Notice periods sit at the centre of every rent-increase argument in England. They're the easiest thing for a landlord to miss, and the easiest thing for a tenant to use to buy time. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 the rules sharpened — and most of the change favours the tenant.
The short answer
For most private rentals in England, a landlord proposing a rent increase via the statutory route (Section 13) must give at least two months' notice. The new rent has to start at the beginning of a rental period, and Section 13 can only be used once in any 12-month period.
Anything else — emails, casual conversations, “just letting you know” messages — is an informal proposal. You can accept, counter, or ignore.
Section 13 notice period
The rules in detail:
- Minimum 2 months from the date the notice is served. (Up from 1 month under the previous regime.)
- The new rent date must align with the start of a rental period. If you pay rent on the 1st, the new rent has to start on a 1st.
- Section 13 can only be used once in any 12-month period. If you had a Section 13 increase 8 months ago, a new one served now is premature.
- The notice must be on the prescribed gov.uk form. A letter or email — even if it claims to give 2 months' notice — isn't a Section 13 notice.
During a fixed term
Section 13 generally cannot be used during a fixed-term tenancy. Inside a fixed term, the rent can only change by:
- Mutual agreement (you sign a variation), or
- A specific rent-review clause in your tenancy agreement that provides for it.
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, all new private tenancies are periodic by default — so this only really matters for older fixed-term tenancies that are still running.
Informal proposals
Your landlord can always ask you to agree to a higher rent informally — by email, in person, by letter. There's no statutory notice requirement for these, because they don't impose anything: they're just a proposal.
Three things to know about informal proposals:
- You don't have to accept. If you do nothing, nothing happens — unless the landlord then serves a formal Section 13 notice.
- You can negotiate. Informal proposals are usually a starting position. Most renewals settle below the opening number.
- An informal “notice” doesn't start any clock. Anything formal has to use the prescribed Section 13 form. A casual mention of an increase doesn't require you to challenge it within any deadline.
What counts as “served”
A Section 13 notice has to be properly served on you. In practice that means delivered:
- By hand to you personally;
- By post to the address of the property; or
- By any means specified in your tenancy agreement (some agreements explicitly allow email service).
If your agreement is silent on email service, an email-only Section 13 notice may not be properly served — though in practice most tribunals treat clear receipt as sufficient. The safer approach for a landlord is post + email; the safer approach for a tenant is to acknowledge receipt of anything formal that lands in either channel, so the dispute is about the content, not delivery.
Read alongside our pillar guide on what a Section 13 notice contains, our explainer on whether it's legal to raise rent without notice, and the broader rent increase rights in England guide.
FAQ
How much notice does my landlord have to give for a rent increase?
For a Section 13 increase (the statutory route) on a periodic tenancy in England, the minimum notice is 2 months under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The previous regime allowed 1 month. Outside Section 13, any 'notice' has no statutory force unless you've agreed to a contractual review clause.
Does 2 months mean 60 days or two calendar months?
Two calendar months from the day the notice is served. So a notice served on the 15th of January gives a new-rent start date of no earlier than the 15th of March, and that date also has to align with the start of a rental period.
What happens if my landlord gives less than 2 months' notice?
The Section 13 notice is defective and doesn't put up the rent. You can point out the defect in writing; the landlord typically reissues a corrected notice (with a new 2-month clock). Don't simply ignore a notice on the basis of insufficient notice — sometimes apparently small defects are treated as immaterial.
Does an email count as proper notice?
A Section 13 notice has to be on the prescribed gov.uk form. An email saying 'we'd like to increase the rent' isn't a Section 13 notice — it's an informal proposal, which you don't have to accept.
Is it legal to raise rent without notice in the UK?
No. A Section 13 rent increase without the prescribed form and at least two months' notice is defective, so the new rent doesn't take effect. See our dedicated piece on raising rent without notice for the full position and what to do if it happens to you.