Raising the rent used to be one of those things that often happened by agreement. A conversation, a text, a new figure on the standing order from next month.

Since 1 May 2026, that informality is a problem. There is now one route, one form and one set of timings. Getting it wrong will annoy your tenant, and it can also mean the increase does not take effect at all.

The rules themselves are not difficult. They are just specific.

What is the correct way to increase the rent?

For an assured periodic tenancy in England, the increase has to be served on the statutory notice. Government guidance for landlords names it directly: form 4A, the landlord’s notice proposing a new rent.

That is the mechanism. Not a letter, not an email agreeing a figure, not a clause in the tenancy agreement that says the rent goes up by a set amount each year.

If you take one thing from this, take that. The form is not a formality. It is the thing that makes the increase real.

How often can you increase the rent?

Once every twelve months, and not at all in the first year of the tenancy.

So a tenancy that started in March cannot see an increase until the following March at the earliest, and then not again for another year after that.

This is worth planning around. If you have been reviewing rents casually whenever it occurred to you, you now need a date in the diary per property, because you only get one attempt a year.

How much notice do you have to give?

At least two months before the new rent starts. The guidance is clear that the tenant must have the completed form at least two months before the date the increase takes effect.

Work backwards from when you want the new figure to apply, not forwards from when you happen to think of it. If you want a new rent from 1 December, the notice needs to be with your tenant by the end of September.

And give yourself margin. Two months is the minimum, not the target, and a notice that arrives a few days late simply pushes the whole thing back a month.

What if the tenant does not agree?

They have a route, and it is worth understanding rather than fearing.

A tenant who believes the proposed rent is above the market rent can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal, which will determine what the rent should be. The test the Tribunal applies is open market rent, described in the government guidance as the rent you would expect to receive if you were reletting the property on the open market.

Notice what that test is not. It is not what the tenant can afford, and it is not what you would like. It is what the property would actually let for today.

Which is rather good news for a landlord proposing a sensible figure, and a problem for one who is chancing it.

How do you make sure your figure stands up?

Evidence it before you serve it. Find three genuinely comparable properties currently available locally. Similar size, similar condition, similar street. Keep the evidence.

Compare like with like. A refurbished flat with new windows is not the same product as the one down the road with the original kitchen, and a Tribunal will see that distinction even if a spreadsheet does not.

Factor in what you have actually improved. If you have replaced the boiler, insulated the loft or fitted a new bathroom, that is part of why the market rent has moved.

Be realistic about condition. If there are outstanding repairs, deal with them before you propose an increase rather than after the tenant raises them.

Round sensibly. A figure that looks calculated tends to be received better than one that looks plucked out of the air.

Should you talk to the tenant first?

In our experience, almost always yes.

The notice is the legal step, but a tenant who hears the reasoning a fortnight beforehand reacts very differently from one who opens an envelope with no warning. Same figure, entirely different conversation.

And there is a commercial point underneath it. A good tenant who stays is worth a great deal more than the last twenty-five pounds a month. Void periods, referencing, cleaning and re-letting costs wipe out a small increase very quickly. Sometimes the right answer is to raise it properly, and sometimes it is to raise it a little less than you could.

The rules tell you how to do it. They do not tell you whether it is a good idea, and that is still your judgement to make.

Want us to handle the review for you?

If you would rather not work backwards through dates and forms, this is exactly the sort of thing we do for our managed landlords. Get in touch, and we will look at where your rents actually sit against the current market.

Frequently asked questions

How do landlords legally increase rent now?

For an assured periodic tenancy in England, by serving Form 4A, the landlord’s notice proposing a new rent. An informal agreement, an email or a rent review clause in the tenancy agreement is not the correct route.

How often can rent be increased?

Once every twelve months, and not at all during the first year of the tenancy.

How much notice is needed for a rent increase?

At least two months before the new rent takes effect. Work backwards from the date you want the increase to start, and allow yourself margin.

Can a tenant challenge a rent increase?

Yes. A tenant who believes the proposed rent is above market rent can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal, which determines the rent by reference to open market rent, meaning what the property would let for if it were being relet today.

What evidence supports a rent increase?

Three genuinely comparable properties currently on the market locally, of similar size and condition, plus a record of any improvements you have made. Gather it before you serve the notice, not after.

If you know a landlord who would find this useful, please pass it on.

Sources: GOV.UK, “Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents, rent increases” (form 4A, once a year and not in the first year, minimum two months’ notice, and the First-tier Tribunal’s open market rent test). GOV.UK, “Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants”. Checked July 2026.