Can I use a rent review clause in my tenancy agreement to raise rent?

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, rent review clauses in tenancy agreements are void for assured tenancies. Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 is the only valid method to increase rent on a periodic tenancy where the tenant does not voluntarily agree. If the tenant agrees to pay a higher rent and you record it in writing, no formal notice is required — but for any compelled increase, you must use Form 4 and follow the Section 13 process.

Can I raise rent in the first year of a tenancy?

There is no restriction on when you can serve your first Section 13 notice after the tenancy begins. Under the Renters' Rights Act, you can only increase rent once every 12 months, measured from the effective date of each increase. If the tenancy just started and there has been no previous increase, there is no 12-month waiting period to serve your first notice — but the increase takes effect at least 2 months after you serve it.

What happens if my tenant challenges my rent increase at the First-tier Tribunal?

The increase is automatically suspended from the date the tenant makes their application until the Tribunal issues its determination. The Tribunal considers market rents for comparable properties and can set the rent at your proposed level, below it, or anywhere in between — but it cannot set it higher than the amount in your notice. Most cases are resolved on paper without a hearing. The new rent takes effect from the date the Tribunal specifies.

How much notice do I need to give for a Section 13 rent increase?

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, you must give at least 2 months' notice before the increase takes effect. The effective date must also fall on the first day of a new rent period. Before the Renters' Rights Act, the minimum was 1 month for monthly tenancies — the new rules standardise this to 2 months for all periodic assured tenancies in England. A notice giving less than 2 months is invalid and must be re-served.

Can I increase rent by more than the rate of inflation?

Yes. There is no legal cap tying rent increases to CPI, RPI, or any inflation measure. The increase must reflect the open market rent — what the property would fetch if let today. If market rents in your area have risen faster than inflation, a larger increase is supportable. If you increase above market rate, the tenant can challenge at Tribunal and the Tribunal will cap the rent at the market level. Save comparable evidence from Rightmove and Zoopla before serving the notice.

How to Raise Rent UK: Section 13 Notice Guide 2026

The Section 13 notice is the only way to legally raise rent on a periodic tenancy in England where the tenant has not agreed. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, contractual rent review clauses are void — Section 13 is the sole compulsory mechanism. Serve it correctly and your increase stands. Get the form, the dates, or the notice period wrong and the tenant can legally ignore it.

This guide covers the exact Section 13 process, the prescribed form, how the First-tier Tribunal works, and the five mistakes that invalidate increases before they take effect.

The Legal Basis: Section 13 Housing Act 1988

Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 gives landlords the right to propose a new rent on a periodic assured tenancy by serving a prescribed notice. The notice must:

Be on the prescribed form (Form 4, available from gov.uk)
State the new proposed rent
Give the minimum required notice period
Take effect on the first day of a new rental period

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 amended the Section 13 procedure in two material ways from May 2026:

Rent can only be increased once every 12 months
The minimum notice period is now 2 months for all periodic tenancies (up from 1 month for monthly tenancies under the old rules)

Any rent review clause in a tenancy agreement is legally void. You cannot contractually compel a rent increase — Section 13 Form 4 is the only route for an increase the tenant does not voluntarily accept.

Before You Serve: Research Market Rents

There is no legal cap on the size of a rent increase. But the increase must be fair and realistic — it must reflect what the property would command on the open market. This matters because if the tenant challenges at the First-tier Tribunal, the Tribunal sets the market rent. Pitch too high and the Tribunal caps you.

How to establish market rent:

Search Rightmove and Zoopla for comparable lettings within half a mile — same bedrooms, similar condition, let within the last 3 months
Ask one or two local letting agents for a rental appraisal — they’ll confirm what your property would fetch today
Check the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) rental data for your postcode (published on gov.uk)
Screenshot your comparable evidence and save it — you’ll need this if the tenant refers the increase to the Tribunal

A reasonable benchmark: increase by CPI plus 1–2%, provided comparable market rents have risen proportionally. A 10% increase on a genuinely below-market rent is defensible. A 10% increase on an already above-market rent will lose at Tribunal.

