Rent Increases from May 2026: Section 13, Form 4A and What’s Actually Changed
Until 30 April 2026, most landlords in England raised rent the same way they always had: a clause in the tenancy agreement kicked in once a year, the rent went up by CPI or a fixed percentage, and nobody thought much about it.
That route is dead. From 1 May 2026, Section 6 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 voids every contractual rent review clause in a private assured tenancy — CPI-linked, RPI-linked, fixed-percentage, stepped, formulaic. The only lawful way to raise rent is the amended Section 13 procedure, using a new prescribed form called Form 4A. And the tribunal rules have flipped: the First-tier Tribunal can now only confirm or reduce the figure you propose, never set it higher. The tenant’s fee to challenge is just £47.
From 1 May 2026, the only lawful way to raise rent on a private assured tenancy in England is Form 4A under the amended Section 13. Contractual rent review clauses are void, notice is now two months, and if the tenant challenges, the tribunal can only confirm or reduce your figure — so the market evidence behind your number matters more than ever.
Key takeaways
- From 1 May 2026, the only lawful way to raise rent on a PRS assured tenancy is Form 4A under the amended Section 13.
- All contractual rent review clauses are void, on both existing and new tenancies.
- The notice period has doubled from one month to two.
- The tribunal can only confirm or reduce your proposed rent, never raise it — and the tenant pays just £47 to challenge.
- Rent stays frozen at the old figure during the entire challenge period, with no backdating.
In this guide
- How rent increases work under Section 13
- What is Form 4A and how to complete it
- Form 4 vs Form 4A
- Are rent review clauses still valid?
- Can a tenant challenge a rent increase?
- Challenging the initial rent on a new tenancy
- What tribunal-grade evidence looks like
- What to do before serving Form 4A
- What happens at the tribunal
- Common mistakes landlords make
- Frequently asked questions
How do rent increases work under the amended Section 13?
One increase per 52 weeks. Two months’ written notice. Form 4A only — no contractual alternatives. The statutory route is now the only route for every private landlord in England.
Section 6 of the Act amends Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 and removes subsection 13(5), which previously allowed contractual rent reviews to override the statutory procedure.
The new rules at a glance
| Rule | Before 1 May 2026 | From 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| How to increase | Section 13 (Form 4) or contractual review clause | Section 13 (Form 4A) only |
| Notice period | 1 month | 2 months |
| Frequency | Once per 52 weeks | Once per 52 weeks (unchanged) |
| First increase | Varies by agreement | Not in first 12 months |
| Tribunal outcome | Could confirm, reduce, or raise | Can only confirm or reduce |
| Rent during challenge | Could be backdated | Frozen at old figure until decision |
| Tenant challenge fee | £114 + £227 hearing = £341 | £47, no hearing fee |
The 52/53-week anti-drift rule: Form 4A includes a detail most guides miss. Note A3 explains that the proposed new rent date can’t fall more than six days before the anniversary of the date in Question 4.4 (the first rent increase after 11 February 2003). If it would, you need to wait 53 weeks, not 52 — this stops rent-increase dates creeping earlier each year.
What is Form 4A and how do you complete it?
Form 4A is the new prescribed form for all PRS rent increases from 1 May 2026. It replaces the old Form 4 and must be used exactly as published — a letter, email or landlord-drafted document isn’t valid.
Download it from the GOV.UK assured tenancy forms page. The form runs to nine pages and has five sections.
Section by section
| Section | What it covers | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tenant details | Names of all tenants + property address | Every named tenant must be included |
| 2. Landlord details | Name, address, phone, email | If you supply an email, the tenant and tribunal can serve documents to it |
| 3. Agent details | If applicable | — |
| 4. The rent | Current rent, tenancy start, last increase date, proposed new rent, start date, included charges | This is where most errors happen (see below) |
| 5. Tenant information | Explains the tenant’s right to challenge at tribunal | Explicitly tells the tenant the tribunal can’t raise the rent above your figure |
Section 4 in detail
Question 4.5 is the most important box on the form. The figure you put here is your ceiling at tribunal — if the tenant challenges, the tribunal can confirm it or reduce it, never go higher.
