Resources · Rent Increases
How Often Can Rent Be Increased? Once Every 52 Weeks, Not “Once a Year”
- On a periodic assured tenancy, rent can be increased once every 52 weeks through a Section 13 notice.
- A second increase inside that window is not valid — and the tenancy agreement cannot override the once-a-year limit.
- From 1 May 2026, each increase needs at least two months’ notice before it takes effect.
- Rent-review clauses in the agreement no longer take effect — Section 13 is the only route.
Once every 52 weeks — and it’s notthe same as once a calendar year. On a periodic assured tenancy in England, a landlord can raise the rent once every 52 weeks via a Section 13 notice, measured to the day from when the last increase took effect. The tenancy agreement cannot override this limit. From 1 May 2026, each increase needs two months’ notice. This page sets out exactly how the 52-week calculation works and what cannot shorten it.
Once Every 52 Weeks, via Section 13
Under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988, a landlord increases the rent on a periodic tenancy by serving a notice in the prescribed form (Form 4A from 1 May 2026). The increase can take effect only once in any 52-week period. GOV.UK guidance states it plainly: landlords can increase rents once per year to the market rate (GOV.UK: Rent increases).
So a landlord cannot raise the rent in January and again in July. The second notice would simply be invalid. The 52-week clock runs from the date the last increase took effect, not from the date of the tenancy or the date a notice was served.
The Agreement Cannot Make It More Frequent
A tenancy agreement that says rent “may be reviewed every six months”, or sets out an escalator formula, does not change the statutory position. From 1 May 2026, the Section 13 notice is the only lawful mechanism to increase rent on an assured tenancy, and rent-review clauses no longer take effect (Renters’ Rights Act 2025). The once-a-year limit holds whatever the agreement says.
The usual mistake is treating a rent-review clause in the tenancy agreement as a standing permission to raise rent on the clause’s schedule. It is not. Since the Renters’ Rights Act, the statutory Section 13 route overrides those clauses entirely. A landlord who relies on the agreement and skips the Section 13 notice — or who serves a second notice inside 52 weeks — ends up with an increase that does not legally take effect.
Two Months’ Notice, Properly Dated
Frequency is not the only timing rule. From 1 May 2026 a Section 13 notice must give at least two months’ notice (up from one month) before the new rent starts, and the start date must align to the tenancy period. Get the date wrong and the notice can be void even though the frequency is fine. Our guide on how to serve a Section 13 notice covers the dating rules, and the 53-week rule explains the edge case where a long-running tenancy needs 53 weeks rather than 52.
How Often Can the Tenant Challenge?
Each time a landlord serves a valid Section 13 notice, the tenant can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal before the new rent takes effect. Because increases are limited to once a year, a tenant faces at most one such decision per year. From 1 May 2026 that challenge is downside-only for the landlord: the tribunal can confirm or reduce the figure but never raise it. See how a market rent determination works.
Time your next increase correctlyRelated guides
The 53-Week Rule Explained
Section 13(3B) Housing Act 1988 — why some long-running tenancies need 53 weeks, not 52.
Rent Increase Limits UK
Is there a cap or a maximum? The real limits on amount, frequency and notice.
How to Serve a Section 13 Notice
The dating rules, service methods, and proof to keep so the increase actually takes effect.
Form 4A Template: Free Download
The official PDF, why there's no Word version, and how to fill it without voiding the notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often can a landlord increase rent in England?
Once every 52 weeks on a periodic assured tenancy, using a valid Section 13 notice on the prescribed form. GOV.UK guidance confirms rent can be increased once per year to the market rate. From 1 May 2026 each increase needs at least two months' notice before it takes effect.
Can my rent be increased twice in one year?
No. Through the Section 13 process a landlord cannot increase the rent more than once in any 52-week period. A second Section 13 notice inside that window is not valid, regardless of what the tenancy agreement says or how much costs have risen.
Can the tenancy agreement allow more frequent rent increases?
No. From 1 May 2026 the Section 13 notice is the only lawful way to increase rent on an assured tenancy, and rent-review clauses no longer take effect. An agreement that purports to allow increases every six months, or an escalator formula, cannot override the once-a-year statutory limit.
How much notice must a landlord give for a rent increase?
At least two months from 1 May 2026, up from one month previously. The Section 13 notice must state the date the new rent takes effect, and that date must be at least two months after the notice is served and aligned to the tenancy period.