From 1 May 2026, your landlord must:

• give you at least 2 months' notice of a rent increase

• use a legal form called a section 13 notice

Your landlord cannot usually increase your rent more than once a year.

Your rent cannot go up in the first year of your tenancy.

Check the notice is on the right form

A section 13 notice should be on:

• tenancy form 4A if you got the notice on or after 1 May 2026

• tenancy form 4 if you got the notice before 1 May 2026

Your landlord can use the 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

Your landlord can give you this notice in person or send it by post. They could send it by email if your tenancy agreement says they can.

Check the start date for the new rent

You can find this at paragraph 4 on the notice.

Your new rent should start on the same day of the month that your tenancy started.

Section 13 notices on or after 1 May 2026

You must get at least 2 months' notice of the rent increase.

This means you should get the notice at least 2 months before the new rent starts.

Section 13 notices before 1 May 2026

You should have been given at least:

• 1 month's notice if you paid rent monthly or weekly

• 3 month's notice if you paid rent every 3 months

• 6 month's notice if you paid rent yearly

You have to pay the new rent monthly from the start date in the notice.

If you had a rent increase in the last year

A section 13 rent increase cannot usually start until at least a year after your last rent increase. This applies if your last rent increase was because of any of these:

• a valid section 13 notice

• a rent review clause in your tenancy agreement

• signing a new tenancy agreement at a higher rent

But your rent could go up again if it was increased by informal agreement before 1 May 2026. For example, if your landlord emailed to say your rent was going up and you started paying it. In this situation, your landlord could put the rent up with a section 13 notice within a year of the last increase.

If you accept the new rent

You do not have to do anything.

Your new rent starts from the date in the notice.

Make sure you change your standing order with the bank if you pay in this way.

If you think the rent increase is too much

Talk to your landlord. Try to agree something better before the new rent is due to start.

For example, you could ask for:

• no increase at all

• a smaller increase

Your landlord might agree if you can show the rent is too much.

Check the rent for similar properties in your area. Your new rent should be about the same.

If you think the notice is wrong

A section 13 notice is not 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.

A tribunal can check if the notice is valid.