Looking to up the rent for your property?

Looking to up the rent for your property?

2025 Rent increase regulations

The regulations with England are currently in the transition phase, with proposed changes to the current series of legislation that all individuals within the rental market have to follow to make the process clearer, fairer, and more consistent for both landlords and tenants.

This proposed legislation states that the private rent increases can only be permitted once per year via serving a section 13 notice two months in advance of the rent increase date. This notice must clearly state the proposed new rent and the date the increase will take effect. If the landlord has authorised their letting agency to manage the property, the agency can serve a rent increase notice on the landlord’s behalf. This is a common for fully managed tenancies.

However, the letting agency must:

• Have written authorisation from the landlord.

• Follow the correct legal process under the Housing Act 1988.

• Use the official Section 13 Notice (Form 4) for rent increases.

This procedure allows the Tenant time to plan their expenditures and work around this rent increase efficiently. Otherwise if the appropriate time is not provided, they may struggle to pay it upfront, potentially leading to rent arrears. When serving the notice you must still ensure that the price of the property is in line with the current market rate for similar local properties. 

Although you have the right to serve this section 13 notice, the tenants are now been given the right to challenge your proposal, taking their case to the first tribunal. This would only happen in cases where the tenant believes that the rent proposed is excessive or unfair on them. This is why it is essential that you keep the increase to the same rate as local properties and do not impose an excessive rate. If the tribunal finds the proposed rent unreasonable, it may set a different rent level or reject the increase entirely. This safeguard helps promote transparency and balance between landlords and tenants.

Important notes:

• Fixed-term/ Periodic tenancies - This legislation will primarily effect how rent increases are handled for periodic tenancies, as it aims to create a single, fair process across the board. 
• Section 13 notices must be written in exact wordings, with no mistakes and can be found on the government website. 

Additional reads:

Landlords: why it’s crucial to conduct regular inspections: 

The most common mistakes that Landlords make and how to avoid them: