Guide · · 3 min read
Pet doors in a rental: asking the landlord, the easiest option, and moving out
Renters can have a pet door too. Ask in writing first, choose a door that is easy to undo, and agree up front what happens when you leave. Here is how.
By the Pet-Tek International team, Auckland — designers of Catwalk® and Dogwalk® since 1999.
Renting with a cat or dog no longer means leaving the back door open. A pet door is possible in a rental, as long as you do it the right way round: permission first, then a door that is easy to undo, and a clear agreement about what happens when you move out.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Tenancy Services (tenancy.govt.nz) has the official rules.
First: the pet itself
From 1 December 2025, a tenant who wants to keep a pet must ask the landlord for consent. Landlords can only refuse on reasonable grounds, can set reasonable conditions, and can ask for a pet bond of up to two weeks’ rent on top of the normal bond. Tenants are responsible for pet damage beyond fair wear and tear. Sort the pet consent out first; the pet door request follows naturally.
Second: ask in writing for the pet door
A pet door changes the property, so get the landlord’s written permission before anything is cut. Make the request easy to say yes to:
- Say exactly what and where: the model, the size of the hole, and which pane or door. Attach the product page link.
- Explain who fits it: a qualified glazier for glass.
- Offer to put it back when you leave, or offer to leave it for the next pet owner if the landlord prefers.
- Agree in writing who pays for fitting, and for reinstating if that is the plan.
Tenancy Services has a request-for-change form you can use.
The easiest pet door for a rental: glass in the slider
Most rentals have a ranch slider, and that is the best place for a renter’s pet door:
- Nothing permanent is cut. The glazier takes out the existing pane and fits a new one with a round hole made for the door. The frame, the track and the lock are untouched.
- Keep the original pane. Wrap it and store it safely (or agree that the glazier stores it). At the end of the tenancy, the glazier swaps it back and the slider is exactly as it was.
- The slider keeps its full width and still locks, unlike a panel stood in the track.
For single-glazed sliders: the Catwalk® Maxi Slim Line (cats and small dogs to about 300 mm), the Catwalk® Glass-Fitting Cat Door, the Dogwalk® Intermediate Slim Line (dogs to about 380 mm) or the Dogwalk® Medium Slim Line (to 500 mm). Double-glazed sliders need a Dual Glaze model and a new sealed unit; see our ranch slider guide.
What about a timber door?
A wood-fitting door means cutting a hole in the landlord’s door, which cannot simply be patched afterwards. Only do it if the landlord agrees in writing and you have agreed what happens at the end: either the pet door stays, or the door is replaced at your cost. For most renters, glass is the simpler choice.
Moving out
- Check your written agreement: does the door stay, or does the property go back to how it was?
- If it goes back, book the glazier to refit the original pane before your final inspection.
- Keep the pet door: it goes with you to the next place, and only the pane is left behind.
- Note the work in your end-of-tenancy notes so the bond refund is straightforward.
A tip for landlords
Pet-friendly rentals attract good tenants, and a properly fitted pet door in a slider is a feature, not damage. Some landlords choose to keep the door in place for the next tenant with a pet.
Questions about which door suits your rental? Email info@petnest.co.nz with a photo of the slider.
Quick answers
Can I put a pet door in a rental property in NZ?
Only with your landlord's written permission. Ask in writing, explain which door and where, and offer to put the property back when you leave. Since 1 December 2025, tenants also need the landlord's consent to keep a pet, and the landlord can only refuse on reasonable grounds.
What is the easiest pet door to remove from a rental?
A glass-fitting door in the glass of a sliding door. A glazier fits a new pane with the hole in it; keep the original pane safe, and at the end of the tenancy the glazier can swap it back. A hole cut in a timber door is much harder to undo.
Who pays for a pet door in a rental?
Usually the tenant asks for it and pays, unless the landlord agrees otherwise. Agree in writing who pays, whether the door stays when you leave, and who pays to put the original glass or door back.
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