Rent increase rules tightened before Renters’ Rights Act switch

Landlords planning rent reviews around the 1 May launch of the Renters’ Rights Act have been given a clearer rulebook after the government confirmed how section 13 notices will work during the transition. The change closes off a loophole that could have allowed a rent rise through one route and then another section 13 increase soon after.

How the section 13 change affects rent reviews

The key clarification is that a section 13 notice cannot be used where rent has already been increased in the 52 weeks before the notice expires, regardless of how that earlier rise happened. In practice, that matters because the move from fixed terms to periodic assured tenancies could otherwise have created room for some landlords to push through two increases in close succession.

For landlords trying to stay compliant, that is a more useful answer than it might first appear. A large share of the sector is already reviewing tenancy files, notice templates and information duties before 1 May. Rent setting is one of the areas where a technical mistake could quickly turn into a challenge, a complaint or a failed possession strategy later on.

This follows Landlord Knowledge’s recent report on the paperwork landlords need to get right before 1 May. The latest clarification adds another point to that list and shows the government’s transition rules are still being refined at the last minute.

What landlords need to watch before 1 May

The government has also confirmed that a section 13 notice served before 1 May but expiring afterwards will still operate under the old law. That may sound straightforward, but it means timing matters. Landlords who have already served notices need to check dates carefully and make sure they understand which regime applies when the notice takes effect.

There is a second point buried in the transition rules that should interest investors with any compliance concerns. Historic offences from before 1 May cannot trigger new civil penalties or rent repayment orders under the new regime, but offences that continue after 1 May can still be pursued for the later period. In plain terms, landlords do not get a clean slate if a problem carries on into the new system.

That is consistent with the wider direction of travel. Landlord Knowledge has already covered how the Renters Rights Act is changing possession rights in more specialist situations, and the message has been the same throughout: transitional detail matters as much as the headline reform.

Landlords who intend to review rents this spring should avoid any assumption that the old playbook still applies. A valid increase will now depend not only on the figure being reasonable, but on the route used, the timing, and the tenancy history in the previous 12 months. Agents should be checking templates now rather than next week.

The government’s related guidance on the new tenancy information paperwork can be found on the official GOV.UK Renters’ Rights Act information sheet page.

What this means for landlords

• If you’re reviewing rent this spring: check whether the tenancy has already had an increase in the previous 52 weeks before relying on section 13.
• Watch for: notices served before 1 May but expiring after that date, because transition timing now matters.
• Bottom line: the government has shut down a potential double-increase route, so paperwork and timing need closer attention than ever.

Editor’s view
Rent increases are about to become a sharper compliance issue, not just a commercial decision. Landlords who treat section 13 as a routine admin form risk learning the hard way that the transition into the new regime is anything but routine.

Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 24 April 2026

Sources: GOV.UK, Spector Constant & Williams
Related reading: Propertymark tells landlords to fix paperwork before 1 May
 

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