Question 4.6 (start date for new rent) must satisfy three conditions simultaneously: at least two months after service, at least 52 weeks since the last increase, and falling on the first day of a new rental period. Get any of these wrong and the notice is defective.
Question 4.7 asks you to break down included charges (council tax, water, fuel, communications, fixed service charges). Variable service charges under Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 are excluded.
Common completion errors to avoid
- Serving with only one month’s notice (now needs two).
- Getting the start date wrong (not aligned to the rent-period start).
- Missing the Q4.4 anniversary date (invalidates the 52/53-week calculation).
- Using an old Form 4 after 1 May 2026.
- Serving by WhatsApp, text or informal email (not valid for prescribed notices).
- Leaving the charges breakdown blank where charges are included in the rent.
What’s the difference between Form 4 and Form 4A?
Form 4 is the legacy form, valid only for notices served before 1 May 2026. Form 4A is mandatory from 1 May. The two forms operate under different tribunal rules.
The critical difference isn’t the layout — it’s what happens if the tenant challenges. A Form 4 notice served before 1 May is governed by the old rules: the tribunal can confirm, reduce, or raise the rent, and the new rent backdates to the notice date. A Form 4A notice served from 1 May is governed by the new rules: the tribunal can only confirm or reduce, rent is frozen during the challenge, and there’s no backdating.
The absolute cut-off for serving a final Form 4 under the old rules was 30 April 2026 (the safe last-posting date was 27 April, to allow for deemed service). That window has now closed, so every new increase uses Form 4A.
Are rent review clauses still valid?
No. Section 6 of the Renters’ Rights Act voids all contractual rent review clauses in PRS assured tenancies from 1 May 2026 — CPI-linked, RPI-linked, fixed-percentage, formulaic — on both existing and new tenancies.
This isn’t a gradual phase-out. The amendment operates on the tenancy itself: any existing agreement still in force on 1 May has its review clause rendered void from that date.
The transitional trap: a review clause triggered before 1 May, but with the increase taking effect after 1 May, is void. The GOV.UK guidance is explicit that the effective date controls, not the trigger date. This catches landlords who calculated a CPI increase in, say, March 2026 expecting it to bite in June — that increase won’t apply, and Form 4A must be served instead.
Don’t bother amending existing agreements — the statute overrides any inconsistent term, and the void clause doesn’t void the rest of the agreement. For new agreements from 1 May, drop review clauses from the template entirely.
Can a tenant challenge a rent increase?
Yes — at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for £47 with no hearing fee. The tribunal can only confirm or reduce your proposed rent. Rent stays frozen at the old figure until the decision, with no backdating.
This is the change that reshapes the landlord’s calculus. Three structural shifts now favour the tenant:
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tribunal cap | The tribunal can only confirm or reduce the Form 4A figure, never set a rent higher (new s.14ZB(5) HA 1988). |
| Frozen rent | Rent stays at the old figure until the tribunal decides. No backdating (s.14ZB(3); s.7(11) RRA omits the old backdating provisions). |
| Hardship deferral | If paying from the decision date would cause ‘undue hardship’, the tribunal can defer by up to two months (s.14ZB(3)(c) and (4)). |
The tenant’s fee dropped from £341 (£114 application + £227 hearing) to £47 with no hearing fee. The Help with Fees scheme covers low-income tenants, and Section 21 retaliation — historically a real deterrent — is gone from 1 May. Early polling from Goodlord suggests around 22% of tenants plan to challenge rent increases regardless of fairness, against an old base rate of roughly 0.5%.
What the tribunal actually assesses
The open-market rent test under Section 14(1) of the Housing Act 1988: the rent a willing landlord might reasonably expect on the open market, on the same terms, disregarding tenant improvements and tenant-caused disrepair.
Recent tribunal decisions
87 Dover Avenue, Banbury (January 2026): the panel deducted £20 each for tenant-provided white goods, carpets and wants of repair, reducing the landlord’s proposed £1,400 to £1,290.
31 Daventry Street, Marylebone (February 2026): the panel applied a 10% deduction for dated kitchen and bathroom fittings.
