As a result of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, from 1 May 2026 the only lawful way to increase the rent for a tenancy in England will be to serve a section 13 notice.
Serving a Section 13 Notice
The easiest way to update your OpenRent contract to reflect a rent increase would be to do so using our rent collection service to serve a section 13 notice.
If you don't have Rent Collection enabled, you can do so from your tenancy page. Once enabled, you can click 'Change Rental Amount'. Once you enter an increased rental amount you can select that you have not already served a section 13 notice, and you will be asked to enter some details to serve a legally compliant section 13 notice and increase the rental amount for your property. This will then be reflected in your Rent Collection dashboard and save the notice to your tenancy documents for your records.
Section 13 notices can be used to increase the rent in a periodic tenancy. However, it can only be used once every 12 months.
You will need to make sure that you give at least 2 months' notice and that the increase comes into effect at the start of a rental period (the date at which rent is due each month).
A Section 13 Notice is completed using Form 4A, which can be downloaded from the government’s website. Once you have filled out the form you’ll need to serve it on the tenant(s).
We have a full guide on how to propose rent increases in our Landlord Hub and you can get real-life advice from other landlords, as well as join the conversation, through our Community.
Information on this site is by way of general guidance only and may not apply in your particular circumstances. You should not act or refrain from acting upon information on this site without seeking independent legal advice.