Rent Increase Notice Template: How Section 13 and Form 4A Work Since May 2026
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The short answer
A rent increase notice is the statutory form that raises the rent on a periodic tenancy. In England that is Form 4A under Section 13, once every 52 weeks with two months’ notice. In Scotland it is a rent-increase notice under the 2016 Act, once in any 12 months with three months’ notice. An informal letter or email has no legal effect in either country.
At a glance
| England form | Form 4A, Section 13 Housing Act 1988 |
|---|---|
| England notice | Two months |
| England frequency | Once per 52 weeks |
| Scotland notice | Three months |
| Scotland frequency | Once in any 12 months |
| Scotland referral | Tenant may refer to Rent Service Scotland within 21 days |
| Informal agreement | Possible in both, but unenforceable if the tenant later disputes it |
Since 1 May 2026, every contractual rent review clause in an English tenancy agreement is void. No more RPI-linked increases, no more annual percentage uplifts, no more "rent review at month twelve" clauses. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 makes Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 the sole legal mechanism for increasing rent on a private assured tenancy.
If you increase rent any other way — a verbal agreement, a letter, a clause in the tenancy — the increase is unenforceable. The tenant can simply continue paying the old amount.
This guide covers the exact process, step by step. For a deeper look at the legal background and how to prepare for a tribunal challenge, see our detailed guide to Section 13 and Form 4A.
The rules at a glance
Form 4A is mandatory. The new prescribed form replaced the old Section 13(2) notice forms on 1 May 2026. Using an outdated form invalidates the notice.
Two months' notice. The tenant must receive the Form 4A at least two months before the new rent takes effect. This is a change from the previous one-month notice period for monthly tenancies (Section 6(4) of the RRA, amending Section 13(2)(a) of the Housing Act 1988).
No increase within the first 52 weeks. You cannot increase rent during the first 52 weeks of the tenancy. Note the legislation uses 52 weeks specifically, not "twelve months."
Maximum once per 52 weeks. After the first increase, you can only increase rent again after another 52 weeks have passed since the last increase took effect.
Market rent only. The proposed increase must reflect what the property would achieve on the open market in its current condition. There is no CPI or RPI cap — the test is market rent, assessed by the First-tier Tribunal if the tenant challenges.
What Form 4A requires
The form asks for:
- Landlord's name and address
- Tenant's name and the property address
- Current rent — the amount and payment frequency (monthly, weekly, etc.)
- Proposed new rent — the amount you want to increase to
- Effective date — must be at least two months from the date of the notice, and at least 52 weeks from the tenancy start or the last increase
- Breakdown of charges — if the rent includes identifiable service charges, council tax contributions, or other bundled costs, these must be itemised separately. This is a new requirement under the RRA
How to serve the notice
Serve the completed Form 4A on the tenant in writing. Acceptable methods:
- Email — attach the completed form. Keep the sent email as proof of service
- Recorded delivery post — keep the proof of posting and tracking reference
- Hand delivery — have the tenant sign and date a receipt confirming they received the form
- First class post — keep a copy and the proof of posting
The date of service matters because the two-month clock starts from when the tenant receives the notice, not when you send it. Recorded delivery or email with read receipt gives the clearest evidence.
Keep a copy of the completed form, the proof of service, and a note of the date served. You'll need all of this if the tenant challenges the increase.
What happens if the tenant challenges
The tenant can refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal before the increase takes effect. The tribunal assesses what the market rent should be for the property.
Key points about the tribunal process under the RRA:
The tribunal cannot set rent higher than your proposal. Under the new Section 14ZB inserted by the RRA, the resulting rent is whichever is lower: the open market rent or the landlord's proposed rent. This is a significant change — previously, the tribunal could set a higher market rent, which discouraged tenants from challenging. That deterrent is now gone.
No backdating. The tribunal's determination takes effect from the determination date (or the next rent payment date), not backdated to your proposed effective date. This means a challenge effectively delays the increase — the tenant continues paying the old rent until the tribunal decides.
Hardship deferral. The tribunal can defer the effective date by up to two additional months if the increase would cause undue hardship to the tenant.
Starting rent challenge. Tenants can also challenge their initial rent within six months of the tenancy starting. The test has been lowered from "significantly higher than market rent" to simply exceeding the open market rent.
Preparing your evidence
If the tenant challenges, you need to justify that your proposed figure reflects the market. Prepare this before you serve the notice — not after a challenge is filed.
Research comparable rents. Check Rightmove, Zoopla, and OpenRent for current listings of similar properties in the same area. Match on property type, number of bedrooms, condition, and location. Screenshot the listings with dates.
Account for your property's condition. The tribunal assesses market rent for the property as it currently stands. If your property has dated fixtures or needs work, the comparable should reflect that — don't use newly refurbished properties as your benchmark unless yours is at the same standard.
Itemise what's included. If your rent includes services that comparable properties charge separately (gardening, broadband, cleaning of communal areas), note this. It justifies a higher headline figure.
Don't overshoot. A realistic, well-evidenced proposal is more likely to be accepted without a challenge. And since the tribunal can't award more than you proposed, there's no tactical advantage to inflating the figure.
A worked timeline
Tenancy start: 1 May 2026 Earliest you can serve Form 4A: Around week 44 of the tenancy (so the two-month notice period expires after 52 weeks) Increase takes effect: No earlier than 1 May 2027 (52 weeks from tenancy start)
For existing tenancies converting to periodic on 1 May 2026: the 52-week clock runs from the date of the last rent increase, not the conversion date. If rent was last increased in January 2026 using a contractual clause (still valid before May), the earliest Section 13 increase is January 2027 — and you'd need to serve Form 4A by November 2026 to hit that date.
Common mistakes
Using the old form. Pre-May 2026 Section 13 forms are invalid since the RRA took effect. Use Form 4A.
Insufficient notice. Two months means two full calendar months. If the notice arrives on 3 March, the earliest effective date is 3 May. One day short and the notice is invalid.
Increasing within 52 weeks. If the last increase (or tenancy start) was less than 52 weeks ago, the notice is invalid regardless of how reasonable the amount is.
Not itemising bundled charges. If your rent includes identifiable service charges or council tax contributions, failing to break them out on the form gives the tenant procedural grounds to challenge.
No comparable evidence. If challenged, you need to demonstrate market rent with evidence. "I think it's worth more" isn't a case. Come with comparable listings, recent lets in the area, and a clear rationale.
Scotland is different
If you let property in Scotland, the rent increase process is entirely separate. Scottish landlords must give three months' notice (not two), and the tenant can refer the increase to a Rent Officer at Rent Service Scotland (not the First-tier Tribunal). The legislation is the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, not the Housing Act 1988. Don't use an English form for a Scottish tenancy.
For Scottish landlords, DocuTenant generates the correct Scotland-specific rent increase notice with the right notice period and references.
Generate your rent increase notice with DocuTenant
DocuTenant's Rent Increase Notice template generates a compliant Section 13 notice using the correct Form 4A format — with the right notice period, the charge breakdown, and all required fields. Enter the current rent, proposed new rent, and effective date, and the system handles the rest.
It's one of the essential documents for managing a tenancy — and getting it wrong means starting the entire process again from scratch.
This article is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal situations, consult a qualified property solicitor.