Rent increases for private tenants
The law is changing
The Renters' Rights Act will mean:
your rent can only go up once a year
you cannot be evicted for challenging a rent increase
Changes start from 1 May 2026.
For now, your tenancy rights stay the same.
Rent review clauses
A rent review clause is a term in a tenancy agreement that says:
when the rent can go up
how much it can go up by
how much notice you must get
Not all tenancy agreements have a rent review clause.
Some landlords take steps to evict tenants who do not agree to a rent increase.
For now, you could still be at risk of a section 21 eviction notice.
The law changes on 1 May 2026
From this date your rent cannot be increased with a rent review clause.
The Renters' Rights Act means your rent can only go up once a year with a section 13 notice.
What if your landlord tells you the rent is going up before 1 May?
Check your tenancy agreement to see:
Does it have a rent review clause?
What does the clause say?
Has your landlord done what the clause says they have to do?
Check the email or letter from your landlord for what date the increase starts from.
Your rent will not go up if this date is on or after 1 May 2026.
Example of when rent could go up with a rent review clause
Nick's tenancy started on 1 February 2025.
His tenancy agreement says that the landlord will:
review the rent in February each year
give the tenant at least 1 month's notice of a rent increase
Nick's landlord wrote to him in February 2026. They said that the rent would go up from 1 April 2026.
Nick has to pay the new rent because the increase starts before 1 May 2026 and his landlord has given enough notice.
Example of when a landlord cannot use the rent review clause
Lara's tenancy started on 15 November 2025.
Her tenancy agreement says that the landlord will:
give 1 month's notice of a rent increase in April
raise the rent from 15 May 2026
Lara's landlord writes to her in early April to say the rent will go up from 15 May 2026.
But Lara's landlord cannot use the clause in her agreement to increase the rent after 1 May 2026.
Lara does not have to pay the new rent.
Lara does not mention this to her landlord straight away, because she does not want to risk a section 21 notice.
From 1 May 2026, Lara will have an assured tenancy with stronger rights. Her landlord will not be able to evict her with a section 21 notice anymore.
Fixed term with no rent review clause
If your agreement does not have a rent review clause, your landlord can only put your rent up during the fixed term if you agree.
If you do not agree, your landlord could give you a section 21 notice if your agreement has a break clause.
Your landlord cannot give you a section 21 notice after 1 May 2026, even if your tenancy agreement says they can.
Rent review clauses after a fixed term ends
Your landlord can use a rent review clause only if your agreement says that after the fixed term ends, the tenancy will continue as either:
contractual periodic
a periodic tenancy, for example monthly or weekly
If your fixed term agreement does not say this, your landlord can only put the rent up if:
you agree
by giving you a section 13 notice
Your landlord could give you a section 21 notice if you do not agree to the increase.
Your landlord cannot give you a section 21 notice after 1 May 2026, even if your tenancy agreement says they can.
Last updated: 18 March 2026
