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Can My Landlord Increase My Rent? The Law Explained

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As a tenant, you might have some concerns that cross your mind frequently, one of which is a rent increase. Rent increases can have a significant impact on your finances and stability.

Before becoming a tenant, it’s important to understand the laws surrounding rent increases in the UK. This gives you a better chance to protect your rights and make informed decisions. To find out more about whether or not your landlord can increase your rent, continue reading.

Understanding Rent Increases

Landlords in the UK have the right to increase rent. Although it can be difficult for a tenant to be faced with increasing rent, you might have to at some point. Similar to tenants, landlords have rights too, and even though they’re able to increase rent, they must only do so in adherence to specific legal rules and regulations.

The most common type of tenancy agreement here in the UK is an assured shorthold tenancy (AST). Under an AST, landlords can only legally increase rent once a fixed-term tenancy agreement has come to an end.

Landlords can also increase rent after a fixed-term contract is over if there’s a rent review clause in the agreement that allows for rent reviews during this period. We all want to live comfortably with no worries, and we understand that when a landlord decides to increase the rent, it can cause some stress, especially if you’re low-income.

There are ways to deal with a rent increase, from communicating with your landlord to challenging your increase if you believe that your landlord is being unreasonable or not providing you with the best living conditions.

The Legal Requirements for Rent Increases

You’ll be glad to know that there are legal requirements for rent increases. If you have a periodic tenancy where there’s no fixed term, landlords will need to provide you with a written notice that clearly states the new rental amount and the date it’ll take effect.

In England and Wales, you must be given one month’s notice if rent is paid monthly. If you don’t pay rent weekly or monthly like most and pay your rent yearly, how much notice you’re given will be different; your landlord should give you six months’ notice before increasing rent.

Landlords need to have a valid reason for wanting to increase rent for tenants. Whatever their reason for an increase might be, it’ll need to be supported by the law.

Some of the most common reasons for rent increases include property improvements and changes in market rental values, to name a few. If you don’t believe that you’ve been offered a fair rent increase, it’s possible to challenge your landlord’s proposal.

Can You Challenge a Rent Increase?

Whether you have a six-month or yearly tenancy, if you believe your increased rent amount is worth challenging, you should do so. If your landlord increases rent unfairly, you have the right to challenge it.

Tenants can negotiate with landlords and seek additional advice if needed from organisations such as Citizens Advice. Although, in some cases, a rent increase is fair, tenants won’t always believe that it’s a necessary decision.

Attempting to come to some type of agreement with your landlord is crucial before going ahead and challenging the increase. If you can’t agree with your landlord, you can challenge your rent increase by speaking with a tribunal.

Although you don’t have to agree to pay your rent increase, it’s not advisable to avoid paying it; if you don’t pay your new rent, your landlord could take steps to end your tenancy agreement, which will leave you looking for a new property.

When it comes to challenging your rent increase, you’ll need to have evidence to back up your reason for saying it’s unfair. You’ll need to provide your address, the amount of rent you pay now, any improvements that you’ve made to the property, and any repairs that your landlord is responsible for.

You’ll also need a copy of your Section 13 along with your tenancy agreement. If the tribunal concludes that your rent increase is fair, they’ll then tell you how much your rent should be. If they believe it’s unfair, your rent will remain the same and won’t be increased.

Find a Trustworthy Landlord to Rent From Today

If you’ve had some struggles in the past with complicated landlords or frequent rent increases, it might be time to look for similar properties to rent. Here at Peninsular Property, we have an extensive portfolio of properties available for you to browse.

There’s a wide range of properties to consider across the Wirral, and with our expert knowledge of the local rental market, finding a new home has never been easier. Our services are second-to-none, and we’re dedicated to helping both landlords and tenants.

Our team of specialists can help property seekers and landlords alike by managing their rental homes and finding tenants suitable housing. No matter the size of the property you need, we can assist you in finding your new humble abode.

With top-quality services available for both tenants and landlords alike, we encourage you to reach out. When it comes to finding your ideal rental property, we can guide you through the process while offering our support.

For landlords, we offer expert services to help you manage your properties. Being a landlord can be demanding, and it can be difficult to keep on top of everything. Our tailored service offers landlords peace of mind while allowing them more freedom to spend time on other important areas of their lives.

Our team can work on your behalf, staying on top of the latest market trends. So, whether you’re looking for your next rental home or need help managing your properties across the Wirral, feel free to contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.

Joe Martin-Bindley

Joe is the founder of Peninsular Property and has worked in the industry since 2005. Joe has negotiated on over 9 million pounds worth of property purchases and managed over 1000 properties for clients all over the world. Joe is a landlord himself with a varied property portfolio so is ideally placed to advise clients on their property purchases and investments.

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