Rent Increase Notice (Section 13)
A notice under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 used to increase rent on an assured periodic tenancy. Under the Renters Rights Act 2025 (in force 1 May 2026) the landlord must give at least 2 months’ notice on the prescribed Form 4, can use it only once in any 12-month period, and cannot raise rent in the first 12 months of a tenancy. Tenants can challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which can no longer set a higher rent than the landlord proposed.
At a glance
- Frequency
- Once in any 12-month period
- Notice
- At least 1 month
- Challenge route
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)
Full guide
Read the complete landlord guide on Rent Increase Notice (Section 13)
Deadlines, fines and step-by-step compliance in our in-depth resource.
Open full guideWhy Rent Increase Notice (Section 13) matters for landlords
Under RRA 2025, Section 13 is the only lawful rent-review mechanism on an assured periodic tenancy in England. Tenants can refer a raised rent to the First-tier Tribunal which has the power to cap the increase at the open-market rate — so landlords should evidence their proposed rent against Rightmove/ONS data. The 12-month rule is a hard minimum; a second notice inside 12 months is void.
Tracked inside LetCompliance
Stop tracking Rent Increase Notice (Section 13) in spreadsheets
LetCompliance scores every property 0–100 across Gas Safety, EICR, EPC, deposits, Right to Rent and Fire Risk — with deadline reminders 90/30/14/7/1 days out and a court-ready PDF you can export in one click. Built for UK landlords + letting agents.
Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
Section 13 Notice
The only lawful way to raise rent on an assured periodic tenancy. One increase per 12 months with at least one month's notice. Tenant can refer to the First-tier Tribunal which can cap the rent at market rate.
Rent Repayment Order (RRO)
A First-tier Tribunal order requiring a landlord to repay up to 12 months’ rent (24 months under the Renters Rights Act 2025 for some offences) for specified housing offences: unlicensed HMO, breach of selective licensing, illegal eviction, harassment, failure to comply with an Improvement Notice or Banning Order. Sought by the tenant or, separately, by the local council. Triggered without needing a criminal conviction — the tribunal applies the criminal standard of proof to the underlying offence, then orders repayment.
Renters Rights Act 2025
UK legislation that received Royal Assent in 2025 and came fully into force on 1 May 2026. Abolished Section 21 no-fault evictions, converted all ASTs to periodic tenancies, extended the Decent Homes Standard to the PRS, introduced a private rented sector database and gave tenants the right to request pets.
Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
The standalone Welsh statute (commenced 1 December 2022) that replaced the assured / assured shorthold / common-law regime in Wales with two new contract types: Standard Contract (private rented sector default) and Secure Contract (mainly social housing). Different from England’s framework: notice is six months under a no-fault Section 173 (Wales’ equivalent of Section 21), Written Statement of Contract is mandatory within 14 days, and the Renters Rights Act 2025 does NOT apply in Wales. LetCompliance is England-only; Welsh landlords need a Wales-specific compliance product.
Right to Rent
The legal requirement on all private landlords in England to check every adult occupier has the legal right to rent in the UK before the tenancy starts. Introduced by the Immigration Act 2014. Fines: £1,000 per adult for a first offence, rising to £20,000 for repeat breaches.
Additional Licensing
A discretionary HMO licensing scheme a council can introduce under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004 to cover smaller HMOs that fall below the mandatory five-person, three-storey threshold. It is separate from selective licensing (which covers all rented homes in a designated area, not just HMOs). Operating an unlicensed HMO where additional licensing applies is a criminal offence with civil penalties up to £30,000 and exposure to a Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months’ rent.