Rent increase guides

Plain-English help for England's private landlords · Updated August 2026

• Section 13 notice: the legal way to increase rent in England

  A Section 13 notice on Form 4A is the only lawful way to raise the rent on a periodic assured tenancy in England. Here's how it works in 2026 - and the mistakes that make it void.

• Form 4A: the prescribed form for a rent increase

  Form 4A is the official form a landlord must use to propose a new rent under Section 13 in England. What it is, where to get it, and how to fill it in without voiding the notice.

• How to increase the rent in England in 2026

  A step-by-step guide to legally increasing rent in England under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 - the notice period, the form, the dates, and how the tenant can respond.

• What makes a rent increase notice invalid

  A Section 13 / Form 4A rent increase is void if you get the form, the dates, or the frequency wrong. Here are the common mistakes that make a notice invalid - and how to avoid restarting the two-month clock.

• How to fill in Form 4A, box by box

  A plain-English, box-by-box walkthrough of completing Form 4A - the prescribed rent-increase notice for England - covering joint tenants, company landlords, the dates that matter, and how to sign it.

• How to serve a Section 13 notice - and prove you did

  Serving a Form 4A notice correctly is what starts the two-month clock. How to serve by post, by hand or by email, when it counts as served, and the proof you need if it's ever questioned.

• Rent increases when the landlord is a company

  How a limited company landlord increases rent in England: naming the company on the Section 13 / Form 4A notice, who signs on its behalf, and the capacity to state - without voiding the notice.

• How much notice do you have to give for a rent increase?

  In England you must give at least two months' notice of a rent increase on a Section 13 / Form 4A notice. How the two months is counted, when the clock starts, and a worked example.

• How often can you increase the rent?

  Landlords in England can increase rent no more than once every 52 weeks under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. When the 52-week clock starts, and why raising it too soon voids the notice.

• Can you increase the rent during a fixed term?

  The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished fixed-term assured tenancies in England. What that means for rent increases, why rent-review clauses no longer work, and the Section 13 route that replaced them.