Compliance
How much can a landlord raise rent in 2026?
Last updated 4 July 2026 · Reviewed by Nick Thorpe, founder
The short answer
There is no fixed cap. Since the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, a landlord can raise rent once a year to the open market rate, using a Section 13 notice with at least two months' notice. If the tenant challenges it, the First-tier Tribunal decides what the market rent is.
There is no cap, only a process
England sets no maximum percentage for rent increases as of mid 2026. The limit is the open market rent, meaning what a willing tenant would pay for your property today. What the Renters’ Rights Act, in force since 1 May 2026, controls is how and how often you increase: once a year, through a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, with at least two months’ notice before the new rent takes effect. If the tenant thinks the figure is above market, they can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal, which decides the market rent and cannot set it higher than you proposed.
That framework worries landlords less once they see how it works in practice. A genuinely market-rate figure with evidence behind it is unlikely to lose a challenge. A hopeful guess now has a process built to catch it.
How a Section 13 rent increase works
The process runs in four steps:
- Check the market. Pull recently let comparables: same area, bedroom count, property type and condition. Asking rents are ambition; agreed rents are evidence.
- Serve Form 4A. Government guidance requires at least two months’ notice before the new rent starts, and rent cannot normally be increased more than once a year.
- The tenant decides. They either accept and pay the new rent from the start date, or refer the increase to the First-tier Tribunal before it takes effect.
- The tribunal rules if challenged. It determines the open market rent for the property, and it cannot set the rent higher than the figure on your notice.
If you cannot explain the number, you probably should not serve it. Our working guide to the Renters’ Rights Act covers the wider changes around possession, arrears and pets.
The market varies too much for a single percentage
There is no universal answer to “how much”, because local markets move at very different speeds. Two ONS figures already tell the story in our patch:
| Area | ONS average private rent | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| Kirklees | £759/month (March 2026) | up 10.5% |
| Leeds | £1,133/month (April 2026) | up 2.6% |
A landlord tracking Kirklees comparables has far more headroom this year than one in parts of Leeds, and within a single district the condition and presentation of the property move the achievable rent materially. Start from what similar properties are actually letting for, not from a percentage you read somewhere. Our rent estimate tool gives you a realistic range for a specific property in two minutes.
Little and often beats the big correction
Small annual increases backed by comparable evidence almost never get challenged successfully. Long freezes followed by a big correction are exactly what tribunals exist for, so the discipline that pays is a diarised annual review for every tenancy, with the evidence filed whether the tenant accepts or not.
There is a commercial judgement too. The average tenancy across our managed homes runs 24 months, and the wrong increase can cost more than it earns once you price in a void month, re-letting costs and a refresh. The better question is not “how much can I get” but “what rent gives the best net return with the lowest avoidable risk”.
What you can no longer do
The casual routes are finished. A rent review clause in the tenancy agreement, a quick email or a quiet word no longer carry an in-tenancy increase; it normally goes through Section 13 or it does not stand. You cannot increase more than once a year. And when you re-let, bidding is banned: you must advertise an asking rent and cannot accept offers above it, which makes pricing accurately the first time part of the same job.
Where we fit
We run annual, evidenced rent reviews on every property we manage across Huddersfield, the Holme Valley and West Yorkshire: comparables pulled, Form 4A served correctly, the file kept in case of challenge. It is part of full property management at 10% of monthly rent plus VAT, with the whole fee schedule public. If you have not reviewed a rent since before the Act, call 01484 981717 and we will give you a defensible figure, not a flattering one.
Rules change and some provisions of the Act are still bedding in. This page reflects GOV.UK guidance as of July 2026 and is not legal advice; we confirm the current requirements before serving any notice, and you should check gov.uk before acting on a single point.