There is no fixed legal cap on how much you can increase rent in England. However, with the Renters’ Rights Act now in force, the process is more regulated.
Fixed-term renewals and rent review clauses no longer apply. Every private assured tenancy in England is now an Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT), so you must follow the statutory process for any rent adjustment to ensure it is legally enforceable.
This guide explains how you can increase rent under the current system, what may be considered a fair increase in today’s market and the legal requirements you must meet for your rent increase notice to be valid.
- How often can a landlord increase rent?
- The statutory route: Section 13 notices
- What is a “fair” rent increase for existing tenants in 2026?
- 4 practical steps for landlords looking to increase the rent
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How often can a landlord increase rent?
Under the new 2026 framework, the rule is clear: you can only increase the rent once every 12 months by serving a Section 13 notice to your tenants.
Since all tenancies are now rolling periodic agreements from day one, you no longer have the option to increase rent via a “fixed-term renewal”, for example, every 6 months.
The law is designed to provide tenants with stability and prevent frequent, unpredictable cost hikes.
Can I still increase rent by mutual agreement?
Yes, you can still reach a mutual agreement with your tenants to adjust the rent. If both parties agree to a new figure in writing, it can be implemented without a formal notice.
However, if you don’t use the Section 13 process, the tenant retains the right to challenge the increase later if they can prove they were pressured.
To make the increase legally watertight, using the statutory Section 13 process is the only recommended route.
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The statutory route: Section 13 notices
As of 1st May 2026, the Section 13 notice (Form 4A) is the exclusive statutory mechanism for increasing rent on an existing tenancy.
Key changes to Section 13 in 2026:
- You must now provide a minimum of 2 months’ notice before the increase takes effect (doubling the old one-month rule).
- Any rent review clauses in older tenancy agreements are now legally null and void. You cannot rely on a contract to “automatically” raise the rent; you must serve the official form.
- As mentioned, this route can only be used once every 12 months.
Keep in mind, you must register on the Private Rented Sector Database once it launches to be able to serve a valid Section 13 notice. If your registration lapses, the notice may be deemed invalid.
What about Lodger Agreements?
If you are a live-in landlord, the rules are different. Because lodgers are on a licence to occupy rather than a tenancy, you still have more flexibility.
You can increase the “licence fee” at any time, provided you give reasonable notice as set out in your lodger agreement.
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What is a “fair” rent increase for existing tenants in 2026?
There is no single definition of a fair increase, but a sensible starting point is to look at what similar properties in your area are achieving.
You can do this quickly using our Rent Calculator, which draws on large volumes of data to show average rents by postcode within seconds. If your current rent is significantly below local market levels, that can justify an increase.
Many also choose to align rent increases with broader economic indicators such as wage growth or inflation. If annual earnings growth is around 4-5%, an increase in that range is often viewed as reasonable and less likely to be disputed.
Tenants now have clear rights to challenge rent increases. If a tenant refers your Section 13 notice to the First-tier Tribunal, the tribunal will determine the market rent.
Under the current rules, the tribunal can only confirm your proposed rent or set it lower; they can no longer set the rent higher than what you originally requested.
4 practical steps for landlords looking to increase the rent
- Check your dates: Ensure it has been at least 12 months since the tenancy started or since your last rent increase.
- Talk to your tenant: An informal conversation can often prevent a challenge at a tribunal. Explain your reasons, such as increased mortgage costs or maintenance.
- Serve Form 4A: If you can’t reach a mutual agreement, download the latest version of Form 4A from the government website.
- Allow for service: Give the full 2 months’ notice, plus at least 2 working days for postage, to ensure the notice is valid.
Final thoughts
While the loss of “fixed-term certainty” might feel a bit daunting, it’s also an opportunity to build more stable, long-term relationships with your tenants. In 2026, the “compliance-first” landlord is the one who thrives.
By ensuring your Section 13 notices are served with the correct notice periods and backed by solid market data, you protect your yield while staying on the right side of the law.
Remember: a fair, well-communicated increase is almost always better than a disputed one that ends up stuck in a tribunal backlog. Open communication remains your best tool for navigating these new statutory waters.
You REALLY need to check facts about this. Most of what you said does NOT apply in Scotland. Your landlord clients in Scotland could be inadvertently breaking the law if they follow your advice here.
This applies to England only.
Yes Mark, and the article needs to make that clear.
Hello,
Hope someone can advise accordingly.
We have rented our property for 19 years, we maintain all issues and pay for all emergency repairs.
We’ve done lots of renovations and made it our life time family home.
We have a good relationship with our landlord and both parties never mither.
Over the 19 years our landlord has always wanted cash for his rent each month and our arrangement suited both parties.
He’s always kept the rent to a minimum on the understanding we MAINTAIN the house.
He’s now asking for a £500 increase per month but here is the issue, we don’t have a tenancy agreement in place… we only had one for the first year and everything just continued verbally.
The £500 increase we cannot afford on top of paying for emergency and maintenance insurance plans ??
What shall I suggest??
Kind Regards
A tenancy agreement becomes periodic at the end of the original fixed term so you will have a tenancy agreement in place, it just rolls on.
I also offer tenants lower tham market rents where they look after more maintenance than a typical tenant, but there is a limit to how much under market rates is viable from a landlords perspective, and landlords remain legally responsible for maintenance and with renters reform bill increasing responsibilities this sort of arrangement can cause issues.
I think if you are looking after maintenance and have been there 19 years a discount of around 20% below market rates is reasonable so you could offer that. It’s upto landlord though and after 19 years he may just be looking to sell unless he can get a high income.