Shadi Salehpour gives her perspective on the change of pet rules in rentals.
It’s a windy Sunday here in Auckland.
The olive tree outside my office scrapes against the building, and I sit with a hot cup of tea and two Auckland Council animal management reports, 2023 and the latest, June 2025.
Working in South Auckland, roaming dogs are a reality, and I’ll admit, being nervous at inspections is too. When I arrive at a property, I’m loud, keys rattling, “Hello, Shadi here for inspection!” Because this is the tenants and their dogs’ territory, their home. If they’ve forgotten I’m coming, if the dog is loose, or if a guest doesn’t know why I’m there, I don’t want surprises. I want to leave safe.
The council’s data explains why. Dog attacks on people are up, roaming complaints increased by 11 per cent, and shelters are at capacity with a record 60 per cent euthanasia rate. While registration compliance has improved to 88.4 per cent, these numbers tell us that irresponsible ownership has real community consequences. Will it get better with new pet rules coming in? Or if people have more freedom to get pets, will these numbers get worse?
Nasty surprises
And then there are the surprises you never expect. I’ll never forget the tenant who kept a goat, yes, a goat at a residential property on Becker Drive in Weymouth. At first it was funny, then it was “oh no!” It went from being cute to me wondering, how on earth am I going to tell the landlord? Our agreement said no pets, that meant dogs and cats. It was a perfect reminder of the unpredictable challenges landlords face when animals become part of a tenancy. From chewed fences to lingering smells, pets of all kinds can leave their mark.
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2025 (RTA) will soon reshape this landscape. Tenants will need landlord consent for pets, landlords may refuse only on “reasonable grounds,” and pet bonds of up to two weeks’ rent will be allowed. Tenants will also be liable for damage beyond fair wear and tear. It’s an attempt to balance tenants’ desire for pets with landlords’ right to protect their investment. But the RTA’s favourite colour (grey) remains; what exactly counts as reasonable grounds?
Tenant’s home
I’ll be upfront, I’m not really a dog person, probably due to the trauma caused being chased and bitten by a golden jackal when I was a child. I also find the smell of dogs in a property overwhelming. Sorry but not sorry to dog owners, there is a distinctive smell in homes that have dogs. No amount of toxic chemicals from Glade plug ins will make it go away.
Still, I acknowledge that while an investment property is first a business asset for a landlord, it is also a tenant’s home. If a dog or cat is part of that home, then let it be. The reality is that wear and tear happens. Nothing against kids, but I’ve seen children cause more damage than pets. Pets don’t draw on walls or spill Fanta on the carpet. The real issue isn’t pets versus no pets, it’s responsibility. The trick is picking responsible dog owners with well-trained animals, just as we select tenants who will respect the property.
For landlords, the best protection lies in clear, enforceable agreements:
- strong pet clauses in tenancy agreements, (not contracting outside the RTA)
- pet bonds applied consistently
- seeking evidence of training, desexing, and registration
- careful tenant selection
Because at the end of the day, it’s not really about the goats, dogs, or cats. It’s about people, and whether they take responsibility for what they bring into a home.
My conditions
I am not against pets in rentals, but only if there are clear conditions in place.
Carpets must be professionally cleaned at the end of tenancy, at the tenant’s cost. Pest control must be done professionally at the end of tenancy. If a pet is aggressive, it must be removed from the property during inspections. Landlords and property managers must have easy access to the “pet bond” if needed.
Be confident despite these changes, a skilled property manager should be well equipped to pick the right tenant application.
At the start, when you market the property, you can always choose an applicant with no pets (did I say that out loud?) But under the new rules, a tenant could request a pet after being granted the tenancy.
That creates another layer of uncertainty.
An interesting question for you, what happens when a unit is in a body corporate that allows pets for owner-occupiers, but not for tenants in the same building? Can the RTA overwrite those body corporate rules? I would love some feedback on this.
I’ll leave you with this thought as I make another cup of tea (the first has gone cold). I find myself remembering more details of the time the jackal bit me. My parents had told me to stay close, but we wandered off. A lesson learned, in property, as in life, we can’t avoid every surprise or laws forced on us, but we can prepare with rules, responsibility, and a little caution.
Let’s Rent is an award-winning property management company in Auckland dedicated to providing exceptional service for landlords, property investors and tenants. Founded on the principles of integrity, personalised service, and attention to detail, Let’s Rent stands out for its innovative approach to property management. letsrent.co.nz
