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Rent Increase Notice UK: Landlord's Guide (2025)

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Written by Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)
Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice.
Updated June 2026 · England & Wales
Putting the rent up sounds straightforward, but the rules around how and when you can do it catch out plenty of landlords. Serve the wrong form, give too little notice, or try to raise the rent at the wrong point in the tenancy, and the increase can be challenged or simply ignored. Tenants have a right to refer certain notices to the First-tier Tribunal, and getting the procedure wrong can leave you back at square one with lost rent along the way. This page walks you through the main routes for increasing rent on a residential letting in England, what each one requires, and how to handle the conversation with your tenant so the change sticks without damaging the relationship you rely on to keep the property let.

What this document is

A Notice of Rent Increase is the written communication a landlord uses to tell a tenant that the rent on their property is going up, when the change takes effect, and what the new figure will be. For most private residential lets in England, the notice has to follow one of a few specific legal routes depending on the type of tenancy and where you are in its lifecycle.

On an assured shorthold tenancy that has rolled into a statutory periodic tenancy, landlords commonly use the statutory procedure under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988, which uses a prescribed form (Form 4). If the tenancy agreement already contains a rent review clause, that clause usually sets out its own procedure and must be followed to the letter.

A third option is to agree a new rent with the tenant directly and record it in writing, often alongside a renewal of the fixed term. Whichever route applies, the notice needs to give the correct minimum period, name the parties properly, describe the property clearly, and state the current and proposed rent.

How to use this document

  1. Work out which procedure applies. Check the tenancy agreement first. If it contains a rent review clause, that clause governs how and when you can increase the rent. If the fixed term has expired and the tenancy is now periodic, you can usually rely on the statutory section 13 procedure. If you are still inside the fixed term with no review clause, you normally need the tenant's agreement.
  2. Choose the right form or draft the agreement. For a statutory increase on a periodic assured or assured shorthold tenancy, use Form 4 (the prescribed landlord's notice under section 13). If you are agreeing a new rent with the tenant, a short written rent variation letter signed by both parties is usually enough. Using the wrong document can make the whole increase invalid.
  3. Calculate the minimum notice period correctly. Under the statutory route you must give at least one month's notice for tenancies with a weekly or monthly rent period, and a longer period for yearly tenancies. The new rent cannot start until at least twelve months after the last statutory increase or the start of the tenancy, whichever is later. Count the days carefully.
  4. Serve the notice properly on the tenant. Deliver the notice in line with any service clause in the tenancy agreement. Hand delivery with a dated record, recorded post, or email where the agreement permits it are the common routes. Keep a copy of what you sent, proof of posting or delivery, and a note of the date. If you have joint tenants, each one generally needs to be served.
  5. Deal with the tenant's response. The tenant can accept the new rent, negotiate, or (on a statutory notice) refer the matter to the First-tier Tribunal before the new rent is due to start. If they refer it, the Tribunal will decide what the open market rent should be. Be ready to evidence local comparables and keep communication polite and in writing throughout.

Common questions

If you're dealing with this kind of situation, speak to an experienced legal adviser who can walk you through it — from £89.

Common questions

Q How often can I put the rent up?
Under the statutory section 13 procedure for periodic assured shorthold tenancies, the rent can only be increased once every twelve months. If your tenancy agreement contains its own rent review clause, the frequency is whatever that clause states. Increases agreed directly with the tenant in writing can in principle happen at any time, but most landlords stick to annual reviews to keep things simple and predictable.
Q Can I increase the rent during the fixed term?
Not unless the tenancy agreement contains a rent review clause allowing it, or the tenant agrees in writing to the change. The statutory section 13 procedure only applies once the fixed term has ended and the tenancy has become periodic. Trying to force an increase mid-term without a contractual basis or the tenant's consent is likely to fail and could damage the landlord-tenant relationship.
Q What happens if the tenant refuses to pay the new rent?
If you used the statutory procedure correctly and the tenant did not refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal before the start date, the new rent is legally due and unpaid amounts become arrears. If they did refer it, you wait for the Tribunal's determination. If the increase was never validly served in the first place, the old rent continues to apply and you will need to start the process again properly.
Q Do I have to use Form 4?
Form 4 is the prescribed form for a statutory rent increase under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 on an assured or assured shorthold periodic tenancy. If you are relying on that statutory route, yes, you need to use it or something substantially the same. If you are using a rent review clause in the tenancy agreement or agreeing a change directly with the tenant, Form 4 is not required.
Q How much notice do I need to give?
For statutory increases on weekly or monthly periodic tenancies, at least one month's notice is required, with the increase taking effect at the start of a new period of the tenancy. For yearly periodic tenancies, six months' notice is needed. Rent review clauses in the tenancy agreement set their own notice periods, which must be followed precisely.
Q Can the tenant challenge the increase?
Yes. Where the statutory section 13 route is used, the tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the new rent is due to start. The Tribunal will look at what a reasonable open market rent would be for the property and set the figure accordingly. Their decision can be higher, lower, or the same as what you proposed, so it is worth pitching the new rent realistically.
Q Does the rent increase affect the deposit?
Possibly. If the deposit you hold is expressed as a fixed multiple of the rent, or the tenancy agreement says it should be topped up when rent changes, you may need to request additional deposit and re-register it with your deposit protection scheme. If not, the existing protected deposit usually stays as it is. Always check your scheme's guidance if you are unsure.
If you're dealing with this kind of situation, speak to an experienced legal adviser who can walk you through it — from £89.

Sources

This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.

Brad Askew, Solicitor (non-practising)

Written & reviewed by

Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)

Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.

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Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.