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Section 13 notice: when can you raise the rent in England?

A Section 13 rent increase can't start until the latest of three dates: two months' notice, 52 weeks from the last rise, and the next rent day. Worked examples show how serving five days late can cost a month.

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Card: to raise rent due on the 20th from 20 January 2027, serve the Section 13 notice by 20 November 2026; served on 25 November, the new rent starts 20 February
In this guide
  1. The short answer
  2. Key facts
  3. The three dates that decide when the rent can go up
  4. Worked example: a rise from January 2027
  5. Worked example: you've missed the window
  6. Worked example: an old rent review clause
  7. Worked example: a new tenancy
  8. When the gap is 53 weeks
  9. What happens if you get the date wrong?
  10. Serving the notice
  11. Work out your dates in a minute
  12. How AskPortfoliq helps
  13. Sources

The short answer

In England, a private landlord can raise the rent with a Section 13 notice on Form 4A. The new rent can't start until the latest of three dates:

  • two months after you serve the notice
  • 52 weeks after the last rent increase took effect, or after the tenancy began if the rent has never gone up
  • the next day a rent period starts, which is usually your tenant's rent day

So the date isn't simply "two months from now". It's two months from now, then 52 weeks on from the last rise, then moved forward to the next rent day.

That last step is the one that catches people out. Serve a notice a few days too late and the new rent can slip by a whole month, because it has to wait for the next rent day.

Key facts

Card: to raise rent due on the 20th from 20 January 2027, serve the Section 13 notice by 20 November 2026; served on 25 November, the new rent starts 20 February
The three dates that decide when the new rent can start, and what five days late costs.

The three dates that decide when the rent can go up

1. Two months from the day you serve the notice. Count calendar months, not eight weeks. A notice served on 10 November gives a date of 10 January at the earliest.

2. 52 weeks from the last increase. 52 weeks is 364 days, one day short of a year. If the last Section 13 increase took effect on 20 January 2026, the next one can't take effect before 19 January 2027. If the rent has never gone up, the 52 weeks run from the start of the tenancy.

3. The start of a rent period. The new rent has to begin on the first day of a rent period. For a monthly tenancy where rent is due on the 20th, that's the 20th of a month. For a weekly tenancy, it's the weekday the tenancy started on.

Take the latest of the first two dates, then move it forward to the next rent day. That's your earliest start date.

Worked example: a rise from January 2027

Rent is due on the 20th of each month. The last increase was by Section 13 notice and took effect on 20 January 2026.

  • 52 weeks on: 19 January 2027
  • Next rent day: 20 January 2027
  • Latest day to serve the notice: 20 November 2026

Serve it by 20 November, and the new rent can start on 20 January 2027.

Now serve the same notice on 25 November, just five days later:

  • Two months on: 25 January 2027
  • Next rent day: 20 February 2027

The new rent now starts on 20 February 2027. Five days late costs a whole month of the higher rent.

If you want the new rent from your tenant's January rent day, the notice usually needs to be served in November.

Worked example: you've missed the window

Rent is due on the 1st. The last Section 13 increase took effect on 1 December 2025.

  • 52 weeks on: 30 November 2026
  • Next rent day: 1 December 2026
  • Latest day to serve for that date: 1 October 2026

If you're only serving the notice today, on 10 November 2026, two months' notice takes you to 10 January 2027, and the next rent day is 1 February 2027.

That's still a valid notice. It just starts two months later than it could have done. Working out the date three months ahead avoids this.

Worked example: an old rent review clause

Your tenancy agreement had a clause that put the rent up on 1 April 2026, before the Renters' Rights Act came in. Rent is due on the 1st.

The clause won't work again, so the next rise has to be by Section 13 notice. And because of the transitional rules, the 52 weeks still run from that April increase:

  • 52 weeks on: 31 March 2027
  • Next rent day: 1 April 2027
  • Latest day to serve the notice: 1 February 2027

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2026 set this out.

Worked example: a new tenancy

A tenancy that started on 15 June 2026, with rent due on the 15th, can have its first increase on 15 June 2027 at the earliest. The notice has to be served by 15 April 2027.

When the gap is 53 weeks

There's one more rule for later increases. If the 52 weeks would end more than six days before the anniversary of the first increase made by notice, the gap becomes 53 weeks. It stops the increase date creeping earlier by a day each year.

If you're not sure when your first increase by notice took effect, our calculator assumes 53 weeks, which is the safer choice.

What happens if you get the date wrong?

A notice that proposes a start date earlier than the law allows isn't valid. You can't charge the new rent on the strength of it. You'd need to serve a fresh notice, and the two months start again from the new service date.

So if the law leaves any doubt, choose the later date. A notice that starts a little late still works, but one that starts too early doesn't.

Serving the notice

  • Use Form 4A and fill it in carefully, including the new rent and the date it starts.
  • Leave a margin. Aim to serve a week before the latest date, in case of post delays or a dispute about when it arrived.
  • Keep proof of how and when you served it, such as a certificate of posting or a photo of hand delivery.
  • Be ready to explain the figure. Tenants can challenge an increase at the tribunal, and the tribunal looks at the open market rent. Our guide on how to evidence a Section 13 rent increase covers what to gather, and what the first tribunal decisions show is worth reading before you set the number.

These rules are for England. Wales uses the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, with two months' notice and one increase a year. Scotland requires three months' notice.

Work out your dates in a minute

Our free Section 13 rent increase calculator does the sums above for any tenancy. Enter the tenancy start date, the rent day and how the rent last went up, and it shows:

  • the earliest date the new rent can start
  • the latest day to serve Form 4A
  • the date we'd recommend serving it, a week earlier

It needs no sign-up. Milton Keynes City Council's private landlords page points landlords to it for working out the earliest date of a rent increase. If you want a nudge before the deadline, tap Remind me and we'll remind you before the last day to serve.

How AskPortfoliq helps

AskPortfoliq keeps each tenancy's rent, rent day and payment history in one place, so the dates you need for a Section 13 notice are already there. Before you set the new figure, you can ask by message on WhatsApp, Telegram or the web how the rent compares with similar homes nearby.

It also tracks who has paid each month, so after the new rent starts you'll see straight away whether it's being paid in full.

Sources

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