Free tool · Rent
When can the rent go up?
For an assured tenancy in England, you propose a new rent with a Section 13 notice on Form 4A. Since 1 May 2026 it needs at least two months' notice, and a new rent can start no sooner than 52 weeks after the tenancy began or after the last increase. Enter your dates to see the earliest start date.
The rules in plain English
- Use Form 4A from GOV.UK's assured tenancy forms page to propose the new rent.
- The new rent starts at the beginning of a rent period, at least two months after the tenant receives the notice.
- It cannot start sooner than 52 weeks after the first rent period began, or 52 weeks after the last increase made by a notice or a tribunal decision took effect.
- If your tenant thinks the new rent is above the market rent, they can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide it before the new rent starts.
One exception to know about
Where the rent has already gone up by a notice or a tribunal decision, the law sometimes allows 53 weeks rather than 52, so the yearly date does not drift away from the anniversary of the first increase. This tool always uses 52 weeks and then the next rent day, which keeps you on the safe side in most cases. If your increase dates have moved over the years, read section 13(3A) and (3B) of the Housing Act 1988.
Sources, read on 22 October 2026: Housing Act 1988, section 13 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 6, on legislation.gov.uk; the Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Prescribed Forms and Transitional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2026 (Form 4A); GOV.UK Assured tenancy forms. England only. Practical information, not legal advice.
Want the paperwork done properly? The RentRight Kit toolkits give you editable Word documents for England, in the order you use them: checklists, the tenancy agreement, letters and a filing log.