How to Create a Rental Agreement on Flathive
A complete step-by-step walkthrough — from selecting your property to getting both parties' signatures and downloading your certified agreement, all in under ten minutes.
Three simple steps
Select your property, fill in the details, then preview and send for signatures.
Signing link sent by email
Both parties receive a unique signing link by email and sign through their Flathive account.
Certified signed PDF
The finished agreement is tamper-evident with a SHA-256 verification code.
Before you start
What you need before creating the agreement
The agreement wizard is quick to complete, but you'll want to have a few details on hand before you start. The form validates required fields at each step, so having this information ready means you can move through without stopping.
A property listing
You must have an active listing in Flathive. The wizard pulls address and landlord details from it automatically.
Flatmate's full name
As it should appear on the legal agreement — use their legal name, not a nickname.
Flatmate's email address
Their signing link will be sent here. Double-check it before sending.
Agreed weekly rent
The flatmate's share of weekly rent in NZ dollars.
Move-in start date
The date the tenancy begins. Must be today or a future date.
Any special conditions
Pets, smoking policy, guest rules, or anything else you've agreed on verbally.
Head to Rental Agreements in the top navigation bar and click New Agreement to begin. You can save a draft at any point and come back to it before sending.
The creation process
Creating your agreement in 3 steps
The Flathive agreement wizard walks you through the process one section at a time. Here's what each step involves.
Select your property
Choose the property listing you want to create the agreement for. Flathive automatically pulls in the property address, suburb, city, postcode, and your landlord details so you don't have to type them again.
Your existing listings appear in a searchable table showing the address, number of rooms, rent range, and listing status. Select one and click Next.
Fill in the agreement details
Enter the flatmate's details, set the tenancy type, rent amount, bond, payment day, and any special conditions. All required fields are validated before you can proceed.
This is the heart of the agreement. Take a few minutes to fill everything in accurately — you can only edit the agreement while it is still a draft.
Preview and send for signature
Review the generated PDF agreement before sending. When you're satisfied, click Send for Signature. Flathive emails a unique signing link to both parties.
The agreement is locked as a PDF and stored securely. Both parties receive an email with their own personalised signing link — no account required to sign.
Step 2 in detail
What to fill in on the Agreement Details form
Step 2 is where most of the information lives. The property address and your details are pre-filled from your listing — you only need to add the flatmate's information and the tenancy terms.
Flatmate / Tenant Details
Tenancy Details
Special Conditions
The Special Conditions field is one of the most valuable parts of the agreement. Use it to document anything you've agreed verbally — pets, smoking, guest stays, quiet hours, parking. Anything not written down is difficult to enforce later.
Agreement types
Fixed term or periodic — which should you choose?
Flathive supports both agreement types. The right choice depends on how long you expect the flatmate to stay and how much flexibility both parties need.
Fixed Term
Has a definite start and end date. Neither party can end the agreement early without the other's consent. Good when you want certainty about how long the flatmate will stay.
Best for: flatmates moving in for a set period, e.g. 6 or 12 months.
Periodic
Continues week to week or fortnight to fortnight with no fixed end date. Either party can give notice to end it according to the agreed notice period in the agreement.
Best for: open-ended arrangements where flexibility matters more than certainty.
The signing process
How both parties sign the agreement
After you click Send for Signature, Flathive handles the rest. Each party gets their own signing experience — here is what it looks like from their perspective.
Each party receives an email
Both the head tenant/landlord and the flatmate receive separate emails with their own unique signing link. Each party must be logged in to their Flathive account to sign.
Read the full agreement
The signing page loads the complete PDF agreement in an embedded viewer. Each party can scroll through every page and open the full PDF before signing.
Draw or select a signature
Using the built-in signature tool, each party draws their signature on a canvas or selects a previously saved one. Signatures are stored locally in the browser for convenience.
Confirm and submit
Tick the confirmation checkbox to acknowledge the agreement is binding under New Zealand law. Click Sign Agreement — IP address and timestamp are recorded for audit purposes.
Flathive certifies the document
Once both parties have signed, Flathive generates the final certified PDF with a SHA-256 verification code and timestamp. The agreement is now locked and tamper-evident.
Both parties sign independently
The head tenant and the flatmate each have their own signing link. They can sign at different times — the agreement moves to Partially Signed after the first signature and to Signed once both are complete. Neither party needs to be online at the same time.
Tracking your agreement
Understanding agreement statuses
You can track exactly where things are from the Rental Agreements dashboard. Every agreement moves through a clear set of statuses.
Agreement created but not yet sent. You can still edit all details.
Signing links emailed to both parties. Awaiting signatures.
One party has signed. Waiting for the other.
Both parties have signed. The final PDF is locked and available to download.
The Rental Agreements page lets you filter by status and search by name, address, or agreement ID. If you are managing multiple flatmates, this makes it easy to see which agreements are still awaiting signatures.
What happens after both parties sign
Once both parties have signed, Flathive generates the final certified PDF. The document is stamped with a Flathive certification seal containing a unique SHA-256 verification code generated from the signing data — making it tamper-evident.
- ✓ Both parties can download the signed agreement from their Flathive account once fully signed
- ✓ The signed PDF is available to the landlord from the agreement detail page at any time
- ✓ The verification code can be quoted if a dispute goes to the Disputes Tribunal
- ✓ The agreement status is permanently locked as Signed — it cannot be edited or voided
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Flathive account to sign an agreement?
Yes. Both the landlord and the flatmate need a Flathive account to sign. Each party receives a unique signing link by email and must be logged in to complete the signing process.
Can I edit the agreement after sending it?
No. Once the agreement is sent, it is locked and cannot be edited. If you need to make changes, void the agreement and create a new one. You can edit freely while it is still in Draft status.
What if the flatmate hasn't received the signing email?
Ask them to check their spam/junk folder first. You can resend the agreement from the agreement detail page using the Send for Signature button, or contact the flatmate to confirm the email address is correct.
Can I use Flathive without a property listing?
The agreement wizard requires you to select an existing property listing in Step 1. If you haven't listed your property yet, create a listing first — it only takes a few minutes.
Is the e-signature legally valid in New Zealand?
Yes. Electronic signatures are legally recognised in New Zealand under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017. A Flathive agreement signed digitally carries the same legal weight as a handwritten signature.
What is the maximum bond I can charge?
Flathive enforces a maximum of 6 weeks' rent as bond, consistent with New Zealand tenancy law guidelines. The default is 4 weeks.
Ready to create your rental agreement?
The whole process takes less than ten minutes. Both parties sign digitally on their own device, and you both receive a certified copy automatically.
How Flathive helps
Flathive is New Zealand's peer-to-peer flatmate and shared housing platform. Whether you are listing a spare room or searching for your next home, Flathive makes it simple to connect, communicate, and move in safely — with verified profiles, direct messaging, and listings across the country.