A Rent Increase Notice under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 is the formal legal mechanism by which a landlord in England (and in limited circumstances Wales) can increase the rent on a periodic assured shorthold tenancy (AST) without the tenant's agreement. The notice must be in a prescribed form, must specify the proposed new rent, and must give the tenant sufficient notice before the increase takes effect. The notice also informs the tenant of their right to apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to challenge the proposed increase if they consider it to be above the market rent.

The Housing Act 1988 is the central legislation governing private residential tenancies in England and Wales. Section 19A, inserted by the Housing Act 1996, made the assured shorthold tenancy the default form of private residential tenancy. Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 provides the statutory mechanism for increasing rents on periodic assured shorthold tenancies (those that arise after a fixed term expires, or that were originally granted as periodic tenancies). A section 13 notice cannot be used to increase the rent during a fixed-term AST; during the fixed term, any rent increase requires either an express rent review clause in the tenancy agreement or the written agreement of both parties.

The Renters' Rights Act 2024, enacted in November 2024 and with provisions phased in from April 2025, made significant reforms to the private rented sector in England. The Act abolished fixed-term ASTs, making all new tenancies periodic from the outset. It also limited rent increases to once per year (section 13 notices can only be served once every 12 months), extended the minimum notice period, and strengthened tenants' rights to challenge increases at the First-tier Tribunal. Landlords who increase rent through means other than a valid section 13 notice — for example, by demanding a higher rent informally or threatening eviction unless the tenant agrees to a higher rent — risk being found to have charged an unlawful premium.

In Wales, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 governs residential tenancies and provides a different mechanism for rent increases through contract variation, supervised by Rent Smart Wales.

A Section 13 Rent Increase Notice is needed whenever a landlord in England wishes to increase the rent on a periodic assured shorthold tenancy without the tenant's voluntary agreement.

The most common scenario is at the end of a fixed-term AST. When a fixed-term tenancy expires and the tenant remains in occupation, the tenancy automatically becomes a periodic (month-to-month) statutory tenancy under section 5 of the Housing Act 1988. The rent in this periodic tenancy remains at the level set in the fixed-term agreement unless the landlord serves a section 13 notice proposing a higher rent. Many landlords increase rent at this transition point to bring the rent in line with current market levels.

Periodic tenancy rent reviews are the ongoing use case. For a landlord who holds a portfolio of rental properties, annual rent reviews — served via section 13 notices — are standard practice to maintain rents at market levels and reflect rising costs (mortgage payments, insurance, maintenance, and other expenses). Under the Renters' Rights Act 2024, landlords can only serve a section 13 notice once every 12 months, preventing multiple increases in a single year.

Changes in market conditions — rising local rents, improvements to the property, or significant increases in the landlord's costs — are common triggers for a section 13 notice. Landlords should carry out a rental market assessment before serving the notice to ensure the proposed rent is defensible as a market rent at a First-tier Tribunal hearing.

The section 13 notice is the only lawful route for unilaterally increasing the rent on a periodic AST. Landlords who attempt to increase rent without serving a valid section 13 notice — for example, by demanding a higher rent verbally or through informal messages — have no legal basis for collecting the additional rent, and such conduct may amount to unlawful harassment of the tenant under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

A valid and effective Section 13 Rent Increase Notice for England must contain several key elements to be enforceable.

Prescribed form compliance: Section 13 notices must be served using the prescribed form set out in the Housing Act 1988 (Notices) Regulations 1988 (Form 4). The form must be used substantially in the form prescribed. A notice that departs significantly from the prescribed form may be invalid and ineffective. Using this template ensures compliance with the prescribed form requirements.

Landlord and tenant identification: The notice must clearly identify the landlord and the tenant by their full names, and specify the property address with postcode. Where there are joint tenants or joint landlords, all parties must be named.

Current and proposed rent: The notice must state both the current rent and the proposed new rent, expressed as a monetary amount per rental period (usually per month). The proposed rent must be expressed as a single figure — not as a formula or percentage increase — and must be a genuine market rent.

Effective date: The notice must specify the date on which the new rent is to take effect. This date must be the first day of a new period of the tenancy (usually the same day of the month as the rent payment day). For a monthly tenancy, the effective date must be at least one month from the date the notice is served. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2024, the notice period is a minimum of two months.

Tribunal referral rights: The notice must inform the tenant of their right to refer the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the effective date. This is a statutory requirement and its omission may render the notice defective.

Service: The notice must be served on the tenant in accordance with the requirements of the tenancy agreement and the service provisions of section 196 of the Law of Property Act 1925 (or by leaving at the property, or by post to the property address). A record of service should be kept.

Frequency limitation: Under the Renters' Rights Act 2024, a landlord cannot serve a section 13 notice within 12 months of a previous section 13 notice taking effect. The notice should confirm that this limitation has been complied with.