Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords
Rent increases
You must follow the correct rules if you want to increase your tenant’s rent.
This guidance applies to assured periodic tenancies in England only.
There are different rules for:
- increasing rent in Wales
- increasing rent in Scotland
- increasing rent in Northern Ireland
- increasing regulated tenancy rent
When you can increase the rent
You can only increase the rent once a year. You will not be able to increase the rent in the first year of the tenancy.
How you can increase the rent
You should first discuss any rent increase with your tenant to make sure it’s suitable for both parties.
You will need to complete form 4A: Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent. The form includes guidance on how to use it to tell your tenant you’re increasing the rent.
You must give notice to your tenant by giving them the completed form at least 2 months before you want the rent increase to start.
This is known as the ‘section 13 process’.
You need to follow the section 13 process every time you increase the rent, even if you have already agreed the increase with your tenants.
You can give your tenant notice in the following ways:
- in person
- by post
- by email (if that’s allowed in the tenancy agreement)
If your tenants do not agree
If your tenant thinks the rent increase is higher than the ‘open market rent’ they can ask the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) to decide what the new rent should be. The open market rent is the rent that you would expect to receive if you were to relet the property on the open market.
If you gave notice of a rent increase before 1 May 2026
If you used form 4 to give notice of a rent increase before 1 May 2026, the notice period and rent increase stated in the form will still apply. This is true even if the new rent starts after 1 May 2026.
If your tenant thinks that the rent is above the open market rent, they can still challenge it by going to the First-tier Tribunal.
You cannot increase the rent until at least a year after the last increase took effect, even if the last increase took effect before 1 May 2026. This applies if you either:
- increased the rent by giving your tenant notice using form 4
- used a rent review clause in the tenancy agreement to increase the rent
Example
You gave your tenant notice that their rent will be increased from 1 February 2026.
The next rent increase cannot come into effect until 1 February 2027.
If you gave notice using a rent review clause
If the increase was agreed before 1 May 2026 but takes effect after 1 May 2026, the increase will not apply.