a request comes in, you’re not scrambling to work out what you can and can’t say no to.
Got a pet request sitting in your inbox, or want your tenancy agreement checked over? Get in touch — we’re already onto it.
021 0225 8265 | [email protected]
