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Section 13 rent increase: how to serve Form 4A and work out the earliest start date
How letting agents in England raise rent since 1 May 2026: Form 4A, two months' notice, the 52-week rule, a worked date example and the tribunal.
Since 1 May 2026 the only way to raise the rent on a private assured tenancy in England is a section 13 notice on Form 4A. A rent review clause in the agreement no longer has any effect, and GOV.UK says the form is needed every time, "even if you have already agreed the increase with your tenants".
The checker below runs the three date tests for any tenancy. The rest of this page explains each test and works one tenancy through by hand.
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Section 13 rent increase date checker: the earliest date a new rent can start
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The three date tests
Question 4.6 on Form 4A asks for the date the new rent starts. Note A on the form says that date must pass three tests.
| Test | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice | The form is served at least two months before the new rent starts | Housing Act 1988, section 13(2)(a) |
| Gap | The first increase starts no sooner than 52 weeks after the tenancy began. Later increases start no sooner than 52 weeks after the last one took effect | Section 13(2)(b) and (c) |
| Period | The new rent starts on the first day of a tenancy period | Form 4A, Note A4 |
The gap test has one wrinkle. Form 4A says the new date cannot fall more than 6 days before the anniversary of the first increase made after 11 February 2003. If it would, the landlord waits 53 weeks, not 52. This affects weekly and fortnightly tenancies.
One tenancy, worked through
A monthly tenancy began on 20 November 2025 at £1,250 a month. Rent is due on the 20th. There has been no increase. You serve Form 4A on Friday 2 October 2026, proposing £1,325.
- Notice test: two months after 2 October 2026 is 2 December 2026.
- Gap test: 52 weeks is 364 days, and 364 days after 20 November 2025 is 19 November 2026.
- Period test: periods start on the 20th. The period starting 20 November 2026 fails the notice test. The period starting 20 December 2026 passes all three.
The earliest start date is 20 December 2026. To keep that date the form must be served by 20 October 2026, so send it well before then to allow for delivery. The increase is £75 a month, which is £900 over a year.
Increases that began before 1 May 2026
GOV.UK's guide for landlords covers the handover:
- A notice given on the old Form 4 before 1 May 2026 still stands, even if the new rent starts after that date.
- An increase under a rent review clause that was agreed before 1 May 2026 but takes effect after it "will not apply".
- You cannot increase the rent until at least a year after the last increase took effect, whether that increase came by notice or by a clause. GOV.UK's example: rent that went up on 1 February 2026 cannot go up again before 1 February 2027.
If your website or landlord pack still talks about review clauses, our website audit list shows what to replace them with.
How to serve it, step by step
- Pull the tenancy start date, the day each period begins and the date of the last increase. Run the three tests.
- Agree the figure with the landlord in writing. GOV.UK says to discuss the increase with the tenant first.
- Download Form 4A from the "Assured tenancy forms" page on GOV.UK. Form 4 is now for social housing only.
- Name every joint tenant at 1.1. Fill in the agent's details at section 3. At 4.7, enter any council tax, water, fuel, communication services or fixed service charges included in the rent, or "nil".
- Sign it. The form can be signed by hand or electronically, and has a box for the landlord's agent.
- Serve it by a method named in the tenancy agreement. If the agreement is silent, the form lists handing it to the tenant, leaving it at the tenant's address, or registered post. GOV.UK allows email only "if that's allowed in the tenancy agreement".
- Record the date, the method and who served it. The form carries its own warning: "You need to be able to evidence that you served the notice on your tenant."
- Put the start date in the diary. The tenant has until the day before to apply to the tribunal.
If the tenant applies to the tribunal
A tenant who thinks the proposed rent is above the open market rent can apply to the First-tier Tribunal.
- The tribunal must receive the application before the start date at question 4.6. GOV.UK gives the fee as £47, with help for people on low incomes.
- The landlord has 28 days to respond, on form MR2.
- The tribunal sets the open market rent, but the tenant never pays more than the notice proposed.
- Nothing is backdated. Under section 14ZB, if the decision comes after the start date in the notice, the new rent begins with the first tenancy period that starts on or after the decision. For hardship, the tribunal can push it back by up to two months from the decision.
Back to the example. The tenant applies on 10 December 2026. The tribunal decides on 10 February 2027 and agrees £1,325 is the market rent. The new rent starts on 20 February 2027. The periods that began on 20 December 2026 and 20 January 2027 stay at £1,250, so the landlord is £150 short of what the notice proposed (2 × £75). We could not find a published waiting time for these cases, so the February date is an illustration.
The delay also moves the next increase. The 52 weeks now run from 20 February 2027, so the following increase cannot start before 20 February 2028.
What to keep on file
GOV.UK tells tenants that portal listings help, "but evidence from actual agreed lettings (rental agreements) is stronger". The same holds for the landlord's reply. For each increase, keep the agreed rents on similar homes nearby that you used to set the figure, the note of the conversation with the tenant, the signed form and the proof of service.
A rent notice that fails on dates wastes at least two months. A possession notice that fails wastes more; see Section 8 notices after the Renters' Rights Act. The government's information sheet told tenants about these rent rules, and our guide to proving it was served covers that record.
This is general information for England, not legal advice.
Short answers from this page
How much notice does a landlord have to give for a rent increase under Section 13?
At least two months, on Form 4A, which since 1 May 2026 is the only way to raise rent on a private assured tenancy in England. The new rent must also start at least 52 weeks after the tenancy began or the last increase took effect. For a monthly tenancy that began on 20 November 2025, a notice served on 2 October 2026 cannot take effect before 20 December 2026.
Source: Housing Act 1988, section 13; Form 4A
What happens to the rent while a tenant challenges a Section 13 increase at the tribunal?
The tenant keeps paying the old rent until the First-tier Tribunal decides, and nothing is backdated. If the decision comes after the start date in the notice, the new rent begins with the first tenancy period that starts on or after the decision. The tenant never pays more than the notice proposed, and for hardship the tribunal can delay the start by up to two months.
Source: Housing Act 1988, section 14ZB
Where this comes from: Housing Act 1988 sections 13 and 14ZB as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk); Form 4A (version 05.26) and "Assured tenancy forms" on GOV.UK; GOV.UK "Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords"; GOV.UK "Apply for an open market rent determination" (updated 10 August 2026); all read 2026-10-01.
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