Not legal advice. BeTenant provides information and tools — not legal advice. For complex matters, seek advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduced strict key deadlines for both tenants and landlords. This pack covers the ones that matter most.
Section 13 · Rent Increase Challenge
The single biggest misconception: that challenging a rent increase at tribunal can make it go higher. Since 1 May 2026, this cannot happen under the law. The tribunal can only reduce or confirm the proposed figure.
Section 13 Notice arrives
Your landlord serves a Section 13 notice proposing a new rent. The notice must be on the correct form and give at least 2 months' notice.
Minimum 2 months' notice requiredYou can challenge at tribunal
You have until the proposed new rent date to apply to the First-tier Tribunal. Apply at: www.gov.uk/housing-tribunals. The fee is £47.
Fee: £47 · Apply online → Apply at gov.uk/housing-tribunalsYou keep paying current rent
Once your application is submitted, you continue paying your current (old) rent. The rent increase is suspended until the tribunal makes its decision.
Don't pay the new amount until tribunal decidesTribunal hearing
The tribunal considers market rents in your area. They can set a rent lower than proposed, confirm the proposed rent, but CANNOT set it higher.
Cannot go above proposed figureTribunal sets the rent
The new rent takes effect from the date of the tribunal's decision. If they lower it from the landlord's proposal, you win the difference.
Real example: £1,300 proposed → £1,000 decidedWhat if I don't challenge?
If you don't apply to the tribunal, the new rent takes effect on the date stated in the Section 13 notice. You lose the right to challenge that increase permanently. Future increases start a fresh 12-month clock.
Property Repairs · Legal Timelines
Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 1985 and the Landlord and Tenant Act, landlords have implied obligations to repair. Specific statutory deadlines from the private sector extension of Awaab's Law are expected — watch this space. Here's what applies now.
Emergency Repairs
24–48 hoursYour landlord must act 'within a reasonable time'. For emergencies, this typically means same-day or next-day.
Urgent Repairs
2–4 weeksDocument in writing immediately. Create an Issue Evidence Report in BeTenant — photos, date, and description in one shareable report.
Standard Repairs
Within a reasonable timeAlways report in writing. BeTenant stores your repair history with photos and timestamps automatically — so your record is always ready.
How to report a repair
Send in writing
Email or WhatsApp with date, description, and photo — or create an Issue Evidence Report in BeTenant and share it straight to your landlord in one tap.
Keep the receipt
Screenshot every message — or upload it to your BeTenant evidence timeline where it's timestamped automatically and searchable later.
Follow up in 14 days
No action? Send a formal letter through the BeTenant app — pre-written template, sent in one tap from your phone.
Escalate
Contact your council's housing enforcement team — and send them the evidence report from BeTenant (timestamped photos, messages, and repair history in one document).
Step-by-Step · Tribunal Application
The process is simpler than it sounds. You don't need a solicitor.
Check the Section 13 notice is valid
The notice must be on the prescribed form, give at least 2 months' notice, and state the proposed new rent clearly. If it doesn't meet these requirements, it may be invalid — you don't even need to apply.
Gather your evidence
The tribunal will consider market rents for similar properties in your area. Collect: current asking rents for 3–5 comparable properties nearby (Rightmove/Zoopla), your current tenancy agreement, any correspondence about the increase.
BeTenant keeps your full correspondence history and repair records organised and searchable — so your evidence is already ready when you need it.
Apply online at GOV.UK
Go to gov.uk/housing-tribunals. Select 'Residential Property Tribunal'. The form asks for your address, the landlord's details, the proposed rent, and your grounds for challenge. Pay the £47 fee.
→ Apply at gov.uk/housing-tribunalsKeep paying your current rent
This is crucial. Once you've applied, continue paying your current rent — NOT the new proposed amount. The tribunal suspends the increase until its decision. Don't give your landlord grounds to claim arrears.
Attend the hearing (or submit in writing)
Hearings can be in person or remote. You'll present your comparables and explain why the proposed rent is above market rate. The tribunal may also consider the property's condition.
Receive the decision
The tribunal issues a written decision. The new rent takes effect from the decision date. If they reduce it, you win — and that rate is locked until your landlord can serve a new Section 13 notice (minimum 12 months later).
Not legal advice. BeTenant provides information and tools — not legal advice. For complex matters, seek advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.