Section 13 rent increase: Form 4A checker and tribunal odds
Since 1 May 2026, a section 13 notice on Form 4A is the only way to raise rent on a private assured periodic tenancy without the tenant's agreement. Tenants can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide the market rent. Enter your numbers to see how the tribunal has treated similar increases.
of 498 tribunal decisions since 1 May 2026 with a readable outcome set the rent below the landlord's proposal. 25% confirmed it.
13.3% → 7.7%
Median increase proposed by landlords, and median increase the tribunal actually set (both against the old rent).
78 days
Median time from tenant's application to decision. 23 decisions set a rent below what the tenant was already paying.
Check your proposed increase
Runs in your browser. We do not store what you enter. Tribunal decisions are for different properties and facts; they show a pattern, not a prediction for your case.
How to serve a section 13 notice on Form 4A
Check you are allowed to increase now. Form 4A Note A sets three rules: at least 2 months' notice; the first increase cannot start until 52 weeks after the tenancy began, and later increases at least 52 weeks after the previous one (53 weeks if the date would otherwise fall more than 6 days before the anniversary of the date in question 4.4); and the new rent must start at the beginning of a tenancy period.
Talk to the tenant first. GOV.UK asks landlords to discuss an increase first. Many tenants accept a reasoned figure; a challenge costs both sides time.
Download the official Form 4A. It is the prescribed form for private landlords from 1 May 2026. Do not alter the wording, and do not use the older Form 4 (now for social landlords).
Fill in the dates carefully. Question 4.2 is the tenancy start date, 4.3 the most recent increase, 4.4 the first increase after 11 February 2003, and 4.6 the new rent start date. The 4.6 date must be the first day of a tenancy period: for a monthly tenancy that started on the 20th, it must be a 20th. If unsure, pick a later period start rather than an earlier one.
Show the current and proposed rent for the tenancy period (week, month and so on; it must be a month or less). Question 4.7 asks for any council tax, water, energy, communication or fixed service charges included in the rent, now and proposed.
Sign it and serve it with proof. The form's note says to use a service method agreed in the written tenancy agreement; if there is none, hand it to the tenant, leave it at their address or send it by registered post. Joint landlords each sign or agree for one to sign for all. Keep a copy and proof of the date served.
Prepare your evidence in case the tenant applies to the tribunal: 3–6 comparable lets nearby (same size and condition), advertised or achieved rents, and a note of the property's condition and improvements.
Form 4A only proposes a new rent. It does not end the tenancy, and a tenant who refuses to pay a properly increased rent is in arrears, which is handled under section 8, not by a new notice.
What the tribunal can decide (section 14ZB)
If the tenant applies to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) on form MR1 before the proposed start date, the tribunal decides the open-market rent. Under the new section 14ZB of the Housing Act 1988:
The new rent is the open-market rent if it is lower than your proposal, and otherwise your proposed rent. The tribunal cannot go above what you asked for.
It can be below the current rent if the market rent is lower.
The new rent starts on your proposed date if the decision comes before it; otherwise from the first rent period starting on or after the decision. There is no backdating.
If paying from that date would cause the tenant undue hardship, the tribunal can set a later date, within two months of the decision.
The tribunal must receive the tenant's application before the start date in question 4.6. The tenant does not have to pay the new rent until the tribunal decides. The application fee is £47 (MR1 guidance, updated 10 Aug 2026), and the landlord has 28 days to respond. Cases are usually decided on paper; the tribunal may inspect or hold a hearing.
Decisions dated 1 May 2026 onwards with a readable proposed and determined rent, grouped by the increase the landlord proposed.
Proposed increase
Decisions
Cut below proposal
Median increase set by tribunal
0% to under 5%
60
40%
2.8%
5% to under 10%
131
60%
4.5%
10% to under 15%
71
76%
6.6%
15% to under 20%
57
83%
9.1%
20% to under 30%
55
78%
13.6%
30% or more
123
77%
33.3%
By region
Region
Decisions
Cut below proposal
Median proposed
Median set
Median days
London
151
66%
18.2%
11.8%
82
North West
94
65%
13.3%
7.75%
68
South East
77
82%
11.3%
4.8%
73
West Midlands
48
71%
13.7%
8%
92
Yorkshire and The Humber
40
73%
13.3%
8%
68
East of England
31
61%
8.1%
5.6%
74
South West
29
69%
9.3%
6.7%
84
East Midlands
21
71%
8.8%
5%
131
North East
18
56%
9.45%
6.2%
71
Read the data with care. Most decisions dated since 1 May 2026 are on applications made earlier, under the old rules (where the tribunal could set a rent above the proposal: 30 decisions did). Of the 76 cases carrying the new "MRA" tribunal code, 44 were cut and 31 confirmed; none went higher. Figures are extracted automatically from published decisions, 1 May 2026 to 15 September 2026; a small share may be misread. Each linked decision is the authority.
Common mistakes we see in tribunal decisions and forums
Using a rent review clause or an old Form 4 for a private tenancy after 1 May 2026.
A start date that is less than 2 months away or is not the start of a rental period.
A second increase within 12 months of the last one.
Asking for the top of the local market for a property in average condition. The tribunal adjusts comparables for condition, furnishings and who pays for repairs.
Not replying to the tribunal with evidence within the time given.
Questions landlords ask
What is a section 13 notice?
It is the statutory notice a landlord uses to propose a new rent for an assured periodic tenancy, under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. Since 1 May 2026 the prescribed form for private landlords in England is Form 4A. It is the only way to impose a rent increase on an assured periodic tenant without their agreement.
When can a section 13 notice be served?
You can serve it at any time, but the new rent can only start at least 2 months after the notice is served, at least 52 weeks after the tenancy began or the last increase (sometimes 53 weeks, see Note A3 on the form), and on the first day of a tenancy period. GOV.UK says the process must be followed every time you raise the rent.
Is there a free section 13 notice template?
The official template is Form 4A itself, published free on GOV.UK. Do not use a home-made version or the older Form 4 for private tenancies: the form contains prescribed wording that you should not change. We link to the official PDF rather than offering our own copy.
Can I still use a rent review clause in the tenancy agreement?
Not to raise rent after 1 May 2026. GOV.UK says that if a rent review was agreed before 1 May 2026 but takes effect after it, the increase will not apply. A Form 4 notice given before 1 May 2026 remains enforceable even if the new rent starts afterwards.
Can the tribunal set a higher rent than I asked for?
Not under the new rules. The Renters’ Rights Act inserted section 14ZB into the Housing Act 1988: the new rent is the open-market rent if that is lower than your proposed rent, and otherwise your proposed rent. It can be lower than the current rent if the tribunal finds the market rent is lower.
How long does a rent tribunal take?
In the 553 substantive decisions dated since 1 May 2026 that we analysed, the median time from application to decision was 78 days (middle half: 58–113 days), where the application date could be read from the decision.
What we can do
We prepare a comparable-rent evidence pack and check your Form 4A dates before you serve. Fixed prices on the pricing page. We do not represent parties at the tribunal.
Tribunal statistics: our analysis of decisions published on GOV.UK (Open Government Licence v3.0). Local average rents: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (average of existing lets, not new lets).
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Official pages change; follow the source link before you act.