Step-by-Step: Serving a Section 13 Notice

Step 1: Download the Correct Form

Get Form 4 (Notice of Increase in Rent for Assured Periodic Tenancies) directly from gov.uk — search “assured tenancy forms” — or use our free Section 13 Form 4 template, which is kept up to date for the Renters’ Rights Act. Download a fresh copy each time; HMRC updates prescribed forms and stale versions are not legally valid.

Step 2: Complete the Form Accurately

Form 4 requires:

Your full name and address as landlord (or managing agent details)
Every tenant’s name — include all joint tenants or the notice is defective
The full property address
The current rent and the proposed new rent
The date the increase takes effect

The effective date rule: The date must be at least 2 months after the date you serve the notice and must fall on the first day of a rental period.

Example: Monthly rent is due on the 1st of each month. You serve the notice on 15 May 2026. Two months from 15 May is 15 July. The first rental period starting after 15 July is 1 August 2026. So the earliest valid effective date is 1 August 2026.

Getting this calculation wrong is the most common reason notices are invalid. Count two clear calendar months from the date of service, then find the next rent-payment date.

Step 3: Serve the Notice Correctly

The law requires the notice to reach the tenant. Acceptable methods:

Personal delivery — hand it directly to the tenant. Bring a witness or take a dated photograph.
First-class post — deemed served the following working day under s.196 Law of Property Act 1925. Keep proof of posting.
Recorded delivery — adds certainty if the tenant later claims they didn’t receive it.
Email — only valid if the tenancy agreement expressly permits electronic service. Standard tenancy agreements do not.

Text messages and WhatsApp are not valid service methods for statutory notices regardless of what the tenant says in reply.

Retain proof of service. If the case reaches the Tribunal, you must show the notice was validly served with the correct dates.

Step 4: Wait Out the Notice Period

After service, monitor for a response. If the tenant refers the increase to the Tribunal before the effective date, the increase is automatically suspended (see below). If you hear nothing and the effective date arrives, the new rent applies from that date.

One trap to avoid: The Section 13 notice is valid for one rent period only. If the effective date passes and the tenant simply continues paying the old rent without challenging, you can accept the shortfall as arrears — but if you do nothing for several months, a court may find you implicitly accepted the old rent. Chase promptly: write to confirm the new rent applies and request the difference.

The Tenant’s Right to Challenge at the First-tier Tribunal

Any assured tenant can refer the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the effective date under s.13(4) Housing Act 1988. This right exists regardless of how reasonable your proposed increase is.

How the Tribunal Process Works

Tenant applies to the Tribunal — online at gov.uk/courts-tribunals/first-tier-tribunal-property-chamber, before the effective date
Increase is suspended — rent stays at the old amount while the application is pending
Evidence exchange — both parties submit comparable rental evidence; condition of the property is relevant
Paper determination or hearing — most routine cases are determined on paper. Complex or disputed cases get an oral hearing.
Tribunal sets the rent — the Tribunal determines what the property would let for on the open market
New rent takes effect — from the date specified in the Tribunal’s order, not your original notice date

Key protection for landlords: The Tribunal cannot set the rent higher than the amount in your notice. There is no upside risk of a Tribunal increasing your proposed rent further. The worst outcome is that it upholds a lower figure.

Preparing Evidence for the Tribunal

If challenged, compile:

Printed or saved screenshots of comparable Rightmove or Zoopla listings from the last 3 months
A letter from a local letting agent confirming the market rent
Any VOA data supporting your figure
Photographs of the property in good condition
Details of any improvements or upgrades made since the tenancy began

The Tribunal makes decisions on objective market evidence. “I feel the rent should be higher” is not evidence.

The 12-Month Rule: How Often You Can Increase

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, rent can increase no more than once every 12 months. The 12-month period runs from the effective date of the last increase — not from when you served the previous notice.

Example: An increase took effect on 1 August 2025. You cannot serve a notice with an effective date before 1 August 2026.

