Rent increases for private tenants
Section 13 rent increase notices
Your landlord can give you a section 13 notice in a:
periodic or rolling tenancy - but only if there is no rent review clause
fixed term tenancy - but the rent will not go up until the fixed term ends
Your landlord might ask you to agree to a new rent first. And then give you this legal notice if you do not agree to a higher rent.
Landlords can only give a section 13 notice once a year. Your rent cannot go up in this way in the first year of your tenancy.
What a section 13 notice looks like
Tenancy form 4 on GOV.UK is a section 13 notice.
Your landlord can use this form or give you a letter with the same information.
The notice tells you:
how much rent the landlord wants
the start date for the new rent
what to do if you do not agree to the new rent
If you accept the new rent
Your rent increases from the date in paragraph 4 of the notice.
You have to pay the new rent from that date.
If you want to stay in your home
You might decide to accept the new rent if you can afford it.
Some private tenants accept a rent increase even if:
the section 13 notice is wrong
they think the landlord is asking for too much
They do this because they are worried about eviction.
Accepting a rent increase in a rolling or periodic AST does not stop your landlord giving you a section 21 notice.
If you sign a new fixed term agreement at a higher rent, then your landlord can only give you a section 21 notice if there's a break clause.
How much notice you get
Your landlord must give you at least:
1 month's notice - if rent is due monthly or weekly
3 months' notice - if rent is due quarterly
6 months' notice - if rent is due yearly
Start date for the new rent
The start date needs to be the first day of a period of your tenancy.
For example, if your tenancy started on the 5th of the month, the new rent would also need to start on the 5th.
If you think the notice is wrong
A section 13 notice may not be valid if:
you do not get enough notice of a rent increase
the start date for the new rent is wrong
Tell your landlord you think they have made a mistake.
If they think you are wrong, they might still expect you to pay the increase.
Only a court can decide if a section 13 notice is valid or not.
If you think the rent increase is too much
You can ask a tribunal to set a rent for your tenancy if the landlord is asking for too much.
If you apply to a tribunal, your rent stays the same until the tribunal makes a decision.
Try to save the extra money your landlord is asking for if you go to a tribunal.
Your rent could still go up if the tribunal sets a new rent.
Last updated: 8 July 2024
