A section 13 notice given on or after 1 May 2026 is only valid if it is on Form 4A, gives you at least two months' notice, starts the new rent at the beginning of a rental period, comes at least 52 weeks after the tenancy began or the last increase, and is signed with your correct details. If it fails any of these, your rent does not go up because of it.
What a section 13 notice is
A section 13 notice is the formal way a private landlord in England proposes a new rent for an assured tenancy. It takes its name from section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. Since the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, almost every private tenancy in England is an assured periodic tenancy, and section 13 is the only route a landlord can use to put the rent up without your agreement.
That matters because rent review clauses in tenancy agreements stopped working for new increases on 1 May 2026. The government's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet says this directly: if your agreement has a rent review clause, it no longer applies, and your landlord must use the section 13 process instead. Shelter puts it simply: your rent cannot go up another way, even if your tenancy agreement says it can.
A notice that does not meet the rules does not lawfully increase the rent. That is why it is worth checking yours carefully before you pay a penny more.
The five checks
GOV.UK lists what a valid notice must do in its guidance on applying for an open market rent determination. The same rules appear in the notes on Form 4A itself. In plain English:
| Check | The rule | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The right form | Form 4A, the prescribed notice for private assured tenancies in England | Form 4A; GOV.UK |
| 2. Enough notice | At least two months between the notice being served and the new rent starting | Housing Act 1988 s13, as amended |
| 3. Once a year | The first increase cannot start until 52 weeks after the tenancy began; later ones at least 52 weeks after the last increase | Form 4A notes; GOV.UK |
| 4. The right start date | The new rent must begin on the first day of a rental period | Form 4A note A4 |
| 5. Correct and signed | Your name, the property address and the landlord's details correct; signed by the landlord or agent | GOV.UK MR1 guidance |
Check your notice
See if your section 13 notice looks valid and your tribunal deadline, in about two minutes.
Check 1: is it on Form 4A?
Look at the top of the first page. A valid notice says "Form 4A" and "Landlord's notice proposing a new rent for assured tenancies in the private rented sector", with a reference to section 13(2) of the Housing Act 1988. A letter, an email, a text message or a WhatsApp saying the rent is going up is not a section 13 notice.
Social landlords use a different form, Form 4, and notices given under the old rules before 1 May 2026 used the earlier version. If your notice was served on or after 1 May 2026 by a private landlord and is on anything other than Form 4A, it does not meet the rules. Read more in our guide to Form 4A.
Check 2: did you get two months' notice?
Count from the day the notice was served on you to the date the new rent starts. It must be at least two months. If it arrived on 20 September, the earliest possible start date is 20 November. Notices given before 1 May 2026 only needed one month for most monthly and weekly tenancies, and GOV.UK confirms those notices still apply on their old terms.
How the notice was served matters too. Form 4A tells landlords to use a method set out in your tenancy agreement, or otherwise to hand it to you, leave it at your address or send it by registered post. GOV.UK says email is only allowed if your tenancy agreement allows it.
Check 3: has a year passed?
Rent can only go up once a year. The first increase cannot start until 52 weeks after the tenancy began. After that, each increase must start at least 52 weeks after the last one took effect. Form 4A adds a detail: the new date cannot drift more than six days earlier than the anniversary of the last increase, so some years the landlord has to wait 53 weeks.
GOV.UK gives this example: if your rent went up on 1 February 2026, the next increase cannot take effect until 1 February 2027. Increases made under a rent review clause before 1 May 2026 count as the last increase for this purpose.
Check 4: does it start on a rent day?
The new rent must start at the beginning of a period of the tenancy. Form 4A gives two examples: if a monthly tenancy started on 20 April, the new rent must start on the 20th of a month; if a weekly tenancy started on a Monday, the new rent must start on a Monday. A notice that starts the increase mid-month, or on the wrong weekday, fails this check.
Check 5: signed, with your correct details
GOV.UK says the notice must include your correct details, such as your name and address, and be signed by the landlord. A typo in a street name is unlikely to matter on its own if the notice is otherwise clear, but a notice addressed to the wrong person or property, or with no signature at all, is open to challenge.
If your notice fails a check
If the notice is not valid, your rent does not go up because of it. Shelter explains that the landlord would need to give you a new section 13 notice, which restarts the two-month clock. In practice, most tenants:
- Write to the landlord explaining which rule the notice breaks, and say you will keep paying the current rent.
- Keep paying the current rent in full and on time.
- If the landlord insists, apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the proposed start date and ask it to decide whether the notice is valid.
GOV.UK notes that if you only want to challenge validity, you must use the paper MR1 form. If you also think the rent is too high, the tribunal will decide validity first and then the market rent.
- Notice is on Form 4A
- At least two months between service and the start date
- 52 weeks since the tenancy began or the last increase
- Start date is one of your rent days
- Your name and address are correct, and it is signed
- You know the deadline: apply before the new rent starts
Frequently asked questions
Can a valid notice still be challenged?
Yes. Even if the notice is valid, you can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide the open market rent if you think the proposed rent is too high. For notices given on or after 1 May 2026, the tribunal cannot set a rent higher than the landlord proposed.
What if I already started paying the higher rent?
Paying does not make an invalid notice valid, but it can be read as agreeing to the new rent. Get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice if this applies to you.
Does my landlord have to tell me how they calculated the rent?
No. Form 4A does not require reasons. The test is whether the proposed rent is above the open market rent, which the tribunal can decide.
Can I be evicted for challenging the notice?
Shelter confirms that from 1 May 2026 you cannot be evicted for challenging a rent increase.
Check your notice
See if your section 13 notice looks valid and your tribunal deadline, in about two minutes.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Apply for an open market rent determination (form MR1)
- GOV.UK: Form 4A, landlord's notice proposing a new rent (PDF)
- GOV.UK: Assured periodic tenancies, a guide for tenants – rent increases
- GOV.UK: The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 (PDF)
- legislation.gov.uk: Housing Act 1988, section 13
- Shelter England: Rent increases for private tenants
- Shelter England: Ask a tribunal to set the rent
Section13Check is a document helper, not legal advice. This guide explains the published rules for private tenants in England. For advice about your situation, contact Shelter, Citizens Advice or a law centre.