Rent Increases Under the Renters’ Rights Act

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, a landlord in England can only increase rent once a year, and not in the first year of a tenancy. You must serve a section 13 notice on Form 4A at least two months before the new rent starts. The tenant can challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal before that date.

Last updated: 2 November 2026. Applies to England unless stated.

This guide covers private assured tenancies in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules, as do regulated tenancies and social housing. It is part of our Renters’ Rights Act guide and walks through the section 13 process step by step, the timing rules on Form 4A and what happens if your tenant challenges.

What changed on 1 May 2026

Before the Renters’ Rights Act, many landlords raised rent through a rent review clause in the tenancy agreement or agreed a new rent at the end of a fixed term. Those routes have gone.

Since 1 May 2026, the section 13 process is the only way to increase rent on a private assured tenancy. Gov.uk guidance says you must follow it every time, even if your tenant has already agreed to the increase.

How often can rent increase?

Once a year. The gov.uk guidance says you can only increase the rent once a year and you cannot increase it in the first year of the tenancy.

The guidance notes to Form 4A set out the detail. No increase can start until 52 weeks after the tenancy began, and each later increase must generally come at least 52 weeks after the previous one. If the new rent date would fall more than 6 days before the anniversary, you must wait an extra week, giving 53 weeks.

The year runs from when the last increase took effect, whatever method was used. Gov.uk gives the example of a rent increase from 1 February 2026: the next increase cannot take effect until 1 February 2027.

How to increase rent with a section 13 notice

1. Check the earliest date you can increase. Find the tenancy start date and the date the last increase took effect. The new rent cannot start until at least 52 weeks after the later of the two.
2. Set a fair proposed rent. Look at comparable lets in the area. If your tenant challenges, the tribunal will decide the open market rent, meaning what you could expect to get if you relet the property on the open market on the same terms.
3. Talk to your tenant first. Gov.uk recommends discussing any increase before serving notice. It reduces the risk of a challenge and keeps the relationship intact.
4. Complete Form 4A. Use the current prescribed Form 4A for private assured tenancies in England. Form 4 is for the social rented sector. An incorrect or out-of-date form risks an invalid notice.
5. Choose a valid start date. The new rent must start at the beginning of a tenancy period. On a monthly tenancy that started on the 5th, the increase must start on the 5th of a month.
6. Serve the notice at least two months before the start date. Use any method specified in the tenancy agreement. If none is specified, hand it to the tenant, leave it at their address or send it by registered post. Email is only valid if the tenancy agreement allows it.
7. Keep proof of service. The Form 4A notes say you must be able to prove the notice was served. Record the date, method and a copy of what was sent.
8. Collect the new rent from the start date, unless the tenant refers it to the tribunal. If the tenant applies to the First-tier Tribunal before the start date, they do not have to pay the new rent until the tribunal decides.
9. Diary the next earliest increase date. Record when the new rent took effect so the next notice is timed correctly.

What is Form 4A?

Form 4A is the prescribed “Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent” for assured tenancies in the private rented sector in England. It replaced Form 4 for private landlords from 1 May 2026, with Form 4 remaining for social landlords.

The form records the parties, the property, the current rent, the proposed rent and the date it starts. Its guidance notes explain the tenant’s options, including referral to the tribunal. For a plain-English walkthrough of each section, see our guide to the section 13 notice.

Can the tenant challenge a rent increase?

Yes. If your tenant thinks the proposed rent is above the open market rent, or the notice has another problem such as being served late, they can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The tribunal must receive the application before the start date in the notice.

What the tribunal decides

The tribunal decides the rent the property could reasonably be expected to achieve on the open market on the same terms. It can take account of factors such as the property’s condition.

The Act limits the outcome. If the open market rent is lower than your proposed rent, the tenant pays the open market rent. If it is the same or higher, the tenant pays your proposed rent. The tenant will never pay more than you asked for.

When the new rent starts after a tribunal decision

The determined rent normally takes effect from the start date in your notice. If that date has already passed, it takes effect from the first new period after the decision. Where that would cause the tenant undue hardship, the tribunal can set a later date, within two months of its decision.

See our planned guide to rent tribunal challenges for how to prepare evidence.

Agreed increases and rent review clauses

You must use the section 13 process even if your tenant agrees to the increase. A rent review clause in a tenancy agreement cannot be used to raise the rent.

Gov.uk confirms that increases agreed through a rent review clause before 1 May 2026, but due to take effect after that date, do not apply. If your agreement still contains a rent review clause, update it. You can update the agreement for an assured periodic tenancy in AI Document Studio.

Notices served before 1 May 2026

If you served a Form 4 section 13 notice before 1 May 2026, the notice period and rent increase stated in that form still apply, even if the new rent starts after 1 May 2026. The tenant can still challenge at the tribunal if they believe the rent is above the open market rent.

That increase counts for the once-a-year rule. The next increase cannot take effect until at least a year after it.

Common mistakes that invalidate a rent increase

• Using Form 4 instead of Form 4A for a private tenancy.
• Giving less than two months’ notice.
• Choosing a start date that is not the first day of a tenancy period.
• Increasing rent in the first year, or less than a year after the last increase.
• Serving by email when the tenancy agreement does not allow it.
• Relying on a rent review clause or a verbal agreement instead of the section 13 process.
• Having no proof of service.

Pricing above the market rarely works either. If the tribunal finds the proposed rent is above the open market rent, the tenant pays the lower figure.

This guide is general information, not legal advice.