How much can my landlord increase my rent by?

England has no rent cap, so the amount of a proposed increase is not limited by law. What is tightly controlled is how and how often rent can go up — and you have a free-standing right to challenge an excessive figure.

The rules your landlord must follow

• Once a year at most. Rent on a periodic tenancy can only be increased once in any 12-month period — a limit reinforced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
• The Section 13 procedure. The landlord must serve the prescribed form (Form 4) proposing the new rent, giving at least one month's notice (four weeks for weekly tenancies), with the increase starting on the first day of a rent period.
• No unilateral increases. An increase imposed outside this procedure — or mid-fixed-term without a valid rent review clause or your written agreement — is unlawful. You are not obliged to pay it: keep paying the old rent and set out in writing why the increase is invalid.

If your landlord instead asks you to sign a new agreement at a higher rent, you do not have to sign. You can negotiate, or stay on your existing periodic terms, where only the Section 13 route is available to them.

Challenging an above-market increase

If the proposed rent is more than comparable properties fetch locally, refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) — you must apply before the new rent's start date. The tribunal assesses the open market rent and can confirm the proposed figure or reduce it to market level; it will not punish you for asking, and the landlord cannot serve another Section 13 notice for 12 months after the decision. You do not need a solicitor.

Nor can you lawfully be evicted for challenging: Section 21 no-fault notices were abolished on 1 May 2026, so a landlord would need to prove a Section 8 ground in court, and tribunals take a dim view of retaliatory conduct. If you cannot afford a lawful increase, get advice early — Shelter and Citizens Advice can help you check the notice and your options.