Rent Increases Under the Renters' Rights Act: The Section 13 Process Step by Step
Since 1 May 2026 there is only one way to put up the rent on a private tenancy in England: a section 13 notice, served no more than once a year, giving at least two months' notice of a new rent at or below market rent. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer work. If the tenant thinks the figure is too high they can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide, and the tribunal can never set more than you asked for. This guide walks through the process, the dates, what a challenge costs you and how to set a rise that sticks.
In this guide
The rules in one table The section 13 process step by step What a tribunal challenge costs you Common mistakes Tax and Making Tax Digital Worked example Frequently asked questions SourcesThe rules in one table
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Method | Section 13 notice on the prescribed form; no other route, including rent review clauses |
| Frequency | Once a year |
| Notice | At least two months before the new rent starts |
| Amount | Up to market rent |
| Tenant challenge | First-tier Tribunal determines the market rent |
| Ceiling | The tribunal cannot set a rent higher than the landlord proposed |
| Start date after a challenge | From the date of the tribunal's determination; no backdating |
| Hardship | The tribunal can defer the increase by up to a further two months |
| Rent in advance | No more than one month, and only once the tenancy agreement is signed |
GOV.UK guide to the Renters' Rights Act, checked 3 October 2026. The rules apply to assured periodic tenancies, which since 1 May 2026 means almost every private tenancy in England.
The section 13 process step by step
- Find the market rent. Use comparable lets of the same size and condition in the same area: current portal listings and recent lets your agent has achieved. Keep screenshots; they are your evidence if the tenant challenges.
- Use the prescribed form. The section 13 notice form is published on GOV.UK. Use the current version; an old form or a letter is not a valid notice.
- Set the start date. At least two months after the notice is served, and at the start of a rental period.
- Serve it properly. Follow the tenancy's service clause and keep proof of service.
- Wait for the start date. If the tenant does nothing, the new rent applies from the date in the notice.
- If challenged, the tribunal decides the market rent, which applies from the date of its decision, possibly deferred up to two months for hardship.
Record the notice date in the compliance calendar, because the once-a-year limit runs from it, and update the rent on the landlord database when it changes.
What a tribunal challenge costs you
The tribunal sets the market rent or your proposed figure, whichever is lower, so the risk is not a lower rent than today; it is delay, and a lower rise than you asked for if your evidence is weak. Because the new rent now starts from the tribunal's determination rather than the date in your notice, every month the case takes is a month at the old rent.
| Scenario, rise from £1,100 to £1,200 a month | Months at old rent after notice date | Cost of delay |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant accepts | 0 | £0 |
| Tribunal decides 3 months after the notice date, upholds £1,200 | 3 | £300 |
| Same, plus 2-month hardship deferral | 5 | £500 |
| Tribunal sets £1,150 after 3 months | 3, then £50 less a month | £300 plus £600 a year |
Our illustration. Tribunal timings vary by region; the three months is an assumption, not a published figure.
A modest, well-evidenced rise is rarely worth a tenant's while to challenge. An aggressive one invites it, and the outcome caps your rent for another year. The rental yield calculator shows what each £50 a month does to yield.
Common mistakes
- Relying on the tenancy agreement. A rent review or indexation clause no longer increases the rent.
- Agreeing a rise by text. Use the section 13 form. An informal increase is open to challenge, and the tenant may be able to recover the extra.
- Two rises in a year. One section 13 increase a year, full stop.
- Short notice. Under two months, or a start date mid-period, invalidates the notice.
- Asking above market. The tribunal sets the market figure, and you lose months in the process.
- Rent bidding at the start. You must advertise a rent and cannot invite or accept offers above it, with civil penalties of up to £7,000; see the fines guide.
Tax and Making Tax Digital
A rise feeds straight into your qualifying income for Making Tax Digital, which tests gross rent two tax years before each start date. Rent received in 2026 to 2027 is tested against the £20,000 threshold for April 2028: two properties at £820 a month are £19,680 a year and outside it, while a £30 rise on each from April takes them to £20,400 and inside. Run the MTD checker before serving the notice. Under section 24 a higher rate landlord keeps 60 percent of the extra rent after tax.
Worked example
A landlord lets a two-bed flat at £1,100 a month, tenancy started 1 March 2025. Comparable flats are advertised at £1,175 to £1,250. On 25 October 2026 she serves a section 13 notice proposing £1,180 from 1 January 2027, leaving more than two months. The tenant accepts. Annual rent rises by £960, and the next notice cannot take effect until a year after this one. Had she proposed £1,300, above all the comparables, the likely outcome is a tribunal hearing, a figure near £1,200 and several months at the old rent; see the Renters' Rights Act cost guide for the wider changes and the Renters' Rights checker to test your position.
Frequently asked questions
How often can I increase the rent under the Renters' Rights Act?
Once a year, by a section 13 notice giving at least two months' notice. Rent review clauses and other methods are no longer permitted.
How much notice do I need to give for a rent increase?
At least two months, on the prescribed section 13 form, with the new rent starting at the beginning of a rental period.
Can a tenant challenge a rent increase?
Yes, at the First-tier Tribunal, which decides the market rent. It cannot set a rent above the one you proposed. The new rent applies from the date of its decision, and in hardship cases it can be deferred by up to two more months.
Is a rent increase backdated after a tribunal decision?
No. Since 1 May 2026 the new rent applies from the date of the tribunal's determination, not the date in your notice.
Can I take rent in advance?
No more than one month's rent, and only after the tenancy agreement is signed and before the tenancy starts. Councils can impose a civil penalty of up to £5,000 for breaching this.
Sources
GOV.UK guide to the Renters' Rights Act; Renters' Rights Act 2025; Housing Act 1988 section 13; GOV.UK assured tenancy forms. Checked 3 October 2026. See the methodology.