What is Bond Hub and do Wellington landlords need to register for it?
By Dave McCarry | 2 July 2026
If you lodged your last bond with a printed form and a stamp, that option closed on 29 June 2026.
From that date, all bond transactions in New Zealand moved to Bond Hub, Tenancy Services' online platform. Bond refunds, changes of tenant, and changes of landlord now happen through Bond Hub or compatible property management software, and only through those channels.
If you're self-managing a Wellington property, this affects your very next tenancy change.
What Changed on 29 June 2026
Bond lodgements and top-ups were already online before June 2026. What changed this month was everything else.
From 29 June, three more transaction types moved exclusively online:
- Bond refunds (at the end of a tenancy)
- Changes of tenant (when one tenant leaves and another joins mid-tenancy)
- Changes of landlord (when a property is sold or ownership transfers)
Paper forms for these transactions no longer exist. If you search for them on the Tenancy Services website, you'll find they've been removed.
This is one of those compliance changes that catches self-managing landlords off guard simply because it's quiet. There's no penalty for not knowing it yet, but there will be real friction when your tenancy ends and you try to process the bond the old way.
How to Register for Bond Hub
Registration is straightforward once you have your details together. Go to mybond.tenancy.govt.nz and choose your login method. Bond Hub accepts RealMe, Microsoft, or Google logins. Most landlords find Google or Microsoft the quickest if they already have those accounts.
Before you start, have these ready:
- Your Landlord ID (issued by Tenancy Services when you registered as a landlord; if you haven't done that before, you'll create your profile during this process)
- The email address associated with your landlord account
- Your tenants' current email addresses (you'll need these to submit any bond transaction)
Once registered, your Bond Hub dashboard shows all bonds linked to your properties. You can view bond status, submit refund requests, and update bond details from there.
If you use property management software such as PropertyTree, Console Cloud, or similar platforms, check whether your provider has already connected to Bond Hub's updated business-to-business integration. If they have, you may not need to use Bond Hub directly at all. The June 2026 update to the B2B connection also means property management software can now submit refunds for tenants whose contact preference is SMS or post, not just email, which is a practical improvement for properties with older tenants.
How Bond Refunds Work in Bond Hub Now
This is the part that catches self-managing landlords by surprise, because the process is more collaborative than the old paper form approach.
When your tenancy ends, you don't simply submit a refund request and wait for the money to arrive. Here's how it actually works:
Step 1: Have the conversation with your tenant first.
Tenancy Services explicitly recommends agreeing on refund amounts and any deductions before you submit anything in Bond Hub. If your tenant receives a refund request they weren't expecting, or disagrees with the amounts, they can dispute it through the system. That stalls the process for everyone. Getting on the same page first, whether by text, email, or a phone call, makes everything downstream faster.
Step 2: Submit the refund request through Bond Hub.
Log into your dashboard, navigate to the relevant bond, and submit the refund request. You'll specify how the bond is being split and note any deductions for damage, cleaning, or rent arrears. The request then goes to your tenant for review.
Step 3: Your tenant reviews and responds.
Your tenant has 12 working days to respond to the request. They'll receive a notification to the email address on their Tenancy Services profile, which is why confirming you have their current email address before you submit matters. They can agree to the refund, disagree, or flag a dispute.
Step 4: Bond is paid out.
Once your tenant agrees, Tenancy Services processes the refund the following business day. If you and your tenant can't reach agreement, either party can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for a determination. That process takes longer and involves a formal hearing, which is why resolving things directly first is genuinely worth the effort.
The Documentation Risk You Don't Want to Discover Late
Here's something I hear from self-managing Wellington landlords regularly: they wait until the tenancy has ended and keys have been returned before thinking about the bond.
That's reasonable timing for the refund request itself. The risk is on the documentation side. If you're planning to make any deduction from the bond for damage, cleaning, or unpaid rent, you need your evidence in order before you submit the Bond Hub request.
