A landlord can not demand payment of more than two weeks' rent in advance. However, it is possible to make monthly payments if you and your landlord agree. The landlord must give you a receipt for the rent you pay by either cash or cheque. If you use automatic payments, your bank records act as receipts.
Rents are determined by market demand and can vary widely depending on the desirability of the property. You can check out market rents in your area at the Department of Building and Housing website. If you think your rent is higher than it should be compared with similar properties, you can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal through the Department of Building and Housing for a market rent assessment. If the Tribunal orders a lower rent, the landlord must comply with this ruling and also cannot increase the new rent for a period set by the Tribunal (usually six months).
If you have a periodic tenancy, your landlord cannot increase the rent within six months of either the start of the tenancy or the last rent increase. Rents for fixed-term tenancies also cannot be increased more frequently unless the Tenancy Agreement specifically provides for this.