Planning ahead: You can serve a Section 13 notice in advance — the restriction is on when the effective date falls, not when you serve the form. If you want an increase effective on 1 August 2026, serve the notice at least 2 months in advance (i.e., by 1 June 2026 at the latest — but earlier gives you a longer runway if you make an error and need to re-serve).

Consensual Rent Increases: No Notice Required

If the tenant voluntarily agrees to a higher rent, no Section 13 notice is required. The agreement is valid. Record it in writing — a simple email exchange setting out the new amount and the date it applies is sufficient.

The tenant cannot later reclaim the difference on the basis that Form 4 was not used. Section 13 is the mechanism for compelling an increase over the tenant’s objection; it is not a requirement for mutually agreed changes.

That said, even for agreed increases, sending a Form 4 creates a clear written record and starts the 12-month clock unambiguously. Many landlords do it as a matter of course.

What Happens If the Tenant Refuses to Pay the New Rent

A validly served Section 13 notice takes effect on the specified date regardless of whether the tenant agrees — provided they have not referred the increase to the Tribunal.

If the tenant continues paying the old amount, the difference accumulates as rent arrears. Once arrears reach the threshold under Ground 8 (3 months’ rent under the Renters’ Rights Act), you can serve a Section 8 notice for possession. For the full arrears and eviction process, see our how to evict a tenant guide.

One warning: Never treat the rent as arrears if a Tribunal challenge is pending. The increase is suspended while the application is live. Acting on the new rent amount before a Tribunal determination could be treated as applying an invalid increase.

5 Mistakes That Invalidate a Section 13 Notice

1. Using an out-of-date version of Form 4. HMRC periodically updates prescribed forms. An old version — even if materially identical — is not valid. Download a fresh copy from gov.uk for every notice you serve.

2. Giving less than 2 months’ notice. Measure from the date of service to the effective date. If you serve on 15 May and specify 1 July as the effective date, that is only 6 weeks’ notice — not 2 months. Re-serve with a corrected date.

3. Specifying an effective date that is not the start of a rental period. If rent is due on the 1st of each month and you specify 15 August as the effective date, the notice is invalid. The increase must begin on the first day of a rental period — 1 September in this example.

4. Omitting a joint tenant’s name. If two people are jointly and severally liable under the tenancy, both names must appear on the notice. A notice served on only one joint tenant is defective and cannot be relied upon.

5. Serving a second notice within 12 months of the last increase. If you served a notice with an effective date of 1 August 2025, you cannot validly serve a new notice with an effective date before 1 August 2026. A second notice within the 12-month window is automatically void. The tenant can — and should — ignore it.

Rent Increases and Section 24 Tax Implications

Raising rent increases your gross rental income. For higher-rate taxpayers already hit by Section 24 mortgage interest restriction, a rent increase can push more income into the higher-rate band. Check the net-of-tax position before deciding on the increase amount — a £150/month rent increase might net you significantly less after tax than it appears.

If your mortgage has recently been remortgaged at a higher rate and you are considering a rent increase to compensate, factor in that the tax credit (20% on finance costs) only partially offsets the restriction. The SA105 guide explains exactly how Section 24 feeds into your tax return.

After the Increase: Record-Keeping

Once the increase takes effect:

Update your records with the new rent amount and effective date
Note the earliest date you can serve the next Section 13 notice (12 months later)
Keep a copy of the served Form 4 and proof of service for at least 5 years (HMRC record-keeping requirements for your tax return)
If you use property management software, update the rent figure immediately to avoid invoice errors

Rent Increase Checklist

Check 12 months have passed since the last increase took effect
Research comparable market rents — save the evidence
Download current Form 4 from gov.uk
Enter all joint tenant names, full property address, current and proposed rent
Calculate the effective date: at least 2 months from service AND the first day of a rental period
Serve by hand, post, or recorded delivery — retain proof
Monitor for a Tribunal referral before the effective date
Confirm the tenant is paying the new amount on the effective date
Record the effective date — the 12-month window restarts from here

For context on how rent increases fit into your wider property income reporting, see the SA105 form guide. For a full picture of self-managing without an agent — including how to handle rent reviews without paying management fees — see the self-managing landlord guide.