Can you increase the rent during a fixed term?

Last updated June 2026

Fixed terms have effectively gone

The honest answer is that the question has changed. Since the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, new fixed-term assured tenancies can't be created, and existing ones converted to periodic tenancies that roll month to month. So for almost every tenancy in England there is no longer a "fixed term" to increase rent during — the tenancy is periodic, and the periodic rules apply.

Rent-review clauses no longer work

Before the Act, a fixed-term tenancy often contained a rent-review clause letting the landlord raise the rent on a set date. Those clauses no longer apply. You can't rely on a clause in the agreement, and you can't simply agree an informal rise and enforce it. The only lawful way to increase rent is now a Section 13 notice on Form 4A.

The route that replaced it

To increase the rent you serve Form 4A and follow the periodic-tenancy rules: at least two months' notice, no more than once every 12 months, and the new rent starting on the first day of a tenancy period. There's no cap beyond the open-market rent, and the tenant can refer an above-market figure to the First-tier Tribunal.

What if my tenancy started before 1 May 2026?

Tenancies that were mid-fixed-term when the Act commenced converted to periodic assured tenancies. Any rent-review clause fell away with the fixed term, so the increase route is the same Section 13 / Form 4A process. If you're unsure how the transition applies to an unusual tenancy, that's a point to check with a solicitor — but for a standard let, the answer is: use Form 4A.