Resources · RRA 2025
Rent Review Clauses and the Renters’ Rights Act 2025
- From 1 May 2026, rent-review clauses no longer take effect on assured tenancies in England.
- The only lawful wayto increase rent is by serving a valid Section 13 notice on Form 4A with at least two months’ notice.
- Escalator clauses, annual review clauses, and index-linked clauses are all caught — none operate through the agreement alone.
- A landlord who relies on a review clause without a Section 13 notice has no enforceable rent increase.
Rent-review clauses were a standard feature of many fixed-term tenancy agreements: phrases like “rent may be reviewed annually” or “rent increases by CPI each January” gave landlords a contractual mechanism to raise the rent without serving statutory notices. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 ended that.
What Changed on 1 May 2026
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies and replaced them with assured periodic tenancies. On periodic tenancies, a rent increase can only take effect through the statutory Section 13 process (Housing Act 1988 s.13). Agreements purporting to increase rent outside that process — including rent-review clauses — do not take effect.
This applies to tenancy agreements entered into before 1 May 2026 as well as new ones. A clause that was contractually valid in a pre-RRA fixed-term AST lost its operating effect when that tenancy converted to a periodic tenancy on commencement of the Act.
What Counts as a Rent-Review Clause
Any contractual provision that either automatically increases the rent on a given date, or gives the landlord a contractual right to increase rent outside the Section 13 process, is caught. That includes:
- annual review clauses (“rent reviewed each April”)
- escalator clauses (“rent increases by CPI / 3% each year”)
- index-linked clauses (“rent tracks RPI”)
- landlord-only notice clauses outside the prescribed Form 4A
None of these increase rent on their own from 1 May 2026. The landlord must serve a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, and the frequency, notice period, and effective date requirements all apply regardless of what the agreement says. See how often rent can be increased for the once-per-52-weeks rule.
Landlords who have historically relied on a clause rather than serving a Section 13 notice will find their rent is still at the last formally-agreed figure — not the amount a review clause would have produced. Catching up requires serving a Section 13 notice that takes effect at least 52 weeks after the last increase, with a valid Form 4A and two months’ notice. It cannot be backdated.
How to Increase Rent Lawfully from 1 May 2026
Serve a valid Section 13 notice on Form 4A. The notice must:
- use the current form (Form 4A, prescribed from 1 May 2026)
- specify the proposed new rent and the effective date
- give at least two months’ notice
- specify an effective date that falls on the first day of a new tenancy period
- not propose an increase that takes effect within 52 weeks of the last increase
The full process is covered in how to serve a Section 13 notice and the common mistakes that invalidate the notice.
Frequency and Amount
Even with a valid Section 13 notice, increases are limited to once per 52 weeks. There is no statutory cap on the amount — the ceiling is market rent. If the tenant refers the notice to the First-tier Tribunal, the tribunal can only set the market rent or a lower figure (s.14ZB Housing Act 1988 as amended). For more on how the amount is assessed, see how much can I increase rent.
Plan your next Section 13 noticeRelated guides
How Often Can Rent Be Increased?
Once every 52 weeks via Section 13 — why the tenancy agreement can’t override it.
Rent Increase Limits UK
Is there a cap or a maximum? Why the Renters' Rights Act is not a rent cap — and the three real limits.
No Form 4A, No Rent Increase
What happens if rent is raised without a Form 4A — and the transitional trap.
7 Section 13 Mistakes That Invalidate It
The procedural errors that void a notice on its face.
Rent in Advance Under the Renters' Rights Act
The new cap on rent requested in advance under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord still use a rent review clause after the Renters’ Rights Act?
No. From 1 May 2026 the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 makes Section 13 the only lawful mechanism for increasing rent on an assured periodic tenancy in England. A rent-review clause in the agreement that purports to increase rent automatically, or on a different schedule, has no legal effect.
What happens if a landlord tries to increase rent using a review clause?
The increase does not take effect. Rent can only be raised by serving a valid Section 13 notice on Form 4A with at least two months’ notice. If a landlord demands a higher rent without a valid Section 13 notice, the tenant is not legally obliged to pay the higher amount.
Did rent review clauses ever work for periodic tenancies?
In fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies agreed before 1 May 2026, a rent-review clause could operate within the fixed term. The Renters’ Rights Act abolished new fixed-term ASTs and converted existing ones to periodic tenancies on commencement — removing the mechanism by which review clauses operated inside a fixed term.
Is a rent escalator clause still valid?
No. An escalator clause — for example ‘rent increases by 3% each April’ — is a form of rent-review clause and does not take effect on an assured periodic tenancy from 1 May 2026. All rent increases must go through the Section 13 notice process.