Key Rent Increase Rules Under the RRA (from 1 May 2026)
1. Tenancies become periodic
From 1 May 2026, most private rental agreements (including existing assured shorthold tenancy contracts) will automatically become assured periodic tenancies — basically rolling tenancies that continue month to month rather than fixed term contracts ending on a specific date.
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2. You can only increase rent once in any 12 month period
Under the new RRA regime:
• A landlord can propose a rent increase only once in any 12 month period.
• You cannot increase the rent more frequently, even if the old tenancy agreement had review clauses or annual uplift clauses — these will no longer have effect once the RRA rules apply.
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3. Must use a Section 13 rent increase notice
To raise the rent, landlords must:
• Serve a formal Section 13 notice — this is the statutory notice required by law for rent increases on periodic tenancies
• Give the tenant at least 2 months’ notice before the new rent takes effect
• Specify that the increase will take effect at the start of a new rental period (e.g., the beginning of the next month).
If you don’t follow this process (e.g., just send an informal letter, rely on old rent review clauses, or attempt an increase mid period with no proper notice), the increase will not be legally valid.
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4. Tenant can challenge the proposed rent
Tenants have the right to dispute an increase by referring it to the First tier Tribunal before it takes effect. If they do:
• The Tribunal will decide what the open market rent should be — that could be lower than the landlord proposed.
• The Tribunal’s decision could delay the increase or set a different amount.
This gives tenants more protection and stops landlords raising rent above market rates without justification.
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5. Rent increase must be justified
Although there’s no formal statutory cap like a percentage limit, landlords should be prepared to show:
• Comparable local rents
• Evidence of market conditions
• Property features and improvements
because this evidence will be used if the tenant challenges the increase.
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6. Exceptions & transitional timing
If you are trying to increase rent before 1 May 2026 under an existing contract, the old rules may still apply until that contract ends. After 1 May, the RRA rules generally take over as soon as the tenancy becomes periodic.
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What This Means in Practice
• You can only increase rent once a year.
• You must use the official Section 13 notice form with at least 2 months’ notice.
• The proposed rent must be in line with current market rent, and tenants can challenge it.
• Informal or contractual rent review clauses don’t replace the Section 13 process once RRA applies.
