Section 13 Rent Increase Notice Generator (Form 4A, England 2026)
The rent has not moved in over a year and your costs have. Since 1 May 2026 a private landlord in England raises the rent with a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, and the date you put in box 4.6 has to satisfy three separate rules. This tool asks about your tenancy, works out the earliest date that is valid, and completes the form for you to review, download and serve.
By OfficeDraft Legal Research Team · Last updated · How this works · Sources
The tenancy and today’s rent
Form 4A is for private-sector assured periodic tenancies in England, notices served from 1 May 2026.
1.1 Tenant(s) *
1.2 Property
4.1 Current rent and 4.2 tenancy start
The tenancy period must be a month or less.
The start of the current tenancy. If a fixed term ended and it became periodic, use the original start of the tenancy, not the end of the fixed term. If you are unsure, check the tenancy agreement.
Notice preview
Updates as you typeFORM 4A
Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent for assured tenancies in the private rented sector
Housing Act 1988 s.13(2), as amended · England · version 05.26
1.1 Tenant(s)
Not entered yet
1.2 Property
Not entered yet
4.1 Current rent
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4.5 Proposed rent
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4.2 Tenancy started
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4.6 New rent starts
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2. Landlord
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Signed by
— (landlord)
Summary only. The PDF reproduces the full prescribed Form 4A, including the tenant’s information and Notes A and B.
Where you are now, and where this gets you
Most landlords who arrive here have the same question: what do I have to put on the form so the increase actually holds? The form itself is two pages. The difficulty is the dates. A start date that is one day off, or not the first day of a rent period, is the usual reason a notice is open to challenge.
Where most landlords start
- Rent unchanged for more than a year while your costs moved.
- Unsure which form applies after 1 May 2026 and whether your old template still works.
- Counting weeks and months by hand, then checking again.
- Worried a wrong date will mean starting over.
What you hold when you finish
- Form 4A (05.26) completed with your details.
- Earliest valid start date worked out from the three rules in Note A.
- Dates you pick are checked before you pay.
- A PDF you can review, print and serve, with a reminder of when the next increase could start.
Who this is for, and who it is not
Use it if you are a private landlord, or an agent acting for one, increasing the rent on an assured periodic tenancy in England and the rent period is a month or less.
It is not the right tool for
- Social housing tenancies. These use Form 4, not Form 4A.
- Tenancies in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The rules and forms are different.
- Fixed-term tenancies where the agreement itself sets the rent for the term.
- Rent increases the tenant has already agreed in writing. You can agree a new rent without a notice, but you cannot then rely on a notice for it.
- Resident landlords, holiday lets and other lettings outside the assured tenancy regime.
The rules in plain English
Form 4A carries its own instructions in Note A. These are the rules the tool applies, with where each comes from.
| Rule | What it means | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Two months’ notice | The new rent cannot start until at least two months after the notice is served. | Form 4A, Note A2 |
| 52 weeks between increases | The first increase cannot start until 52 weeks after the tenancy began. A later one cannot start until 52 weeks after the last increase. If that would land more than 6 days before the anniversary of the date in question 4.4, wait one more week (53 weeks). | Form 4A, Note A3 |
| Start of a rent period | The new rent must start on the first day of a tenancy period, for example the 1st of the month if rent runs 1st to 1st. The period must be a month or less. | Form 4A, Note A4 |
| Section 13 is the only route | A rent increase under section 13 is the only way to raise the rent in a periodic tenancy. A rent review clause in the agreement no longer does this. | Housing Act 1988 s.13, as amended |
| Tenant can ask the tribunal | The tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the date in question 4.6. The tribunal cannot set a rent higher than the one you proposed. | Form 4A, Note B |
Where a rule can be read two ways the tool takes the later date, because a later start is never invalid.
Worked example
Priya lets a flat in Leeds to one tenant on a monthly periodic tenancy. It began on 20 April 2024. Rent has been £800 a month since the last increase on 20 June 2025. She wants £850 and serves the notice by hand on 16 October 2026.
- 1Date served: 16 October 2026. Counted from the day the tenant actually receives it.
- 2Two months on: 16 December 2026. Note A2. The new rent cannot start before this.
- 352 weeks after last increase: 19 June 2026. Note A3. Already passed, so it does not hold her back.
- 4Rent day: The 20th. Note A4. Rent runs 20th to 20th, so the new rent has to start on a 20th.
- 5Earliest valid date for 4.6: 20 December 2026. The first 20th on or after 16 December.
- 6Earliest next increase: 20 December 2027 or later. The tool shows it so you can diary it.
An illustration, not a real tenancy. Your dates will differ. The generator does this arithmetic from your own answers.
How to serve the notice
- Hand it to the tenant, or leave it at the property, and note the date and time.
- Or post it, allow for delivery, and keep the posting receipt.
- Email only works if the tenancy agreement allows it and the tenant has agreed to notices by email.
- Serve a copy on each joint tenant.
- Keep a copy of what you served. The service date drives the two-month rule.
What the tenant can do
The tenant can accept the new rent, negotiate, or apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the date in box 4.6. The tribunal decides the market rent for the property. It cannot set a rent higher than the one in your notice. A rent it sets does not go back to the date in your notice, and it can delay the new rent by up to two months if the increase would cause the tenant undue hardship. The tenant can also question whether the notice itself is valid, which is why the dates matter. See what happens when a tenant challenges the increase.