Can tenants challenge the initial rent on a new tenancy?
Yes, within the first six months, under the same open-market test. The old ‘significantly higher’ threshold is gone, and the tribunal can only reduce, never raise.
Section 7 of the Act inserts a new Section 14(A1) into the Housing Act 1988. Any tenant can challenge the starting rent within six months of the tenancy beginning — one application per tenancy. The old AST-specific route (Section 22) required the rent to be ‘significantly higher’ than local comparables; the new test is the standard open-market assessment. The same evidence discipline applies to a rent review or lease renewal on the commercial side.
Combined with the £47 fee and the rental bidding ban (which locks the advertised figure as the starting rent), setting an initial rent above defensible market evidence is now pure downside.
What does tribunal-grade comparable evidence actually look like?
Matched comparables of achieved lettings (not asking rents), within a tight radius, current within six months, adjusted for the statutory disregards. A RICS Registered Valuer’s market rent letter meets this standard. A Rightmove screenshot doesn’t.
This is the part no lettings blog or law firm covers properly. The RICS Professional Standard on comparable evidence sets out a three-tier hierarchy the tribunal implicitly follows:
| Category | What it is | Weight at tribunal |
|---|---|---|
| A (direct comparables) | Completed lettings of near-identical properties with full, accurate data | Highest |
| B (general market data) | Published indices, database averages, portal listing data | Moderate |
| C (other sources) | Different property types or locations, economic indicators | Lowest |
The RICS standard is direct on asking prices: they ‘do not provide reliable evidence of value and should be treated with caution.’ GOV.UK’s own guidance echoes this — evidence from agreed lettings is stronger than portal listings.
What a proper comparable needs
Not ‘a two-bed flat nearby.’ More like: a purpose-built two-bed flat in the same EPC band, similar tenure, comparable parking and outdoor space, let within the last six months, within a tight geographic radius (typically 0.5 to 1 mile in urban areas). You need 3 to 5 comparables at minimum, ideally 5 to 8 — each adjusted for condition, specification, furnishing and the Section 14(2) statutory disregards (tenant improvements stripped out, tenant-caused disrepair disregarded).
Why a Registered Valuer’s letter outweighs a Rightmove printout
A RICS Registered Valuer’s market rent letter is signed under Red Book discipline, backed by professional indemnity insurance, and produced under RICS regulatory monitoring. It uses achieved rents, not asking rents, and applies the line-item adjustments the tribunal expects to see. A Rightmove screenshot shows what other landlords are hoping to get — not what tenants are paying — doesn’t adjust for differences, and doesn’t survive the first question from a tribunal surveyor.
The cost-benefit is stark. If your Form 4A figure is wrong by just £50 a month, you lose £600 in the first year alone — and the 52-week clock restarts from the tribunal’s determination date, compounding the loss into year two. A professional market rent appraisal pays for itself many times over if it corrects even a modest error, which is why setting the figure from evidence rather than aspiration is the whole game.
What should you do before serving Form 4A?
Commission a market rent appraisal first. Set the Form 4A figure from evidence, not aspiration. Then serve correctly, with proof.
- Check eligibility. At least 52 weeks since tenancy start or last Section 13 increase. Gas Safety Certificate current, EICR current, deposit protected, Information Sheet 2026 served.
- Instruct a RICS Registered Valuer before deciding the figure. Specify a Red Book market rent opinion under Section 14 HA 1988, with a comparables schedule and adjustment analysis. Allow 2 to 3 weeks.
- Set the figure from evidence. The valuer’s figure is your ceiling. Consider pitching slightly below it (a ‘sensible landlord discount’) to encourage tenant acceptance and provide a cushion if the tribunal takes a marginally lower view.
- Complete Form 4A using the live version from GOV.UK. Cross-check the start date against the two-month notice, the 52-week rule and rent-period alignment.
- Serve with proof. Recorded or signed-for delivery, dated copy retained. If posting, check your tenancy’s service-of-notices clause; first-class post is deemed served two business days after posting.
