How much notice does a landlord have to give to raise the rent?

At least two months, using Form 4A, and the new rent has to start at the beginning of a rent period.

How often can a landlord increase the rent?

Once a year. The gap must be at least 52 weeks, or 53 weeks in some cases, after the tenancy began or the last increase.

Can a tenancy agreement include a rent review clause?

A rent review clause cannot be used to raise the rent. Increases have to go through Section 13.

Can a tenant challenge a rent increase?

Yes. The tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to decide the market rent. The tribunal cannot set the rent above the amount the landlord proposed.

Is there a limit on how much rent can go up?

There is no cap in the Act. The tribunal can set a market rent that is lower than the landlord proposed.

Section 13 rent increases: the rules

How a landlord in England raises the rent of a periodic tenancy from 1 May 2026, how much notice is needed, and what a tenant can do.

By Charles Worth · Last checked 29 October 2026

Since 1 May 2026 almost every private tenancy in England is a periodic tenancy, and the main way to raise the rent is a Section 13 notice on Form 4A. GOV.UK says landlords can increase the rent once a year to the market rate, and rent review clauses in a tenancy agreement cannot be used to raise it.

What a landlord has to do

Serve a Form 4A that states the new rent and the date it starts.
Give at least two months' notice.
Start the new rent at the beginning of a rent period. If rent is paid monthly on the 5th, the new rent starts on a 5th.
Leave at least 52 weeks since the tenancy began (for the first increase) or since the last increase.

The 52 and 53 week rule

Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 says a rent increase cannot take effect sooner than 52 weeks after the previous increase. In some cases the gap is 53 weeks: where the 53rd week after the last increase begins more than six days before the anniversary of the first increase since 11 February 2003. This only matters for tenancies with a long history of increases, and the Section 13 calculator applies it when you give it the dates.

Worked example

A tenancy began on 1 June 2025 with monthly rent, and the landlord serves Form 4A on 10 July 2026. Two months from service is 10 September 2026. The 52-week point from the tenancy start is 31 May 2026, which has already passed. The new rent can then start on the next rent day on or after 10 September, which is 1 October 2026. The notice period is the binding limit in this example. Use the calculator for your own dates rather than counting by hand.

If you are the tenant

You can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to decide the market rent. GOV.UK says the tribunal cannot set the rent higher than the figure the landlord proposed, and that increases cannot be backdated. Where an increase would cause undue hardship, the tribunal can delay it by up to two more months. Apply before the date the increase is due to start.

What a landlord cannot do

Use a rent review clause or any other contract term to raise the rent.
Raise the rent more than once in a year.
Ask for rent in advance as a way round the rules. A term requiring rent in advance has no effect (see our deposit rules guide for how this sits alongside deposits).

Is there a rent cap?

No. GOV.UK says the government does not support rent controls and the Act does not limit market-rate increases. The protection for tenants is the right to have the proposed rent tested against the market at tribunal.

Plan ahead

The tenancy timeline shows the first date a rent increase can start from a tenancy start date, and the last day to serve the notice to hit it.

Common questions

How much notice does a landlord have to give to raise the rent?: At least two months, using Form 4A, and the new rent has to start at the beginning of a rent period.
How often can a landlord increase the rent?: Once a year. The gap must be at least 52 weeks, or 53 weeks in some cases, after the tenancy began or the last increase.
Can a tenancy agreement include a rent review clause?: A rent review clause cannot be used to raise the rent. Increases have to go through Section 13.
Can a tenant challenge a rent increase?: Yes. The tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to decide the market rent. The tribunal cannot set the rent above the amount the landlord proposed.
Is there a limit on how much rent can go up?: There is no cap in the Act. The tribunal can set a market rent that is lower than the landlord proposed.