Staying in accommodation for more than 28 days

To qualify for a Bond Grant, a client should intend to be staying in accommodation for at least 28 days. This is because the client should be able to keep the accommodation when a Bond Grant is made.

MSD can consider granting a Bond Grant when the client is staying for less than 28 days on a discretionary basis.

When a client requests a Bond Grant for accommodation that they will stay in for less than 28 days, MSD should consider whether:

• the client will require emergency housing if a Bond Grant is not granted
• there will be an impact to the client, their spouse or partner, and/or their children if the Bond Grant is not granted
• a short-term grant will make it more likely for the client to stay in accommodation long-term. For example, a boarding house owner will only accept the client for a week to see how things go before they commit to the client staying long-term
• the client has long-term accommodation arranged, but requires a short-term grant somewhere else before the accommodation is available. For example, they need to stay with their friend for 2 weeks before their rental tenancy begins

Example 1

Ripeka has applied for a Bond Grant to move into a boarding house for 2 and a half weeks. Her previous accommodation ended as the head tenant and other flatmates are moving out and Ripeka cannot afford to rent the property on her own.

The boarding house is booked out after 2 and a half weeks so Ripeka cannot stay any longer. They require 1 week of accommodation costs as bond, which Ripeka cannot afford. She can afford the ongoing costs of the accommodation once this is paid.

Ripeka has already received 1 Bond Grant in the last 52 weeks. There is no other accommodation available (including staying with family or friends temporarily), and her only alternative would be to apply for emergency housing.

MSD grants the Bond Grant due to Ripeka's circumstances, and advises her to continue looking for accommodation that she can keep.

Example 2

Dylan[JO1]  wants to move out of a flat in Wellington where they are a tenant because they want to move to Auckland to look for work. They apply for a Bond Grant to move into a boarding house in Auckland for two weeks to look for work without securing long-term accommodation.  

MSD declines the Bond Grant because Dylan is moving out of long-term accommodation into short term accommodation, they have not moved out of their long-term accommodation yet, and they have contributed to the need for a grant.