The Tenancy Bond v3 API was released in June 2026 and users should migrate from the prior version 2 which is planned to be deprecated in the future.

New development must target version 3 of the Tenancy Bond API.

Tenancy Bond API

The Tenancy Bond API allows users to interact with Tenancy Services to allow registering as a landlord in the system, lodging bonds and checking the status of a bond lodgement.

Using the API

Follow these steps to get up and running:

Read the technical details

View the API definition in our developer portal here. You can also download the definition for viewing in Swagger Editor, SwaggerHub, or other tools.

Subscribe to the API

Log in and subscribe to the Tenancy Bond API Product using the Authorisation code flow/3-legged OAuth method. Our API support team may request further information before the subscription can be approved.
View the Tenancy Bond developer registration and Authentication guide v3.0 for user set up information.

Generate an API subscription key

For full details on how to generate an API subscription key please see here.

Once your subscription has been approved you will be able use your API credentials to successfully call the API. Use the sandbox key and sandbox endpoints in your software development. Once you've completed testing simply use your production keys to access the live service.

Generate an OAuth2 token for user authorisation

There are two authentication options when subscribing to the API.

  • Most users will require three-legged OAuth subscription. This authentication method is used to ensure that the end user of the initiating system is authorised to perform the operation when used for registering landlords, lodging, viewing and maintaining bonds.

  • The GET request status operation is an exception, it uses two-legged OAuth subscription, so an additional subscription request may be submitted if access to this operation additionally is required.

Consent is provided by the end user logging in with the RealMe account that they use on the Tenancy Services site. The 3-legged token that is generated in this process can then be used in future requests for retrieving bond and bond lodgement details that the landlord is associated with.

Tenancy Bond API sandbox testing

Base path for sandbox testing:
https://api.business.govt.nz/sandbox/tenancy-services/tenancy-bond/v3/

Requests sent to this endpoint will go into ABODE UAT.

If you are already fully registered with RealMe and have subscription keys for previous V1 or V2 versions you will not need to renew your subscription.

What you need to do

  • For current version 2 users we encourage you to plan to move to version 3 when able.

  • Reach out to us if you encounter any issues or need support during your build.

Sample data download here used in the API request and responses.

Fee Payment

Refer to the using property management software to complete bond transactions section on the Tenancy website to see how the payments for bond lodgements are set up and processed in production environment.