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Tenants

Take steps now to make your rental home safer so you and your family get back on track more quickly if a natural disaster happens.

What to check with your rental

  • Make sure you have private contents insurance and review your level of cover regularly.
  • Secure tall furniture and hot water cylinders.
  • Know what factors make some properties more at risk of damage and discuss any major concerns with your landlord or property manager.
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Person working on a laptop

Talking to your landlord or property manager

Following 2021 changes to the Residential Tenancies Act your landlord should not refuse any changes that are minor. Read more.
Woman securing tall shelving

Secure tall and heavy furniture

Tall and heavy furniture like bookshelves, drawers, TVs and whiteware can cause damage and injury if they fall during an earthquake.
Person pointing to the straps securing a hot water cylinder

Secure hot water cylinders

If your rental has a hot water cylinder, check that it’s secured with straps and timber blocks at the floor and against the walls.
Man pointing to a chimney

Make sure your rental is strong

Find out what to check for when looking at how well your rental might stand up in a natural disaster.
Broken pottery on the floor

Insure your contents

Make sure you have sufficient private insurance to cover the cost of damage to or loss of your possessions as these are not covered through EQCover.

Related information

Rights and responsibilities

Tenancy Services has information about what tenants and landlords need to do after a natural disaster.

Personal safety

If a disaster happened tomorrow, would you be ready? Civil Defence explains how to make a plan before an emergency happens.

Our natural hazards

New Zealand has many natural hazards. GNS Science helps us understand what these are and how we can increase our resilience.