Rent increase on a periodic tenancy

What a periodic tenancy is

A periodic tenancy rolls on from one rent period to the next, for example monthly or weekly, with no end date. GOV.UK says most existing assured shorthold tenancies automatically became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, and every new private tenancy from that date is periodic. The period is usually monthly, unless your agreement sets a shorter one, like weekly or fortnightly.

Why the rent period matters

Your rent period decides which dates the new rent can start on. Form 4A says the new rent must start at the beginning of a tenancy period. If your monthly tenancy started on the 20th, the new rent must start on the 20th. If your weekly tenancy started on a Monday, the new rent must start on a Monday.

The full set of rules

1. Section 13 notice on Form 4A.
2. At least two months between service and the start date.
3. The first increase no earlier than 52 weeks after the tenancy began; later ones at least 52 weeks after the previous increase (53 in some years).
4. Start date on the first day of a rental period.
5. Signed, with your correct details.

GOV.UK's tenant guide sums it up: your landlord can only increase your rent once a year, cannot increase it in the first year, and must give at least two months' notice using Form 4A.

Working out the earliest date

Take the latest of: two months after the notice was served, and 52 weeks after the tenancy start or last increase. Then move forward to the next rent day. For example, if you pay on the 1st, your last increase was 1 November 2025, and the notice arrived on 15 October 2026: two months after service is 15 December 2026, 52 weeks after the last increase is 31 October 2026, so the earliest valid start is 1 January 2027.

If you have a statutory periodic tenancy from an old AST

If your fixed term ended before 1 May 2026 and you stayed on, you may have had a statutory periodic tenancy, where the periods match how rent was paid. These also became assured periodic tenancies under the new rules. Use your usual rent day to check the start date.

• Know your rent period and rent day
• Count two months from service
• Count 52 weeks from the last increase
• Take the later date and move to the next rent day
• Compare with the date on the notice

A worked example: weekly tenancy

Kemi pays £300 a week, due on Fridays. Her tenancy started on Friday 7 March 2025 and her rent has never gone up. On Wednesday 1 October 2026 she receives a Form 4A proposing £330 a week from Monday 1 December 2026. The notice period is fine (two months), and 52 weeks have passed since the tenancy began. But the start date is a Monday and her rent periods start on Fridays. The notice fails the start-date rule.

Kemi writes to her landlord explaining the problem and continues paying £300. If the landlord serves a corrected notice, the earliest start date would be the first Friday at least two months after the new notice is served.

Ending a periodic tenancy

Because the tenancy rolls on, you do not need to do anything to stay. If you decide to leave rather than pay a higher rent, you will usually need to give notice. Under the Renters' Rights Act, tenants can generally end a periodic tenancy with two months' notice. Check your position with Shelter or Citizens Advice before giving notice, especially if you are unsure where you will move to.

Checklist

• Know whether you pay weekly, every four weeks, monthly or quarterly
• Find your first rent day from your tenancy agreement
• Check the new rent starts on a rent day
• Check the two-month notice period
• Check 52 weeks since the tenancy began or the last increase

Quarterly and other periods

If you pay quarterly, the new rent must start on the first day of a quarter of your tenancy, and the same two-month and 52-week rules apply. If your rent period is unusual, for example every four weeks, count forward in exact 28-day steps from a known rent day to find valid start dates.