How to respond to a rent increase letter (with free template)

Most tenants do one of two things when a rent increase letter arrives: panic and accept, or panic and ignore. Both are bad. The right move is the boring one — read it, diary the dates, and reply in writing within a few days. That alone puts you in the top 10% of how tenants actually respond.

This is the playbook we wish more tenants used. It works whether your landlord asked nicely over email or served a formal Section 13 notice.

Step 1 — Take a breath, diary the dates

The increase isn't happening tomorrow. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2024 a Section 13 notice must give at least two months' notice before the new rent starts. Informal proposals (just an email or letter) don't have a statutory deadline at all — you can take a week to think.

Put two dates in your diary:

• The new-rent date from the notice. This is the deadline for applying to the First-tier Tribunal if you want to challenge.
• One week from today. That's when you'll send your reply.

Step 2 — Check the notice itself

If it's a Section 13 notice, it has to be on the prescribed form (search “Section 13 notice” on gov.uk for the current version). It must:

• Specify the new rent and the date it starts.
• Give at least two months' notice (RRA 2024 requirement).
• Be served at least 12 months after the start of the tenancy or the last increase.

If any of those are missing, the notice may be invalid — which doesn't kill the conversation, but it does kill the immediate deadline. Take advice from Shelter before relying on this.

If it's not a Section 13 — just an email saying “we'd like to put the rent up” — there's no statutory deadline. You're negotiating, not responding to a statutory notice. That's actually a better position to be in.

Step 3 — Look up the local market

Almost every rent increase argument comes back to the same question: what would a willing tenant pay for this property on the open market right now? Tribunals decide on that basis. Letting agents pitch on that basis. Your landlord knows that, even if they hope you don't.

Run a quick check at RentCharter's rent checker — it'll compare your proposed rent to the lower quartile, median and upper quartile of similar properties in your postcode. You're looking for two things:

• Where does the proposed rent sit? If it's above the upper quartile, you've got a strong case. If it's around the median, you're negotiating around the edges.
• What does the median look like? That's your target if you're proposing a counter-figure.

Step 4 — Draft your reply

The reply should do three things and only three things:

1. Acknowledge the notice and quote its key terms back.
2. State your position based on comparable evidence.
3. Propose either a counter-figure or a discussion.

Avoid emotion, threats, and long histories of past disputes. Save those for the tribunal application if it ever gets that far. Keep the reply on one side of A4.

Reply template you can copy

Adapt to your situation. Replace the bracketed bits.

The RentCharter rent checker generates a personalised version of this letter with your actual numbers pre-filled. It's in the evidence pack you can download after you complete a check.

Step 5 — Send it and follow up

Email is fine for most cases. If the original notice was sent by post, reply by post and email so you have both paper trails. Set a diary reminder for a week later — if you haven't heard back, a polite chase resets the clock.

Keep copies of everything. If this ever reaches a tribunal, the correspondence is part of your evidence pack.

When to escalate to the tribunal

If the landlord refuses to negotiate and the proposed rent is materially above the local market, your next step is the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). Three things to know:

• It's free to apply.
• Under the Renters' Rights Act 2024, the tribunal can only confirm or lower the proposed rent — never raise it above what your landlord asked for. The chilling effect that used to discourage tenants is gone.
• You don't need a solicitor. Many tenants represent themselves successfully with help from Shelter or Citizens Advice.

Frequently asked questions