Moving out

If you’re moving out of your Kāinga Ora home, we need you to give us 21 days' notice in writing.

You can do that by filling out and sending us this form: Notice to End Tenancy Agreement [PDF, 205 KB].

Moving to another Kāinga Ora home

If you want to move into another Kāinga Ora home, the best place to start is with a call to our Customer Support Centre on 0800 801 601. We’ll chat about your situation, then look for homes available in your area that meet your needs. All Kāinga Ora homes are matched with tenants based on their needs, and most areas have a waiting list, so we can’t promise you’ll be able to move straight away.

If we find another home for you and you leave your place clean, tidy, undamaged and your payments are up to date, we will ask the Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment(external link) to transfer your existing bond to your new home. We'll also arrange for any rent you've paid in advance to be transferred to your new home. You will need to arrange your furniture removal and to have your phone and power connected.

After you've given notice

Within 48 hours of receiving your notice, we’ll send you a checklist to help with moving out and arrange a final visit to the home so we can go through the Property Condition Report from when you moved in. If you need to pay for any repairs to the home, we can help you set up repayments that fit your budget so you can pay it off over time.

If you want to leave before your 21-day notice period ends, call us as soon as you can. In areas where there is high demand for our homes, you may be able to leave sooner if your home clean and tidy, and we agree to end the tenancy early. When that happens, you'll only have to pay rent until the new tenant moves in.

If you change your mind

If you change your mind and no longer want to move, we can only let you stay if we haven’t already made other commitments, like signing up a new tenant. We’re here to help, so call us as soon as you can if your situation changes.

If Kāinga Ora end your tenancy

If Kāinga Ora needs to end a tenancy, we will give you at least three months’ (90 days) written notice, unless the Tenancy Tribunal makes an order granting termination.

Once we give you notice, we will arrange a time to visit the property to assess any repairs needing to be done or damage fixed before you move out.

If you first moved into a Kāinga Ora home before Sunday 7 April 2019, you may have paid a bond. If you did, we'll ask the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Tenancy Services(external link)to refund it once we’ve made sure your home is left in good condition and your payments are up to date.

Requesting a tenancy reference

If you are moving out of your Kāinga Ora home and into a private rental you can request a tenancy reference from us.

A tenancy reference helps private landlords make sure they are choosing a responsible tenant for their home. Tenancy requests contain personal information so they can only be given directly to the Kāinga Ora customer. If your landlord or property manager asks for a tenancy reference, you will need to request it from us and then pass it on to them.

A tenancy reference is a letter from Kāinga Ora that includes things like:

• How long you have been a Kāinga Ora customer.
• Whether you kept the property in a clean and tidy condition.
• Whether you have any outstanding rent debt with Kāinga Ora.

Here’s how to request a tenancy reference:

1. Go to our ‘Enquiries and feedback’ form
2. Under ‘Types of enquiry’ select ‘Other’
3. In the text box let us know that you are requesting a ‘Tenancy Reference Letter’
4. Be sure to include your full name, Kāinga Ora address, and a mailing address or email address that we can send to the tenancy reference letter to.

Third party requests to discuss a tenancy reference

If a third party (such as your landlord or property manager) would like to discuss your tenancy reference letter with Kāinga Ora, they first need your consent.

To arrange to give your consent to a third party, please follow these steps:

1. Go to our ‘Enquiries and feedback’ form
2. Under ‘Types of enquiry’ select ‘Other’
3. In the text box let us know that you ‘would like to provide your consent for a third party to discuss your tenancy reference letter with Kāinga Ora’. Remember to include your phone number or email address so we can get in touch and help you arrange this.