Since the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1st May 2026, the rules around increasing rent for assured periodic tenancies in England changed fundamentally — and getting it wrong could leave your rent increase invalid. We've put together this practical guide to help buy-to-let landlords navigate the new Section 13 process and complete Form 4A correctly.
What Changed on 1st May 2026?
The Renters' Rights Act introduced sweeping reforms to the private rented sector, and one of the most immediate practical changes affects how landlords can lawfully increase rent. From 1st May 2026, the only legally valid method for increasing rent on an assured periodic tenancy (APT) in England is through the Section 13 process using the new Form 4A.
This applies universally — regardless of what your existing tenancy agreement says. If you have an old assured shorthold tenancy with a rent review clause written into it, that clause is now null and void. You cannot use it. Equally, if you've been increasing rent via an addendum or a contractual rent review mechanism, those routes are no longer available to you.
It's also crucial to ensure you're using the correct form. The old Form 4 has been superseded entirely by Form 4A. Always download the latest version directly from the government website to make sure you have the current iteration, as these forms do get updated from time to time.
How to Complete Form 4A Correctly
Most sections of Form 4A are relatively straightforward — tenant name, property address, landlord or letting agent details, current rent, and payment frequency. However, there are two questions that trip landlords up, and errors here could give tenants grounds to challenge the validity of the notice.
Question 4.3 asks for the date of the most recent rent increase, if applicable. This should reflect any previous increase, whether via the old Form 4, an addendum, or a rent review clause. If the rent has never been increased since the tenancy began (or its renewal prior to 1st May 2026), simply leave this section blank.
Question 4.4 is arguably the most confusing part of the form. It asks for the first rent increase date after 13th February 2003 — an instruction that understandably baffles many landlords. In practice, this refers to the first time you used either the old Form 4 or the new Form 4A for this particular tenancy under the Section 13 process. If you've never used Section 13 before, enter the same date as the proposed start date of the new rent in Question 4.6. Previous rent increases made via an addendum or contractual clause can be disregarded for the purposes of this question.
Question 4.6 — the proposed start date of the new rent — must fall on the first day of a new tenancy period. To identify this, refer back to the rent payment date stated in the original tenancy agreement. If no explicit payment date is recorded, use the tenancy start date. Case law confirms that you should use the date on which rent is due, not necessarily the date the tenant pays it — these are not always the same.
Notice Periods, Frequency, and Tribunal Challenges
Under the Renters' Rights Act, landlords must give tenants a minimum of two months' notice before the proposed rent increase start date. Landlords can only increase rent via Form 4A once every 52 weeks, so forward planning is essential for those managing tight investment yields.
If a tenant disagrees with the proposed new rent, they have the right to challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) before the start date takes effect. To do so, they must submit Form Rent 1. The tribunal will then assess what rent the property would reasonably achieve on the open market under a new tenancy on equivalent terms, taking into account the property type, condition, and location. The FTT can reduce the rent below the landlord's proposed figure — but crucially, it cannot reduce it below the rent that was in place before the Form 4A notice was served.
During any tribunal proceedings, the tenant must continue paying the existing rent and must cover the tribunal application fee themselves. Importantly, under the Renters' Rights Act, if the FTT does intervene, the new rent comes into effect from the date the tribunal decides — it is no longer backdated to the original proposed start date, as was previously the case. The tribunal may also take into account outstanding repairs the landlord should have addressed, as well as any improvements the tenant has made to the property.
If you're in the process of purchasing a buy-to-let property and want to ensure a smooth legal transaction, we'd recommend looking at Muve — Online Conveyancing, a modern conveyancing service designed to make property purchases as efficient as possible.
Staying Compliant as a Property Investor
The Renters' Rights Act represents one of the most significant shifts in private rented sector regulation in decades, and the changes to rent increase procedures are just one piece of a much larger puzzle. For property investors like you, staying on top of these rules isn't just good practice — it's essential to protecting your rental income and your relationship with tenants.
Whether you're managing an existing portfolio or actively looking to expand it, tools like PropertyAlert.uk can help you identify investment opportunities that align with your strategy, so you can focus your energy on running a compliant and profitable portfolio rather than chasing listings.
The key takeaways are simple: always use Form 4A downloaded from the government website, give at least two months' notice, ensure the start date aligns with the beginning of a tenancy period, and remember you can only increase rent once every 52 weeks. Get those fundamentals right, and the Section 13 process is entirely manageable.
Start your property search at PropertyAlert.uk