A notice served on the old Form 4 before 1 May 2026 remains effective. That does not extend to rent review clauses agreed before that date but taking effect after it.
Mistakes that cause trouble
- Using Form 4 instead of Form 4A. From 1 May 2026 Form 4 is for social housing only. A private landlord needs Form 4A (05.26). Old copies still turn up in search results.
- A start date that is not the first day of a rent period. Rent paid on the 20th cannot start a new amount on the 1st. This is the error landlords make most often and it is the one the tool checks first.
- Counting two months from the date you wrote the notice. The two months run from service, not from the date on the page. If you post it, allow for delivery and keep proof.
- Increasing again too soon. Fifty-two weeks is not “next year on the same date”. Counting 12 months from the last increase can fall a day or two short.
- Relying on a rent review clause. Increases under a rent review clause or an agreed addendum do not do what they used to. Use Form 4A.
- Serving while an earlier notice is with the tribunal. If the tenant has already referred a notice for this tenancy and it has not been decided, wait for the decision before serving another.
- No record of when and how it was served. If the tenant says they never got it, the date you served it decides everything. A dated note or posting receipt settles it.
If the rent is not being paid: the claim pack (waitlist)
A rent increase and rent arrears are separate problems. If arrears build up, the next step is a Section 8 notice and, if that does not resolve it, a possession claim. We are building a pack that prepares the court forms (N5 and N119) from the details you already entered. It is not ready yet. Leave your email and we will write once, when it is.
We use your email only for this. No other marketing. This is a waitlist, not a purchase.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Section 13 notice?
It is the formal notice a landlord serves to increase the rent on an assured periodic tenancy under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. Since 1 May 2026 it is the only route for a rent increase in a periodic tenancy in England, and private landlords must use Form 4A.
What is Form 4A?
Form 4A is the prescribed form for a Section 13 notice on a private assured periodic tenancy in England from 1 May 2026. The current version is 05.26. Form 4 is now only for social housing.
Where can I get Form 4A?
The blank form is on GOV.UK. This generator completes it for you from your answers, works out the earliest valid date for the new rent, and gives you a PDF you can serve. Look for 05.26 at the foot of the form to be sure it is the current version.
How much notice must I give?
At least two months before the new rent is due to start, and the start date must also be the first day of a rent period. In practice that often means a little over two months.
How often can I increase the rent?
Once a year at most. The first increase cannot start until 52 weeks after the tenancy began, and any later one not until 52 weeks after the last increase, with an extra week in some cases (Note A3).
Can the tenant challenge the increase?
Yes. The tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the date in question 4.6. The tribunal decides what the market rent is. It cannot set it higher than the rent you proposed. The tenant can also challenge whether the notice itself is valid.
Does the new rent apply from the date in my notice if the tenant applies to the tribunal?
Not automatically. If the tenant applies, the tribunal decides, and a rent it sets does not go back to the date in your notice. The tribunal can also delay the new rent by up to two months where it would cause the tenant undue hardship.
Does a Form 4 I served before 1 May 2026 still count?
A valid Form 4 served before 1 May 2026 remains effective. Increases under a rent review clause that were agreed before 1 May but only take effect after it do not apply.
Can I serve a Section 13 notice by email?
Only if the tenancy agreement allows it and the tenant has agreed to receive notices that way. Otherwise hand it over, leave it at the property or post it, and keep proof of the date.
Can I raise the rent by agreement instead?
You can agree a new rent with the tenant in writing. An agreed increase is not the same as a Section 13 notice, and the 52-week clock treats them differently, so the tool asks how the last increase was made.
Is the generated notice legal advice?
No. It is a draft built from your answers on the prescribed form. Review every box before you serve it, and speak to a solicitor or a landlord association if your situation is unusual.
What does the tool not check?
It does not check what rent is reasonable, whether your tenancy is assured, or what your tenancy agreement says. It checks the dates and the form, not the market.
Methodology: what this tool checks, and what it does not
The tool works from the text of Form 4A (05.26) and the three date rules in its Note A. It uses your answers only to complete the form and run those rules.
What it checks
- The notice is on the layout and wording of Form 4A (05.26).
- The new rent start date is at least two months after service (Note A2).
- It is at least 52 weeks after the tenancy began or the last increase, with the 53-week rule applied (Note A3).
- It is the first day of a rent period (Note A4).
- The proposed rent is higher than the current one and uses the same rent period.
- Included charges in 4.7 do not add up to more than the rent.
What it does not check
- Whether the proposed rent is reasonable or what a tribunal would set.
- Whether your tenancy is an assured periodic tenancy.
- What your tenancy agreement says.
- Whether you have served the notice properly. Only you can prove that.
Where a rule is open to two readings the tool takes the later date. A later start date is never invalid.
The notice it produces is a draft for you to review. It is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Assured tenancy forms for privately rented properties from 1 May 2026, including Form 4A (GOV.UK)
- Housing Act 1988, section 13: increase of rent under periodic tenancy (legislation.gov.uk)
- Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber): residential property (GOV.UK)
The blank form is on GOV.UK.