- Prepare for challenge. Retain the signed market rent letter, comparables, inspection notes and photos, and keep the surveyor’s details in case oral evidence is needed at a hearing.
What happens if the tenant challenges at the First-tier Tribunal?
The tenant applies before the new rent takes effect. Rent freezes. The tribunal determines open-market rent, applies it from its decision date, and can defer by a further two months for hardship.
- Tenant applies via the GOV.UK market-rent-determination page. Fee: £47. Must apply before the Form 4A start date.
- FTT acknowledges (roughly 10 working days) and registers the case.
- Directions issued. Deadlines for evidence exchange; possible case management conference.
- Paper determination or hearing. The tribunal decides the format; either party can request a hearing, and the panel may inspect the property.
- Decision. Rent confirmed or reduced. Written decision typically within 4 to 6 weeks of a hearing.
- New rent takes effect from the determination date (or up to two months later if hardship deferral applies). No backdating.
- Appeal on a point of law to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) within 28 days.
Current average wait times run 18 to 27 weeks, and caseload is widely expected to rise. That means a challenged increase could be suppressed for 4 to 9 months — and the next Form 4A can’t take effect until 52 weeks after the tribunal’s determination date. Effective cadence: closer to 22 months, not 12.
What are the most common mistakes landlords make with rent increases?
Using void review clauses, underestimating the challenge incentive, relying on portal screenshots, and serving with insufficient notice — all of them avoidable.
| What landlords assume | What’s actually true |
|---|---|
| “My CPI clause still works” | Void from 1 May 2026. Form 4A is the only lawful route. |
| “The tribunal might raise it above what I asked” | It can only confirm or reduce. Zero upside risk for tenants. |
| “One month’s notice is enough” | Two months from 1 May. One month = defective notice. |
| “I can increase twice in 12 months if the tenant agrees” | Once per 52 weeks, no exceptions. |
| “Rightmove listings are good enough for tribunal” | Asking rents aren’t evidence of achieved rents. RICS: treat with caution. |
| “Tenants won’t bother challenging” | £47, no hearing fee, frozen rent, no s.21 retaliation risk. 22% plan to challenge regardless. |
| “I can set the initial rent high and they can’t touch it” | Tenants can challenge the starting rent within 6 months. Same test, same ‘can only reduce’ rule. |
| “The tribunal will backdate any upheld increase” | No backdating. Effective from the determination date only. |
Every rent increase from 1 May 2026 is a contained valuation dispute. The landlord who serves Form 4A without defensible comparable evidence is handing the tenant a free option to cut the rent, freeze it for months, and push the next increase to almost two years away.
Frequently asked questions
There’s no fixed cap or percentage limit. From 1 May 2026 a landlord can propose any figure on Form 4A, but it must reflect the open-market rent — because if the tenant challenges, the First-tier Tribunal can only confirm or reduce it to the market rent under Section 14 of the Housing Act 1988. In practice, the market evidence behind your figure is the real limit.
A Section 13 notice is the statutory notice a landlord uses to propose a rent increase on a periodic assured tenancy, under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. From 1 May 2026 it must be served on the prescribed Form 4A, with two months’ notice, no more than once every 52 weeks.
Two months, from 1 May 2026 (up from one month previously). The proposed start date must also be at least 52 weeks after the last increase and fall on the first day of a rental period.
No. A rent increase under Section 13 can only take effect once every 52 weeks — and because of the Form 4A anti-drift rule, sometimes 53 weeks. There are no exceptions, even if the tenant agrees.
Yes. From 1 May 2026, Form 4A is the only valid way to propose a rent increase on a private assured tenancy in England. A letter, email, text or the old Form 4 is not valid, and contractual rent review clauses are void.
The tenant can challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal for £47. The rent stays at the old figure until the tribunal decides, and if paying from the decision date would cause undue hardship, the tribunal can defer the new rent by up to a further two months.
Setting a rent increase? Get the evidence right first
Blackacre’s RICS Registered Valuers produce Red Book market rent appraisals that stand up at the First-tier Tribunal — achieved-rent comparables, statutory adjustments, the lot. Across London, Surrey and Sussex.