Rent increase letter template (to send with Form 4A)

A rent increase letter is a short covering letter you send with Form 4A to explain the new rent, the date it starts and what the tenant can do next. This rent increase letter template for the UK is written for England, where since 1 May 2026 only a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, or a tribunal decision, can raise the rent. The letter supports the form. It doesn't replace it.

Does a rent increase letter replace Form 4A?

No. For private assured tenancies in England, the rent can only go above the previous rent through:

• a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, or an agreement made after one;
• a tribunal decision; or
• a later written agreement for a rent lower than a tribunal-set rent.

Any other term or arrangement that lets the rent rise is "of no effect". GOV.UK says "You need to follow the section 13 process every time you increase the rent", even if the tenant has already agreed. A letter on its own, an email, or a rent review clause won't work. Read Form 4A explained for what the form must contain.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules. This template is for England only.

Rent increase letter template

Fill in the placeholders with the same figures and dates you put on Form 4A.

[Your full name]
[Your address in England or Wales for serving notices]
[Your phone number] | [Your email]

[Date]

To: [Full name of every tenant named on the tenancy agreement]
[Property address]

Dear [Tenant names],

Proposed new rent for [property address]

With this letter I am serving on you a Landlord's notice proposing a
new rent (Form 4A) under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. Form 4A is
the formal notice. Please read it carefully, including its notes.

The notice proposes that your rent changes from £[current rent] per
[month/week] to £[new rent] per [month/week], starting on [start date
from question 4.6]. Your rent day stays the same.

[Optional: I have based the new rent on the rents for similar homes
nearby. A short summary is enclosed: [two or three comparable lets,
with their rents and how they compare with your home].]

What you can do
- If you accept the new rent, you do not need to do anything. Please
  pay £[new rent] from [start date].
- If you would like to discuss the figure, please contact me by [date]
  on [phone number] or [email].
- If you think the new rent is higher than the market rent, you can
  apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) using form MR1.
  The tribunal must receive your application before [start date]. If
  you apply, please let me know. You do not have to pay the new amount
  until the tribunal decides, and the tribunal cannot set a rent higher
  than the one I have proposed.

Free, independent advice is available from organisations such as
Shelter and Citizens Advice.

My address for serving notices on me is: [address in England or Wales].

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]
[Landlord / for and on behalf of all landlords]

Enclosed: Form 4A [and summary of comparable rents]

How to use the template

1. Complete Form 4A first. Work out the start date from the three rules: at least two months after service, at least 52 weeks after the tenancy began or the last increase, and on the first day of a rent period. The Section 13 date calculator does this for you.
2. Copy the figures across exactly. The current rent, the new rent and the start date in the letter must match the form.
3. Address every tenant. Form 4A must name every joint tenant, and the letter should go to all of them.
4. Summarise your evidence. Optional, but it helps. See market rent evidence.
5. Serve the letter and the form together, using the service method in your tenancy agreement, or by hand, at the property, or by registered post. Use email only if the agreement allows it.
6. Keep copies of both documents and a record of the date, time and method of service.

What not to say in a rent increase letter

• Don't suggest the letter is the notice. Form 4A is the notice. The letter only explains it.
• Don't pressure the tenant to agree or to sign anything instead of receiving the form. Agreement doesn't replace Section 13.
• Don't misstate their rights. Don't say the tenant must pay the new rent while a tribunal application is pending, or that they can't challenge it.
• Don't link the increase to eviction. Only a court can end the tenancy, and a letter that implies otherwise invites a dispute.
• Don't propose future step-ups. A term that raises the rent again later without a fresh notice has no effect. Each increase needs its own Form 4A, at least 52 weeks after the last one.
• Don't backdate. The new rent can never start before the date in your notice.

If the tenant challenges, read what happens at tribunal. The tribunal can hold your figure or reduce it, but never raise it.

What to do next

• Prepare Form 4A with the start date worked out, free with a ValidNotice account, from the Section 13 notice page. Then add this letter.
• Browse the other landlord letter templates.