Resources · Landlords

Section 13 Notice Rejected? You Can Reissue — Here’s How

Updated 20 June 2026 · England only

If a tenant, an adviser, or a tribunal has told you your Section 13 notice is invalid, the situation is more recoverable than it feels. A defective notice is not a missed opportunity for the year — in most cases you can correct the error and serve a fresh notice straight away. This page explains what “rejected” actually means, whether reissuing costs you time, and how to make the second notice watertight.

“Rejected” Usually Means One of Two Things

There is no formal “rejection” of a Section 13 notice, so the word is doing one of two jobs:

• The notice is void— it breached a procedural rule (wrong form, under two months’ notice, a mid-period effective date, or wrong figures), so it never took legal effect. The old rent simply continues.
• The tenant has challenged it— the notice may be perfectly valid, but the tenant has referred the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal. That is a different situation; see what happens when a tenant challenges your increase.

This page is about the first case — a notice that is void and needs replacing.

Yes — You Can Serve a Fresh Notice

Because a void notice has no legal effect, there is nothing to undo. You do not amend it, and there is no appeal to lodge. You simply serve a new Form 4A that fixes the defect, starting the notice period again from the date you serve the replacement. Treat the first notice as if it never existed — because, legally, it didn’t.

Does the 12-Month Clock Reset?

This is the question that worries most landlords, and the answer is reassuring: no. The once-in-52-weeks restriction in section 13(2) counts from the last rent increase that actually took effect. A void notice never took effect, so it never started a new 52-week period. You are not pushed back a year by a failed attempt.

What the replacement notice muststill satisfy is the ordinary timing: at least two months’ notice, an effective date aligned to the start of a rent period, and the 52/53-week interval measured from the last valid increase. Run the dates through the Section 13 timing check so the replacement is right first time.

Fix the Defect Before You Reissue

Reissuing only helps if the new notice doesn’t repeat the mistake. The common defects that void a Section 13 notice are well known — identify yours before you serve again:

• The seven procedural mistakes that invalidate a notice — the full checklist.
• Mooney v Whiteland— why an effective date on the wrong day of the period voids the notice.
• Wrong rent figures on Form 4A — the six figure errors that sink a notice.
• The 2026 notice period— two months, aligned to the rent period, since 1 May 2026.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong Twice

A second void notice doesn’t just delay the increase — it erodes your standing if the matter ever reaches a tribunal, and where a managing agent served the notice it can raise questions of professional negligence. Since 1 May 2026 the tribunal can only confirm or reduce a proposed rent under section 14ZB, never raise it, so there is no upside to a sloppy notice and real downside to a void one. Get the replacement right and keep the audit trail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reissue a Section 13 notice after it was rejected?

Yes. A Section 13 notice that is void — wrong form, short notice, a mid-period effective date, or wrong figures — has no legal effect at all. Because it never operated, you are free to serve a fresh, corrected Form 4A. You do not appeal or amend the old notice; you replace it with a clean one served from scratch.

Does serving a new Section 13 notice reset the 12-month clock?

No. The once-in-52-weeks restriction in section 13 runs from the last rent increase that actually took effect — not from a void notice. A notice that never operated does not count as an increase, so it does not start a new 52-week period. The new notice must still give at least two months' notice and take effect at the start of a rent period.

Do I have to wait before reissuing a void Section 13 notice?

Only the standard two-month minimum notice period applies to the new notice. There is no separate penalty waiting time for a void notice — but you cannot backdate it. The earliest effective date on the replacement is two months after you serve it, aligned to the next rent period.

What if the tenant has already paid the increased rent?

If the original notice was void, the increase was never legally due, so any extra the tenant paid is in principle recoverable or can be credited. Resolve this before serving a fresh notice — serve the new Form 4A at the correct figure and keep a clear record of what was paid under the defective notice.