Since 1 May 2026 there is one way to increase the rent on an assured tenancy in England, and that is a Section 13 notice. Rent review clauses, informal agreements and new agreements at a higher rent no longer work. The procedure is not complicated, but it is unforgiving: a notice that is a day short or on the wrong form is void, and you wait for the next anniversary.

The rules in one place

  • Frequency. Once in any twelve month period, and not within the first twelve months of the tenancy.
  • Form. The prescribed Section 13 form, currently Form 4, completed in full. A letter will not do.
  • Notice. At least two months. The new rent takes effect on the first day of a rental period after the notice period ends, so in practice slightly more than two months.
  • Challenge. The tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the new rent is due to start. The tribunal decides the open market rent for the property. It cannot set a figure higher than the one in your notice, and the new rent runs from the tribunal's decision date, or later if the tenant shows hardship.
  • No other route. A clause in the tenancy agreement that provides for annual increases, indexation or a review is of no effect. Agreeing an increase with the tenant informally is not binding and the tenant can stop paying it.

Working out the figure

A Section 13 notice should propose a market rent, not a number picked to test the water. If the tenant refers it to the tribunal, you will need to show what comparable properties are letting for. Gather the evidence before you serve, not after.

  • Rightmove and Zoopla listings for similar properties in the same area, saved with the date
  • Rents you have recently achieved on comparable properties
  • Any improvements you have made since the last increase
  • The rent the property would achieve if it were re-let tomorrow, which is what the tribunal is trying to find

If the property has defects the tenant has reported and you have not fixed, expect them to be raised. The tribunal can discount the rent for condition.

Serving the notice

  1. Check the last increase date and the tenancy start date. Both must be more than twelve months ago.
  2. Complete Form 4 with the tenant's names, the address, the current rent, the proposed rent and the date the new rent starts. The start date must be a rent day at least two months after the notice is served.
  3. Serve it in a way the tenancy agreement allows and keep proof. If you post it, allow for delivery time in the two months.
  4. Send a short covering letter. The form is dry and a note explaining the reason for the increase, and that you are happy to discuss it, reduces referrals to the tribunal.
  5. Diary the start date and update the rent schedule and any standing order request.

What a sensible increase looks like

Tenants who feel fairly treated stay, and a void costs more than a modest increase ever earns. On a property let at £1,100 where the market has moved to £1,200, an increase to £1,175 with a clear explanation is more likely to be accepted without challenge than an increase to £1,225. A tenant who has been in place for four years with no increase is a different case, and a larger step to market rent is reasonable, but tell them why and give them the comparables.

We review every managed tenancy each year, propose a figure to the landlord with the evidence, and serve the notice. There is no fee for a rent review or a Section 13 notice on any of our services.

If the tenant challenges it

A tribunal application is not a dispute in the way a court claim is. It is a paper process in most cases, sometimes with a short hearing or an inspection. Provide your comparables, be accurate about the property's condition and be prepared for the tribunal to settle somewhere between the old rent and your figure. Because the tribunal cannot go above the proposed rent, there is no advantage in inflating the notice.

Common errors

  • Serving within twelve months of the tenancy starting or of the last increase
  • Using an old version of the form
  • A start date that is not a rent day, or is less than two months away
  • Relying on a rent review clause written before May 2026
  • Taking the higher rent from the tenant before the notice period has ended

If you are unsure whether a notice you have already served is valid, send it to us and we will tell you. Our guide to the Renters' Rights Act covers the other changes that came in at the same time.