Rent increases

If a landlord wants to increase the rent on a property, they must follow the rules in this guide.

The Renters’ Rights Act will change laws about renting and this guidance has been published to help private rented sector landlords and letting agents prepare. The new rules will apply on or after 1 May 2026. For information on the current law, refer to the existing guidance on rent increases.

You will need to follow the correct rules if you want to increase your tenant’s rent.

These new rules will apply to the private rented sector in England only.  

For information on the current rules in other nations, you can refer to: 

When you will be able to increase rent 

For assured periodic tenancies, you will only be able to increase the rent once a year. You will not be able to increase the rent in the first year of the tenancy. 

How you will be able to 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. It will be published on GOV.UK for use on or after 1 May 2026. 

You will need to 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 will 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 will be able to give the tenant notice in the following ways:  

  • in person 

  • by post 

  • by email - if that’s allowed in the tenancy agreement 

The increase will need to be in line with the rent that you would expect to receive if you were to relet the property on the open market. 

If your tenants do not agree 

If your tenant thinks the rent increase is higher than the open market rate, they will be able to ask the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to decide what the new rent amount should be. 

If you gave notice of a rent increase before 1 May 2026 

If you give your tenant notice of a rent increase using Form 4 before 1 May 2026, the rent increase will still apply, even if the new rent starts after that date. If your tenant thinks that the rent increase is above the open market rate they will still be able to challenge it. 

You will not be able to increase the rent until at least a year after the last increase took effect.  

If you have a term in your tenancy agreement that automatically raises the rent, this will no longer apply on or after 1 May 2026.

You can contact us using this form if you have any questions. If there is a technical problem with the page, you can report it at the bottom of this page.