The rent increase mistake that left a landlord out of pocket

The landlord wanted to keep up with rising costs and decided to raise the rent. A quick letter was drafted and sent to the tenant giving 30 days’ notice of the new amount. The tenant refused to pay and sought advice. It turned out the notice was invalid — the tenancy agreement required a Section 13 notice for periodic tenancies, and the timeline used was too short. When challenged, the landlord had to cancel the increase and re-issue it correctly months later, losing hundreds of pounds in the meantime.

Rent increases are tightly regulated. For assured shorthold tenancies, rent can only be raised if the tenancy agreement allows for it, by mutual agreement with the tenant, or via a formal Section 13 notice for periodic tenancies. Incorrect paperwork, wrong timelines, or failing to use the prescribed form can render an increase unenforceable. In this landlord’s case, what should have been a routine adjustment became a drawn-out process that left them financially short.

The lesson is clear: when increasing rent, follow the proper route. Check whether the tenancy is fixed-term or periodic, use the correct notice, and allow the proper notice period. Tenants are within their rights to reject invalid notices, and many will seek advice if they feel pressured. A correctly issued notice avoids disputes and ensures increases stand up legally.

What do you think?

Have you ever had a tenant challenge a rent increase? How do you make sure you stay within the rules when adjusting rent levels?

Source: Gov.uk guidance on rent increases

Previous articles in this series

Landlord Lessons: The AST date mistake

Landlord Lessons: The missing inventory

Landlord Lessons: The verbal agreement trap

Landlord Lessons: The gas safety lapse

Landlord Lessons: The unprotected deposit

Landlord Lessons: The unlicensed HMO

Landlord Lessons: The electrical safety lapse

Landlord Lessons: The Right to Rent slip

Landlord Lessons: The ignored repair

Landlord Lessons: The insurance blindspot

Landlord Lessons: The rent-to-rent risk

Landlord Lessons: The Section 21 error

Landlord Lessons: The Section 8 misstep

Landlord Lessons: The selective licensing oversight

Landlord Lessons: The EPC blindspot