If you rent a home in New Zealand, you may have had an email from Tenancy Services in the past few weeks with something called a tenant number. It is genuine, and you will need it when your bond is refunded. Here is what has changed with bonds this year, and what tenants and landlords need to do.
What Changed?
Since 29 June 2026, every bond transaction is done online. Lodging a bond, topping it up, refunding it and changing the tenant or landlord on it all go through Tenancy Services' Bond Hub, or through property management software connected to it. The paper forms for bond refunds, change of tenant and change of landlord are no longer available.
Signatures stopped being needed for bond lodgements back in December 2024, so this is the last step in moving bonds off paper.
What Is a Tenant Number?
A tenant number is a unique number linked to you and your tenancy. Every tenant on a bond gets their own, even when several people share the same house.
You need it to:
- update your contact details with Tenancy Services
- see your bond balance and record
- respond to a bond refund request.
I Received an Email with My Tenant Number. Is It Real?
Tenancy Services sent tenant numbers by email from late August to early September 2026 to everyone listed on an active bond. Those emails come from no-reply@e.comms.tenancy.govt.nz. Bond requests and updates come from bonds@tenancy.govt.nz, or by text from 2910.
Save the email somewhere you can find it again. You do not need to do anything else right now.
Should I Give My Tenant Number to My Landlord or Property Manager?
No. Tenancy Services asks you to keep it secure and not share it with anyone, including your landlord or the other tenants in your home. They do not need it to process your refund. It is the key that lets you, and only you, approve what happens to your share of the bond.
I Haven't Received My Tenant Number. What Do I Do?
Check your junk or spam folder first. If it is not there, contact Tenancy Services with your tenancy address, email and phone number. Do this at least four weeks before you expect to need the number, for example well before you plan to move out.
How Does a Bond Refund Work Now?
- Your landlord or property manager submits the refund request online, with the amount going to each person.
- You get an email from bonds@tenancy.govt.nz (or a text, if you have chosen that) with a link and a one-time password.
- You enter your tenant number when asked.
- You check the amount and accept or decline it.
If Tenancy Services has no email address or mobile number for you, the notice comes by post, which slows everything down. Make sure your contact details are up to date before you move out.
What If I Don't Agree with the Refund Amount?
You can decline it. The refund is then cancelled and nothing is paid to anyone. You will need to sort out the amount with your landlord, and they will need to submit a new request. If you still cannot agree, either of you can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal.
Declining holds up the refund for everyone on the bond, so it is worth talking it through with your landlord or property manager before the request goes in.
I Can't Use the Online System. Can I Still Get My Bond Back?
Yes. Contact Tenancy Services and they will help you apply.
What Landlords Need to Know
- Paper bond forms are gone. Every refund, change of tenant and change of landlord is done in Bond Hub or through connected software.
- Before you submit a refund, agree any deductions with your tenants first and check they have a current email address or mobile number with Tenancy Services. A refund a tenant declines has to start again from scratch.
- Let tenants know a request is coming, and that they will need their tenant number to respond.
Tenants whose home we manage can ask their property manager at any time how their bond refund is going. Landlords who would rather not deal with Bond Hub at all can talk to us about management. We handle bond lodgement and refunds for every home we manage.
This article is general information, current at 24 September 2026. For your own bond, see Tenancy Services' bond refund guidance or call them.
