Overdue rent? Here’s what landlords should do next 

“My tenant’s rent is overdue. Do I call them? Email them? Issue something? How long do I wait?” 

If you own a rental property, seeing a missed rent payment can be stressful. 

The good news is that overdue rent doesn’t automatically mean you’re heading for a major tenancy dispute. Sometimes there’s a simple explanation and the problem can be sorted quickly. What matters is having a clear process and acting early. 

So, what should you do? 

Rent is required to be paid when it’s due. If a tenant doesn’t pay on time, they’re in breach of their tenancy agreement and the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. 

But before jumping straight into formal action, there are some simple rules to follow: 

• Check first. Confirm the payment is genuinely overdue by checking your rent records and bank transactions. 

• Get in touch. Contact the tenant promptly to let them know the payment hasn’t been received and find out what’s happened. 

• Keep communication reasonable and professional. Following up about overdue rent is appropriate, but tenants still have a legal right to reasonable peace, comfort and privacy in their home so a text or phone call, or an email are best. 

• Put any agreement in writing. If you agree on how the tenant will catch up on their payments, document it and continue monitoring the payments. 

• Keep following the normal tenancy rules. Rent arrears don’t give a landlord additional rights to enter the property, change the locks, remove belongings or require the tenant to leave. 

• Use the formal process when needed. If the arrears aren’t resolved, move to the appropriate notice or Tenancy Tribunal process rather than trying to resolve the situation yourself. 

The goal isn’t to avoid contacting the tenant. In fact, early communication is recommended. It’s about making that contact clear, reasonable and focused on getting the rent back on track. 

What if the rent still isn’t paid? 

If talking with the tenant doesn’t resolve the arrears, there are formal steps available under the Residential Tenancies Act. 

A 14-day notice to remedy the situation can be used to formally notify a tenant of rent arrears and give them an opportunity to put things right. 

If the arrears continue, further action through the Tenancy Tribunal may be available. For example, a landlord can apply to the Tribunal for termination when the rent is at least 21 days in arrears. 

There are also provisions relating to repeated instances of rent being at least five working days overdue within a 90-day period. These involve specific notice and timing requirements, so following the correct process matters. 

In short, the process is: check, communicate, document and, if necessary, take the appropriate formal action. 

Need help with the awkward stuff? 

At Comprendé Property Management, we monitor rent payments, follow up on arrears, communicate with tenants and manage the appropriate next steps if a payment is missed. 

So instead of wondering whether to call, email, wait or issue a notice, you can leave the process with us. 

Need help managing your rental property?  

Get in touch with the Comprendé team today on 04 384 2141 or email hello@comprende.co.nz.