How Rent Reviews Work Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (And Why It's Less Scary Than You Think)

This isn't a reason to panic. But it is a reason to understand exactly where you stand. 

Key change: From 1 May 2026, Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) no longer exist. All private rented sector tenancies are now Assured Periodic Tenancies (APTs), and the only lawful way to increase rent is through the statutory Section 13 process. 

What Has Actually Changed? 

Before the Act, most landlords operated on Assured Shorthold Tenancies with a fixed term followed by a rolling periodic period. Many of those agreements included a contractual rent review clause, allowing increases at set intervals or tied to an index like the Consumer Price Index. That mechanism is gone. 

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, all tenancies in the private rented sector are now Assured Periodic Tenancies from the outset. There are no fixed terms, no contractual review clauses, and no agreed uplifts baked into the tenancy agreement. The only route to a rent increase is the statutory Section 13 notice procedure. 

What this means in practice: 

The good news is that the government has been explicit: this is not rent control. According to ONS private rent data, private rents in London have continued rising year-on-year, and nothing in the Act restricts landlords from increasing rent to the prevailing market rate. It simply changes the mechanism you must use to do it. 

How the Section 13 Process Works 

The Section 13 process is more straightforward than it sounds. Here is the step-by-step of how a lawful rent increase now works. 

Step 1: Serve the prescribed notice 

You must use the correct prescribed form (published on GOV.UK) to propose a new rent. You cannot simply write a letter or email your tenant with a new figure. The form sets out the proposed new rent and the date it is intended to take effect. 

Step 2: Give at least two months' notice 

The new rent cannot take effect any sooner than two months after the notice is served. The effective date must also fall at the beginning of a new rent period. So if your tenant pays on the 1st of the month, the new rent must start on the 1st of a month, at least two full months after service. 

Step 3: Respect the 12-month rule 

You can only increase rent once every 12 months. If you increased rent in October 2025, you cannot serve a Section 13 notice that takes effect before October 2026. This applies regardless of when the tenancy started. 

Step 4: Propose a market-rate figure 

The proposed rent must reflect what the property would achieve if it were newly advertised to let today. You cannot simply pluck a number. If a tenant challenges the increase at the First-tier Tribunal (FTT), comparable local listings and recently agreed rents will be the benchmark. Keeping records of local market evidence before you serve notice is good practice. 

Once the notice is served, you do not need to take any further action. If your tenant accepts the increase, they simply pay the new amount from the effective date. If they do nothing, the new rent takes effect automatically. 

Important: A tenant can challenge the proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal before the effective date. However, the Tribunal cannot award a higher rent than you proposed, even if market rents have risen further by the time of the hearing. And if a challenge is made, the new rent only takes effect after the Tribunal's determination; it is not backdated. 

A Few Other Rules Worth Knowing 

The rent review changes are the most immediately relevant for most landlords, but a couple of other provisions in the Act are worth flagging. 

No rent in advance beyond one month. Once a tenancy starts, you cannot enforce any clause requiring more than one month's rent to be paid in advance. If your current agreement asks for two or three months upfront, that term is now unenforceable. 

No rent bidding. Landlords and agents must publish a fixed asking rent and cannot invite, encourage, or accept offers above that price. The days of informal bidding wars are over. 

Existing tenancies. If you had a tenancy in place before 1 May 2026, transitional provisions apply. You were required to provide tenants with an information sheet about the Act's changes by 31 May 2026. If you haven't done that yet, it's worth addressing promptly. 

Where Self-Managing Landlords Are Most Likely to Come Unstuck 

The Section 13 process is not complicated in principle. In practice, though, it requires discipline and attention to detail that many self-managing landlords simply don't have time for. The most common pitfalls are: 

None of these are insurmountable. But each one is a compliance risk that a good managing agent handles as a matter of course. 

How Fully Managed Lettings Takes This Off Your Plate 

This is where having the right agent genuinely earns its keep. 

At Hemmingfords, our fully managed lettings service covers the entire rent review process. We track your tenancy dates, monitor the local North London market, prepare and serve the Section 13 notice correctly, and make sure the timing and documentation are watertight. If a tenant does challenge an increase at the Tribunal, we handle that too.