That means having:
- Your entry inspection report with photos (from when the tenancy started)
- Your exit inspection report with photos (from when the tenancy ended)
- Any invoices for cleaning or repairs carried out after the tenant left
- A rent summary if you're claiming for arrears
Bond Hub doesn't change what documentation you need to support a deduction, and the Tenancy Tribunal will require exactly this evidence if a tenant disputes your claim. Missing the 10 working day window after submitting the refund request is one of the most common reasons landlords lose deductions they would otherwise have won.
Get your exit inspection done and your documentation together before you log into Bond Hub, not after.
What This Means for Properties Across Wellington
Wellington's inner suburbs have a high proportion of apartments, flats, and older character homes with moderate to high tenant turnover. In areas like Te Aro and Kelburn, particularly properties near Victoria University, it's common for landlords to process several bond transactions in a year as flatmates change or annual student tenancies roll over.
If that's your situation, getting comfortable with Bond Hub now will save significant friction in August and February, which are Wellington's busiest tenancy turnover months.
For landlords in Brooklyn, Thorndon, or Karori with long-term tenants who rarely need to process a bond change, the urgency is lower. But the same logic applies: you'll need Bond Hub eventually, and registering while you're not under pressure is far easier than figuring it out when a tenancy is winding up and you're dealing with everything else at once.
We handle bond management for every property in our portfolio at Propertyscouts Capital City, which means our landlords don't need to think about whether they're registered, whether their tenant's email is current, or what happens if a dispute arises. That's part of what you're paying a property manager for. But if you're self-managing and planning to stay that way, getting into Bond Hub now is the right move.
If you're finding that the compliance side of self-managing, whether it's bond management, Healthy Homes assessments, or the updated notice requirements for ending a tenancy, is taking up more time than it used to, that's worth paying attention to. The regulatory environment for Wellington landlords has shifted considerably in the last 18 months, and the administrative load has gone up with it.
If you want to talk through your situation, we'd be glad to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bond Hub in New Zealand?
Bond Hub is Tenancy Services' (MBIE) online platform for managing residential tenancy bonds. Landlords use it to lodge bonds, submit refund requests, process changes of tenant, and handle changes of landlord. From 29 June 2026, all bond transactions in New Zealand moved exclusively online through Bond Hub or compatible property management software. Paper forms are no longer accepted.
How long does a bond refund take in New Zealand?
Once a landlord submits a bond refund request in Bond Hub, the tenant has 12 working days to respond. Once the tenant agrees, Tenancy Services processes the payment the following business day. The overall process depends on how quickly your tenant responds and whether there are any disputes to resolve first.
What if my tenant doesn't respond to the Bond Hub refund request?
If your tenant doesn't respond within 12 working days, the refund process stalls. Tenancy Services recommends having a clear conversation with your tenant about the refund amounts before you submit the Bond Hub request, so both parties understand what to expect. If you and your tenant can't agree on deductions, either party can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for a determination.
Can I still lodge a bond using a paper form in New Zealand?
No. From 29 June 2026, paper bond forms are no longer available or accepted. Bond lodgements were already online before this date. From 29 June 2026, bond refunds, changes of tenant, and changes of landlord also moved exclusively online. All transactions must now go through Bond Hub at mybond.tenancy.govt.nz or via compatible property management software.
How do I register for Bond Hub as a Wellington landlord?
Go to mybond.tenancy.govt.nz and choose your login method: RealMe, Microsoft, or Google. You'll need your Landlord ID from Tenancy Services, the email address linked to your account, and your tenants' current email addresses. If you're registering for the first time, you'll set up your landlord profile during the process. Registration takes around 10 minutes.
Bond Hub is the new normal for every New Zealand landlord, and the sooner you register, the smoother your next tenancy transition will be.
If you'd rather hand this over to someone who handles it every day, including tenant selection, inspections, maintenance, compliance, and rent collection, we'd be happy to talk. Get in touch with Dave at Propertyscouts Capital City.
About Dave McCarry
Dave McCarry is the owner of Propertyscouts Capital City in Wellington and has worked in property, business, and customer service for many years. Since becoming a property investor in 2009, he has built a strong reputation for practical advice, strong tenant selection, and hands-on property management focused on protecting landlords' investments and maximising returns.