Form 4A referral

The application that takes a disputed rent increase out of your landlord's hands and into the tribunal's. Here is what it involves, what evidence matters, and why the risk of applying is smaller than most tenants assume.

What is Form 4A used for?

Form 4A is the prescribed notice a landlord uses to propose a new rent under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. If you disagree with the proposed rent, you refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) on Form MR1, asking the tribunal to determine what rent is actually payable instead of the figure the landlord proposed.

When do I need to refer a Form 4A notice?

Your MR1 application must reach the tribunal before the effective date shown on your Section 13 notice — the date the new rent is due to start. Once that date passes without a referral, the increase takes effect automatically and the right to challenge it under that notice is lost permanently.

What evidence should I include when I refer a Form 4A notice?

Evidence of comparable rents for similar properties in your area is the most important element — listings, local letting agent data, or a rental index for the area. A short written statement setting out why you consider the proposed rent too high, and a copy of the Form 4A notice itself, should also be included with your MR1 application.

Can the tribunal decide the rent should be higher than proposed?

No. The tribunal cannot set a rent above the figure your landlord originally proposed in the Section 13 notice. It can only confirm that figure or set a lower one based on the open market rent for comparable properties.

What happens after I refer a Form 4A notice?

The tribunal notifies your landlord and sets a timetable for both sides to submit evidence. Many straightforward cases are decided on the papers without a hearing; more contested cases, or those with significant sums at stake, may be listed for a short hearing where both parties can present their comparables evidence.

Is there a fee to challenge a Form 4A notice?

Yes. The MR1 application costs £47, although no fee is payable if the notice is dated before 1 May 2026, and you may be able to get Help with Fees. Tribunal fees can change, so check the current fee on GOV.UK before applying. There is no cost to check whether your Section 13 notice is valid before deciding whether to refer it.

Can a tenant challenge a rent increase in England?

Yes. If your landlord proposes a new rent in a Section 13 notice, you can refer that notice to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which decides the open market rent for the property. The referral must reach the tribunal before the date the new rent is due to start.

How do I challenge a Section 13 rent increase?

Apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) on Form MR1 before the effective date shown on the notice. Include a copy of the notice, evidence of rents for comparable properties nearby, and a short statement explaining why you think the proposed rent is above the market rate. The tribunal then sets a timetable for both sides and decides the rent, often on the papers.

Do I have to pay the higher rent while the tribunal decides?

No, not if you referred the notice in time. The rent the tribunal decides becomes payable from the date set out in its decision, and it does not apply to rent already paid before that date. Until then, keep paying your current rent as normal.

When a landlord serves a valid Section 13 notice proposing a new rent, the tenant is not required to accept it. The challenge is made by referring the notice on Form MR1, which asks the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to assess the open market rent for the property and decide what should actually be payable, rather than the figure the landlord chose. The application must be made before the effective date stated on the Section 13 notice — once that date passes, the proposed rent takes effect automatically and the right to refer that particular notice is lost for good.

The tribunal's assessment is not a negotiation and does not consider the landlord's costs, mortgage payments or personal circumstances. It looks specifically at what a landlord could reasonably expect a new tenant to pay for a comparable property in the same area, based on the open market at the relevant date.

What to include in your application

The strength of a Form 4A referral usually comes down to evidence. You will need a copy of the Section 13 notice itself, details of the property and tenancy, and — most importantly — evidence of comparable rents for similar properties nearby: current listings, local letting agent valuations, or published rental index data for the area. A short written statement explaining why you consider the proposed rent above the market rate helps the tribunal understand your position quickly. Photographs showing the property's actual condition can also matter, particularly if disrepair affects what a reasonable market rent would be.

Once submitted, the tribunal notifies the landlord and sets a timetable for both sides to exchange evidence. Straightforward cases, especially where the comparables evidence is clear and largely undisputed, are often decided on the papers without either party attending. More contested cases, or those involving larger sums, may be listed for a short hearing.

Why there is little downside to applying

Under the current rules, the tribunal cannot set the rent higher than the figure your landlord originally proposed in the Section 13 notice. At worst, if your comparables evidence does not persuade the tribunal, the proposed rent is simply confirmed — you are no worse off than if you had accepted it without challenge. At best, the tribunal reduces the rent based on genuinely comparable evidence in the area. This asymmetry is deliberate and is one of the more tenant-favourable features of the amended Section 13 process.

How a rent referral differs from a normal court claim

Unlike a county court money claim, an MR1 referral is not adversarial in the same sense — there is no claimant suing a defendant for a fixed sum. Instead, both you and your landlord are effectively asking the tribunal to determine a single question: what is the open market rent for this property today? That framing changes how the tribunal approaches the evidence. It is less concerned with blame or fault and more concerned with objective comparables, so evidence-gathering should focus on similar properties actually being let nearby, rather than on your relationship with your landlord or the history of the tenancy.

Because of that focus, a Form 4A referral usually moves faster than a contested money claim, and many are resolved within a matter of weeks rather than months, particularly where the comparables evidence on both sides is clear and not seriously disputed.

What happens after the tribunal decides

Once the First-tier Tribunal reaches a determination, that figure becomes the rent payable from the date set out in the decision — it does not apply retrospectively to rent already paid before that date. If the tribunal sets a lower rent than your landlord proposed, you simply pay the lower figure from then on; there is no separate enforcement step needed on your part for that to take effect.

A tribunal decision on one Section 13 notice does not permanently fix your rent. Your landlord remains free to serve a further Section 13 notice once 12 months have passed since the last increase, following the same process and subject to the same limits, including the rule that the tribunal can never set a rent above whatever figure is proposed in that new notice.

If your circumstances change materially between the referral and the decision — for example, you reach an informal agreement directly with your landlord — you can usually withdraw the application, though it is worth confirming the tribunal's process for doing so rather than simply not attending. An unexplained failure to engage with your own application can result in it being struck out or decided against you on the papers.

First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)

Renters' Rights Act 2025

Guide: challenge a rent increase

Form 4A notice explained

Housing Act 1988, section 13

Apply for an open market rent determination (Form MR1)

Form 4A Rent Increase: How to Challenge It at Tribunal

Form 4A is your landlord's Section 13 rent increase notice. How to challenge it on Form MR1 at the First-tier Tribunal, what evidence helps, and the deadline.