Form 4A Rent Increase Template: How to Fill It In (England 2026)

You have found the blank form and the boxes make sense until you reach the dates. This guide goes through Form 4A (05.26) box by box, explains which start dates are valid, and shows you the choice: complete it by hand from GOV.UK, or let the generator fill it in and check the dates.

By OfficeDraft Legal Research Team · Last updated 16 October 2026 · How this works · Sources

✓ Form 4A (05.26)✓ Box-by-box guide✓ Date rules from Note A

What Form 4A is

Form 4A is the prescribed notice for a Section 13 rent increase on a private assured periodic tenancy in England from 1 May 2026. Form 4 is now for social housing only. A notice on any other document is not valid for a private tenancy.

The rules for a Section 13 rent increase in England
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

Box by box

What each box on Form 4A asks for
Box	What it asks	Tip
1.1 – 1.2	Tenant name(s) and the property address	Name every joint tenant. Use the address as in the tenancy agreement.
2.1 – 2.3	Landlord name, address and contact details	The address must be one the tenant can send things to.
3.1 – 3.3	Agent details, only if an agent is acting	Leave blank if you serve it yourself.
4.1	Current rent and how often it is paid	The rent period must be a month or less.
4.2	Date the tenancy began	For the first increase this starts the 52-week count.
4.3	Date of the last increase, if any	This starts the 52-week count for later increases.
4.4	Date of the first rent increase after 11 February 2003, if any	Used for the extra-week rule in Note A3.
4.5	Proposed new rent	Use the same rent period as 4.1. A tribunal cannot set it higher than this.
4.6	Date the new rent starts	See the three tests below.
4.7	Council tax, water, energy, communications and fixed service charges	Enter nil where nothing is included.
Signature	Who signed, print name, date, and any extra signatories	Landlord or agent. Joint landlords can add signatories.

Choosing the date for 4.6

Your date has to pass three tests. Work out each, then take the latest:

Two months after the day the tenant receives the notice.
52 weeks after the tenancy began (first increase) or after the last increase, plus a week if Note A3 applies.
The next first day of a rent period on or after that date.

Example: rent runs from the 20th, you serve on 16 October 2026 and the last increase was more than a year ago. Two months on is 16 December, and the first 20th on or after that is 20 December 2026.

By hand or with the generator

Doing it by hand costs nothing: download the blank from GOV.UK, complete it, and check the dates against the table above. The generator does the same on the same form, works out the earliest valid date, flags a date that fails a test before you pay, and shows when the next increase could start. You can try it and preview the notice before you decide.

Open the Section 13 generator

Mistakes to avoid

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

Is there a free Form 4A template I can fill in?

The blank form is free on GOV.UK. You can print it and complete it by hand. The generator fills the same boxes for you and checks the dates before you download.

Can I use my own letter instead of Form 4A?

No. A notice on any other document is not a valid Section 13 notice for a private assured periodic tenancy. The form has to follow the prescribed layout and wording.

Do I still need a covering letter?

It is not required. Some landlords add a short, polite letter explaining the increase. It does not replace the form and is not part of the notice.

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.

Methodology

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.