Section 13 notice

The only route a landlord now has to raise your rent — and the only route you have to challenge it. Here is what a valid notice looks like and how the tribunal decides a fair rent.

How much notice must my landlord give before increasing my rent?

At least two months' written notice using the prescribed Section 13 process. A notice giving less than two months, or one that does not use the correct form, is not valid and does not take effect — although you generally still need to act, either by writing to your landlord or by referring the notice to the tribunal, rather than simply ignoring it.

Can my landlord increase the rent whenever they like?

No. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, a landlord can only increase rent once every 12 months and must use the Section 13 process — rent review clauses written into the tenancy agreement no longer have effect. A Section 13 notice served within the first 12 months of a tenancy, or within 12 months of the last increase, is not valid.

What happens if I do nothing about a Section 13 notice?

If you take no action, the rent increase set out in the notice takes effect automatically on the date stated, whether or not you think it is fair. Once that date passes, you permanently lose the right to challenge the amount for that notice. Acting before the effective date — either by referring the notice to the tribunal or raising concerns with your landlord directly — is essential.

Can the tribunal set my rent higher than my landlord asked for?

No. Under the current rules, if you refer a Section 13 notice to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), the tribunal cannot set the new rent above the figure your landlord originally proposed. It can confirm that figure, or set a lower one based on the open market rent for comparable properties, but it cannot increase it further.

What does the tribunal look at when deciding a fair rent?

The tribunal assesses the open market rent — what a landlord could reasonably expect a new tenant to pay for a comparable property in the same area, taking into account its condition, size and amenities. You will usually need to provide evidence of comparable rents nearby to support your position.

Does referring my Section 13 notice to the tribunal cost anything?

Tribunal fees are set by HMCTS and can change, so check the current fee on GOV.UK before applying. There is no fee for the landlord to serve a Section 13 notice itself.

Renters' Rights · Glossary

The only route a landlord now has to raise your rent — and the only route you have to challenge it. Here is what a valid notice looks like and how the tribunal decides a fair rent.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Renters' Rights track

is the formal, prescribed notice a landlord must serve to propose a new rent for a periodic tenancy — giving the tenant at least two months to accept it or refer it to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before it takes effect.

Where this comes from

Housing Act 1988, section 13

— the statutory rent-increase procedure for periodic tenancies, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Renters' Rights Act 2025

— in force from 1 May 2026, converting tenancies to periodic and making Section 13 the only lawful route to increase rent.

First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)

— the forum for referring a disputed Section 13 notice, using Form 4A.

What changed under the Renters' Rights Act 2025

Since 1 May 2026, assured shorthold tenancies with fixed terms no longer exist for new or continuing tenancies — all tenancies became periodic. One consequence is that landlords can no longer rely on a rent review clause written into the tenancy agreement to raise the rent. Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988, as amended, is now the

lawful mechanism for a rent increase on a periodic tenancy, and it can be used no more than once every 12 months. A notice served within the first 12 months of a tenancy, or within 12 months of the previous increase, is not valid.

A valid Section 13 notice must give the tenant

at least two months' written notice

before the new rent takes effect. Shorter notice, or a notice that does not use the prescribed form, does not comply and does not take legal effect — though a defective notice will not simply disappear on its own, and you should still respond to it rather than ignore it.

Challenging the amount

Receiving a valid notice does not mean you must accept the figure proposed. You have the right to refer the amount to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the effective date shown on the notice. The tribunal assesses the open market rent — what a landlord could reasonably expect to achieve for a comparable property in the same area, taking into account its condition and amenities — and under the current rules

cannot set the rent higher than what your landlord originally proposed.

That asymmetry means there is little downside to referring a notice you consider excessive: the tribunal can only confirm or reduce the figure, never increase it.

Once the effective date passes without a referral, the right to challenge that particular notice is lost permanently and the new rent applies. A landlord also cannot serve a further Section 13 notice while a tribunal referral on the current one is still pending, and cannot raise the rent again until the anniversary of the last increase.

How it works in practice

A tenant paying £1,100 a month receives a Section 13 notice proposing an increase to £1,350, with two months' notice, ten months after their tenancy began. The notice complies with the timing and notice-period rules, so it is valid on its face.

The tenant researches comparable two-bedroom flats in the same area and finds most are let at between £1,150 and £1,200. They refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal using Form 4A before the effective date, providing their comparables evidence.

Landlord's proposed rent

Tribunal's assessment (comparables)

Rent the tenant actually pays

Because the tribunal cannot exceed the landlord's original figure, the tenant faces no risk of ending up worse off than the notice proposed by challenging it.

Defective notices and other notices you might receive

A Section 13 notice that gets the basics wrong — the wrong form, less than two months' notice, or one served within the restricted 12-month periods — is not valid and does not take effect. That does not mean you can simply ignore it and assume the problem will resolve itself. It is generally safer to write to your landlord setting out precisely which requirement the notice fails to meet, keep a copy of that letter, and continue paying your existing rent until a valid notice is served or the matter is otherwise resolved.

It is easy to confuse a Section 13 notice with other landlord notices that arrive around the same time, particularly a Section 8 notice, which is used to seek possession of the property rather than to increase the rent. The two serve entirely different purposes, follow different procedures, and have different consequences if ignored — a Section 8 notice can lead to possession proceedings, while a Section 13 notice, at most, leads to a higher rent taking effect. If you receive both at the same time, or in quick succession, it is worth treating each on its own terms rather than assuming they are connected.

Landlords sometimes attempt to increase rent informally — a text message, an email, or a verbal request — without using the prescribed Section 13 form at all. An informal request of this kind has no legal effect on its own. You are not obliged to pay a higher rent simply because your landlord has asked for one outside the formal process, though it is sensible to respond in writing to avoid any later confusion about what was agreed.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

Received a Section 13 notice?

Start My Claim checks your notice for problems and helps you build a Form 4A referral backed by comparable rents.

Last reviewed: July 2026.

References checked against the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, in force from 1 May 2026.

This page is explanatory only and is not legal advice. Start My Claim is self-service software, not a law firm — its tools help you build and run your own case.