Validity · Section 13

No Form 4A, No Rent Increase: What Changed in England on 1 May 2026

Updated 10 May 2026 · England only

Your landlord wants more rent. They've sent you a letter. Or a text. Or just said it out loud last week. They haven't given you a thing called a Form 4A.

Here's where you stand.

The Short Answer

Since 1 May 2026, the only lawful way to raise rent on an assured tenancy in England is a Section 13 notice served on the prescribed Form 4A. No form, no enforceable increase. The tenant carries on paying the original rent. The landlord cannot recover the difference as arrears.

That's the rule. The rest of this page explains where it comes from.

Where the Rule Sits in Law

Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 has always been the statutory route for raising rent on a periodic tenancy. Until 1 May 2026 it sat alongside contractual rent review clauses — the route some landlords used, others ignored.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (c.26) changed that. From 1 May 2026, Section 13 is the onlyroute. Any clause in a tenancy agreement that purports to increase rent outside the Section 13 process is void. That includes the standard “rent will be reviewed annually” clauses sitting in most pre-2026 agreements. They have no legal effect on increases due to take effect on or after 1 May 2026, regardless of when the agreement was signed.

What a Valid Form 4A Looks Like

Form 4A is the prescribed government form. It replaced the old Form 4 on 1 May 2026. It is free to download from GOV.UK and must be used in full. You cannot paraphrase it into a letter, recreate the layout in Word, or email it unless the tenancy agreement explicitly permits electronic service of notices.

A valid Form 4A:

• States the current rent, the proposed new rent, and the date the increase takes effect.
• Is served on the tenant at least two months before that effective date.
• Specifies an effective date that falls on the first day of a rental period — not mid-month, not a random calendar date.
• Is served in person, by post, or by email (only if the tenancy agreement allows email service of notices).

Source: GOV.UK — Renting out your property: rent increases. Housing Act 1988 s.13(2).

What Happens if It's Missing or Defective

If a landlord has not served a valid Form 4A:

• The proposed increase has no legal effect.
• The tenant continues to owe the original rent only.
• The landlord cannot recover the difference as arrears.
• The landlord cannot pursue eviction for non-payment of the higher amount.

If a Form 4A was served but contains a defect — wrong effective date, less than two months' notice, served by WhatsApp, an outdated version of the form — it is invalid. A defective notice is treated the same as no notice. The landlord has to start again with a fresh, correct Form 4A and a fresh two-month notice period.

There is no court route to cure a defective notice. The only remedy is to serve a new one.

If You're a Tenant

Your position is straightforward:

• Pay the original rent.
• Do not pay the higher amount your landlord is asking for outside of a Form 4A. Paying it does not make the increase valid, but it does make it harder to argue against later.
• Keep written evidence of what your landlord has said or sent. Texts, emails, letters — all useful.
• If your landlord serves a Form 4A, check three things: the effective date is at least two months away, it falls on the first day of your rental period, and the form is the current version on GOV.UK. If any of those fails, the notice is defective and you do not owe the increase until a correct one is served.
• If your landlord serves a valid Form 4A but you believe the proposed rent is above the open market rate, you have until the effective date to apply to the First-tier Tribunal. After that date, the right to challenge lapses.

Run the seven-point validity check before paying anything: Is My Section 13 Rent Increase Invalid?

If You're a Landlord

Your position is also straightforward, and more expensive.

An increase you tried to push through without a Form 4A is unenforceable. The months between the date you wanted the increase and the date you actually serve a correct Form 4A are lost. On a £1,200 tenancy with a £100 intended increase, three months of delay is £300 of lost income. Not catastrophic. Entirely avoidable.

Get the form right the first time:

• Effective date on the first day of the rental period.
• Two full months of notice from the actual date of service, not the date you completed the form.
• Use the current version downloaded fresh from GOV.UK each time. Older versions saved to your desktop may no longer be the prescribed form.
• Keep proof of service: certificate of posting, tracked delivery, or — if your agreement permits email — a read receipt.

Bottom Line

After 1 May 2026, raising rent in England is a paperwork exercise. The paperwork is Form 4A. No form, no increase. A defective form is the same as no form.

This is not a legal grey area. The statute is explicit. The GOV.UK guidance is clear. Landlords who get this wrong now will discover, in three to six months, that they have forfeited a year's worth of increase across their portfolio.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my landlord raises my rent without serving a Form 4A?

The increase has no legal effect. You continue to owe the original rent only. The landlord cannot recover the difference as arrears and cannot pursue eviction for non-payment of the higher amount. Since 1 May 2026, Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, makes Form 4A the only lawful way to raise rent on an assured tenancy in England.

Is a verbal rent increase legal in England after 1 May 2026?

No. A verbal agreement to a rent increase, even one you accepted at the time, does not bind you under the post-2026 regime. The only enforceable mechanism is a written Form 4A notice served at least two months before the effective date and dated to the first day of a rental period. Any other route, including signed letters and emails outside an electronic-service clause, is void.

Can my landlord serve Form 4A by WhatsApp or text message?

No. Messaging apps are not valid methods of service for statutory notices. Valid service is in person, by post, or by email — and email is only valid if the tenancy agreement explicitly permits electronic service of notices. A Form 4A sent by WhatsApp is treated the same as no notice at all.

My landlord served the old Form 4 just before 1 May 2026 — is it still valid?

Yes, in most cases. Per GOV.UK guidance, a Form 4 served before 1 May 2026 with an effective date on or after 1 May remains valid. The form was a valid notice at the moment of service. This exception applies only to validly served Form 4 notices — it does not apply to rent increases agreed under contractual review clauses, which are void from 1 May 2026 regardless of when they were agreed.

If I keep paying only the old rent, can my landlord evict me?

Not on the basis of unpaid increase. Without a valid Form 4A, the higher amount is not legally owed, so non-payment cannot constitute arrears. Section 8 possession grounds based on rent arrears require a debt the law recognises. A landlord who pursues eviction for rent that was never lawfully owed faces a defective claim and potential costs.