Legislation updating New Zealand's tenancy laws has been passed by Parliament.
The law has been amended to reflect the greater number of people who now rent, compared with 1986 when it was first passed.
The changes include clearing up what were seen as confusing processes around terminating and renewing tenancies.
There are also new measures - in the form of stronger penalties - to encourage both landlords and tenants to comply with the law,
Changes to the Tenancy Tribunal include the expansion of its jurisdiction to hear cases involving up to $50,000. The previous limit was $12,000.
The law has also been extended to include boarding houses, the landlords of which will be required to carry out repairs and maintenance and give 28 days' notice of tenancy termination.
