Moving into your first flat: bond, inspections and flatmates

Getting the keys to your first flat feels huge, and it is. It's also the moment a lot of people sign things they haven't read, hand over money without a receipt, and skip the boring paperwork that would have saved them a fight six months later. None of it is hard. It just helps to know what's normal, what's required by law, and what's worth doing anyway.

Tenant or flatmate? Know which one you are

This is the question that shapes everything else.

• Tenants sign the tenancy agreement with the landlord. Tenancy law (the Residential Tenancies Act) covers you, and you can take disputes with the landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal. If several of you sign, you're usually all jointly responsible for the rent and any damage, not just your own share.
• Flatmates live in the place with a tenant's permission but aren't on the tenancy agreement. You pay your rent to the tenant, not the landlord, and tenancy law doesn't cover the arrangement between you.

Neither is wrong, but they come with different protections. If you're moving into a room in an existing flat, you're probably a flatmate. Ask. The Tenancy Services flatting page explains the difference in more detail.

Flatmate agreements

If you're a flatmate, get the deal in writing. Tenancy Services has a free flat-sharing agreement template you can use. Write down your share of the rent, how bills are split, how much notice either side needs to give, and what happens to any bond you've paid the tenant. If things go wrong between flatmates or co-tenants, those disputes usually go to the Disputes Tribunal, not the Tenancy Tribunal. Community Law Centres and Citizens Advice Bureau give free help with this.

The tenancy agreement

If you're signing as a tenant, the agreement must be in writing, and the landlord has to give you a copy of the signed agreement before the tenancy starts. It should cover the basics: who the landlord and tenants are, the address, the start date, rent and how often it's paid, and the bond. Landlords also have to include some required statements, such as information about insulation and the healthy homes standards.

Read the whole thing before you sign. Look for:

• whether it's fixed-term (a set end date) or periodic (rolls on until someone gives notice)
• any extra conditions, like rules about pets, smoking or gardens
• an address for service, which is where official notices will be sent, including an email if you agree to one

If something is unclear, ask before signing, not after.

Bond: how much, and where it goes

Bond is the landlord's security in case of unpaid rent or damage. A few rules worth knowing:

• The most a landlord can charge for a general bond is 4 weeks' rent.
• If you have the landlord's consent to keep a pet, they can also charge a separate pet bond of up to 2 weeks' rent. Pet bonds have been allowed since 1 December 2025.
• If you pay the bond to the landlord, they must lodge it with Tenancy Services within 23 working days. The landlord doesn't get to keep it in their own bank account.
• Once it's lodged, Tenancy Services sends a confirmation to the landlord and the tenants. Keep it.

If you don't get confirmation that your bond has been lodged, chase it up. The Tenancy Services bond page explains how lodging and refunds work. At the end of the tenancy, if nothing is owed, the bond should come back to the tenants.

The move-in inspection (do not skip this)

Before you move your stuff in, walk through the place with the landlord or property manager and fill in the property inspection report. It records the condition of every room and lists any furniture or appliances included.

Take photos, lots of them. Wide shots of every room, close-ups of every mark, crack, stain and chip. Open the oven. Check under the sink. Look for mould on ceilings and around windows, and for signs of pests. Both of you should sign and date the report, and both keep a copy.

Why bother? Because at the end of the tenancy, the report is your evidence. You can't be held responsible for damage that was already written down at the start. Without it, it's your word against theirs.

Healthy homes, in plain words

Every rental home now has to meet the healthy homes standards. There are five:

1. Heating: a fixed heater that can warm the main living room.
2. Insulation: ceiling and underfloor insulation that meets a minimum standard.
3. Ventilation: windows that open, plus extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom.
4. Moisture and drainage: working gutters, downpipes and drains, and a ground moisture barrier under the house where there's an enclosed subfloor.
5. Draught stopping: no unreasonable gaps or holes letting cold air in, and unused open fireplaces blocked.

If you're not sure whether your place meets the standards, the healthy homes section of Tenancy Services explains each one. It's worth knowing, because a warm, dry flat is genuinely better for your health, your sleep and your power bill.

Splitting bills without falling out

Rent is the easy part. It's power, internet and groceries that cause drama.

• Pick one person per bill and put the account in their name, with everyone transferring their share on a set day. Rotate the job if one person gets stuck doing it all.
• Split evenly by default, but talk about exceptions. Someone with a bigger room might pay more rent. Someone who's away most weekends might want a smaller share of power. Decide early.
• Use a shared spreadsheet or a split-bill app so nobody has to remember who owes what.
• Agree on shared groceries (or don't). Some flats pool money for basics like milk, bread, toilet paper and dish soap, and buy everything else separately. Whatever you choose, be clear.
• Budget for winter. Power bills climb when the heater's on. Set a little aside in summer.

A short flat meeting in the first week, covering bills, cleaning, guests and noise, saves a lot of passive-aggressive notes on the fridge.

A quick move-in checklist

• Read and sign the tenancy agreement (or a flatmate agreement) and keep a copy.
• Pay bond only with a receipt, and check it's lodged with Tenancy Services.
• Do the inspection report with photos and both signatures.
• Note the meter readings on day one.
• Save the landlord's or property manager's contact details and your address for service.
• Agree how bills, cleaning and groceries work.

Your first flat is where you learn a lot of adult skills at once. Getting the paperwork right at the start means you can spend the rest of the year actually enjoying it.