If your landlord proposes a rent increase via a Section 13 notice, you have the right to challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal. Since 1 May 2026, the tribunal cannot set your rent higher than what your landlord proposed. The application fee is £47. You keep paying your current rent while you wait. Most renters sitting on Section 13 notices don't know this.
Every week, thousands of renters across England open an envelope or email and find a Section 13 rent increase notice inside. And most of them do the same thing: feel their stomach drop, do the maths, decide they can't fight it, and start figuring out how to absorb the extra cost.
They don't challenge it because they believe one of two things — either that challenging it is too complicated, or that it will backfire and the tribunal will set the rent even higher than what the landlord asked for. The second fear, in particular, has stopped countless renters from exercising a legal right they are fully entitled to use.
That fear is now obsolete. Since 1 May 2026, the law changed. And the change matters enormously.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into full force on 1 May 2026. Among its many provisions, the Act introduced a crucial protection for tenants challenging rent increases: the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) cannot set the rent above the figure proposed in the landlord's Section 13 notice.
Before 1 May 2026, there was a genuine — if rare — risk that applying to the tribunal could result in the tribunal assessing "market rent" and setting a figure higher than what the landlord had proposed. Some landlords even used the threat of this possibility as a reason for tenants not to challenge. That risk no longer exists.
The tribunal's only options now are to confirm the proposed rent or set a lower figure. It cannot go higher than the landlord's proposal under any circumstances.
Illustrative Example
Ibrahim, a private renter in London, received a Section 13 notice proposing his rent increase from £1,000 to £1,300 per month — a 30% jump his landlord justified as "market rate." He challenged it at the First-tier Tribunal with a £47 application.
The tribunal reviewed local comparable rents and determined the proposed increase was above market rate. It set rent at £1,000 — the existing figure. Ibrahim saved £300 a month. The entire process cost him £47 and about three hours of preparation time.
A Section 13 notice (officially Form 4) is the mechanism landlords must use to propose a rent increase in a periodic tenancy. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, landlords can only raise the rent once every 12 months, and they must use this formal notice process to do so.
The notice must give you at least two months' advance warning before the increase is due to take effect. It must clearly state the proposed new rent, the date it is intended to take effect, and the grounds for the increase.
If you simply do nothing — don't acknowledge it, don't challenge it — the increase typically takes effect on the date stated. The key is: you have a limited window to challenge it. Don't let that window close.
The tribunal process is more accessible than most renters assume. You do not need a solicitor. You do not need to attend a hearing (though you can). Here is how it works:
The tribunal's job is to determine what the "open market rent" for your property would be — that is, what a willing landlord and a willing tenant would agree to today, in the current market, given the property's size, condition, and location.
Your most powerful evidence is comparable properties. Three to five listings of similar properties in your postcode, at lower rents than what your landlord proposed, is often enough for the tribunal to reduce the proposed figure.
Other useful evidence includes: the condition of the property (particularly if repairs have been outstanding), how long you have been a tenant without issues, and any evidence that your landlord's proposed increase is significantly above the local average for comparable homes.
You do not need to prove your landlord is acting in bad faith. You only need to show that the proposed rent is above market rate. That is the entire test.
Under the Renters' Rights Act, retaliatory eviction protections are significantly strengthened. A landlord cannot serve a valid Section 8 eviction notice purely in response to a tenant exercising their legal rights — including challenging a rent increase at tribunal.
If you have documented your tenancy well — payments on time, communications saved, maintenance requests logged — a retaliatory eviction attempt would be very difficult for a landlord to sustain. The paper trail matters here.
Not every rent increase is worth challenging. If your current rent is genuinely below market rate, the tribunal may confirm the landlord's proposed figure — which is still better than the tribunal setting a higher one, but it means no reduction. If comparable rents in your area are close to what your landlord is proposing, a challenge may simply confirm the increase.
The question to ask yourself is: when I look at similar properties in my area, does my landlord's proposed rent seem higher than the market? If yes, it is worth challenging. If no, accept the increase, document your decision, and focus on other protections.
BeTenant App
BeTenant tracks rent increase notices, logs your evidence, and helps you build the documentation you need for a tribunal application — so you never miss your challenge window.
Get BeTenant Free →No. Since 1 May 2026, under the Renters' Rights Act, the First-tier Tribunal cannot set the rent above the figure your landlord proposed in their Section 13 notice. It can match it or reduce it — but it cannot go higher.
The application fee to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) is £47. There are no other mandatory fees for the challenge itself, though you may incur costs if you choose to be legally represented.
No. While your tribunal application is pending, you continue paying your current rent. The rent increase does not take effect until the tribunal issues its decision.
The process typically takes 6 to 12 weeks from application to decision, depending on the tribunal's caseload. During this time you pay your existing rent.
A Section 13 notice (Form 4) is the official notice your landlord must use to propose a rent increase. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, landlords can only increase rent once per year using this process. The notice must give at least two months' warning.
Yes. BeTenant is a free tenant protection app built for private renters in England. It lets you log repair issues and disputes directly from your phone, upload photo or video evidence that is automatically timestamped, and generate a formal Evidence Report in one tap — the kind of documented record that matters at a tribunal or in court. The app includes 15+ tools covering the most common situations private renters face: a Rent Increase Checker, a Section 8 Notice Validity Checker, a DSS & Benefits Rights guide, and a letter generator that drafts formally worded letters to send to your landlord or letting agent. A built-in Statutory Timeline Tracker automatically calculates how long your landlord has under law to respond — whether it's a repair request, a rent increase notice, or a deposit return. Free to use. Available at betenant.com.
Not legal advice. BeTenant provides information and tools — not legal advice. For complex matters, seek advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.