Is that rent increase reasonable?
Put in the old and new figures and see the rise as a percentage, per month and per year. Then, more usefully, what you can do about it: negotiate with evidence, check the letter is valid, or challenge a Section 13 notice at tribunal before it takes effect.
Proposed increase
+8.8%
That is £150.00 more per month, or £1,800 a year, before any change in bills or council tax.
The numbers
Is the new figure fair?
The percentage on its own tells you very little. Compare the proposed rent against the ONS index of private housing rental prices for your borough, and against current asking prices for similar flats nearby. If comparable places are listed below the proposed figure, that is your strongest evidence; if they are above it, the increase may simply be the market catching up with your tenancy.
Your options
- 1.Negotiate with evidence. Reply with listings for comparable flats, point to your record as a tenant, and offer a figure you can live with. An empty property costs the landlord money every week, and a reliable tenant at a slightly lower rent often beats a gamble on a new one.
- 2.Challenge a Section 13 notice. If the increase arrived on a formal Section 13 notice, you can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the start date on the notice. The tribunal decides what the property would let for on the open market, and applying is free. Keep paying your current rent in the meantime.
- 3.Check the current rules. The Renters' Rights Act is changing how and how often rent can be raised and how challenges work, with provisions commencing in stages, so check gov.uk for the position that applies before you act.
Keep the numbers to hand
Create a free account and we'll save your figures, plus send you our template for replying to a rent increase letter.
Common questions
How often can my landlord raise the rent?
On a periodic (rolling) tenancy, a landlord using the formal Section 13 route can raise the rent no more than once every 12 months. During a fixed term, the rent can only go up if the agreement contains a rent review clause or you agree to the change. A landlord can always propose a new figure informally, but you do not have to accept it unless one of those mechanisms applies. The Renters' Rights Act is reshaping these rules, so check gov.uk for the position that applies to your tenancy today.
What is a Section 13 notice?
It is the formal notice (Form 4) a landlord serves to raise the rent on a periodic assured or assured shorthold tenancy without the tenant's agreement. It must be on the prescribed form, state the new rent and its start date, and give you a minimum notice period, historically at least a month for a monthly tenancy, with the required period changing under the Renters' Rights Act, so check the current rules. If you think the new figure is above the market rate, you can refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal before the start date it states.
Can I be evicted for challenging a rent increase?
Challenging a Section 13 notice at tribunal is a legal right and not itself a ground for eviction. The historic worry was retaliation by Section 21, the no-fault route, but the Renters' Rights Act abolishes Section 21, with commencement happening in stages, so check the current status on gov.uk. Once it is fully in force, a landlord needs a legal ground under Section 8, such as arrears or selling the property, to evict. Keep paying the existing rent while any challenge is under way.
What does the tribunal actually look at?
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decides what the property would let for on the open market: it weighs the rents of similar properties nearby, the condition of yours, and what is included, such as furniture or bills. It disregards any increase in value from improvements you paid for and any fall in value from damage you caused. Historically it could set the rent higher as well as lower than the landlord's figure; under the Renters' Rights Act it is not meant to exceed the proposed rent, so check the current position before applying.
Does a fixed term protect me from increases?
Broadly yes. During a fixed term the rent is locked unless your agreement contains a rent review clause or you agree to a change, which is one reason longer fixed terms appealed to tenants who valued certainty. Once the term ends and the tenancy rolls on periodically, the Section 13 route opens up, subject to the once-a-year limit. The Renters' Rights Act moves tenancies onto a periodic footing, which changes how this works in practice, so check gov.uk for the current framework.