Rent increases: when can your landlord raise the rent?
Landlords in England can only raise your rent once a year, must follow a formal notice process, and cannot increase it above the open market rate. From 1 May 2026 the notice period doubles to two months under the Renters' Rights Act.
Introduction
Your landlord cannot raise your rent whenever they like. In England, rent increases for assured tenancies are governed by Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988, which sets out exactly when a landlord can increase your rent, how much notice they must give, and what you can do if you think the increase is too high.
From 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 strengthens these protections significantly, doubling the required notice period and extending the rules to all assured tenancies.
How often can a landlord increase the rent?
A landlord can only increase the rent once in any 12-month period. There is no minimum period before a first increase can be proposed, but once an increase has taken effect, the landlord must wait at least 12 months before proposing another.
What notice does your landlord have to give?
Currently, landlords must give at least one month's written notice of a rent increase using Form 4. The notice must state the proposed new rent and the date it would take effect, which must be the start of a new rental period.
From 1 May 2026, the notice period doubles to two months. Landlords will be required to use a new Form 4A, and they must follow this formal Section 13 process every time they increase the rent, even if you have already agreed to the increase informally in conversation.
What if you are in a fixed-term tenancy?
Under the current rules, if you are in a fixed-term tenancy, your landlord can only increase the rent during the fixed term if your agreement contains a specific rent review clause. If there is no such clause, the rent is fixed for the duration.
Once the fixed term ends and your tenancy becomes periodic (rolling), the Section 13 process applies and your landlord can propose an increase with the required notice.
From 1 May 2026, fixed-term tenancies are abolished for new assured tenancies under the Renters' Rights Act. All new tenancies will be periodic from the outset, so the Section 13 process will apply from the start of every tenancy.
How much can your landlord increase the rent by?
There is no percentage cap on rent increases in the private rented sector. However, the proposed increase must be in line with the open market rent, meaning what a landlord would reasonably expect to receive if they re-let the property to a new tenant today. A landlord cannot use a Section 13 notice to impose an above-market increase.
Can you challenge a rent increase?
Yes. If you believe the proposed increase is higher than the open market rate, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to have the rent independently assessed. The Tribunal will set a market rent figure, which then becomes the new rent regardless of what your landlord proposed. You must apply before the date the increase is due to take effect.
Applying to the Tribunal does not put you at risk of eviction for challenging the increase. Under the Renters' Rights Act, retaliatory eviction protections also come into force from 1 May 2026.
What landlords cannot do
A landlord cannot increase rent outside the Section 13 process by including a clause in your tenancy agreement that automatically raises the rent at set intervals. Periodic rent review clauses of that kind are not valid for assured tenancies. The Section 13 notice process must always be followed.
A landlord also cannot require you to pay rent in advance of its due date once the tenancy has started. From 1 May 2026 this is explicitly prohibited under the Renters' Rights Act amendment to the Tenant Fees Act 2019.