Rent increase calculator for England
Got a rent increase notice? Check the earliest date it can legally start under the rules from 1 May 2026, and what the increase costs you over a year.
Earliest the new rent can start
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Enter the date you received the notice.
- Rules in force from 1 May 2026
- Last checked 25 October 2026
- Expert review pending
- How we calculate
The rules in England from 1 May 2026
- Rent can only go up through a section 13 notice in the prescribed form.
- The notice must give at least two months before the new rent starts.
- There can be only one increase in any 12 months, counted from the last increase or the start of the tenancy.
- You can challenge the amount at the First-tier Tribunal before the new rent starts. The new rent then applies from the tribunal’s decision, not backdated, and the tribunal can delay it by up to two months in cases of hardship.
This calculator takes the later of “notice date plus two months” and “last increase plus 12 months”. Notices served before 1 May 2026 used a one-month notice period, which the calculator also handles.
Worked example
A notice received on 15 June 2026
The last increase was on 1 September 2025. Two months’ notice ends on 15 August 2026, but 12 months since the last increase ends on 1 September 2026, so that is the earliest start date. Going from £1,100 to £1,185 is a 7.7% rise, costing £1,020 more over a year.
If the start date on your notice is earlier than the date shown here, the notice may be invalid. Get advice from Shelter, Citizens Advice or your council’s housing team before refusing to pay.
Questions people ask
How often can my landlord put the rent up?
In England, from 1 May 2026, once a year at most, and only by serving a section 13 notice in the prescribed form. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer count.
How much notice must a landlord give?
Two months for section 13 notices served on or after 1 May 2026. Before that date the notice period for a monthly tenancy was one month.
Is there a limit on how much rent can go up?
There is no cap. The increase should reflect the market rent for similar homes. If you think it is too high, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the new rent starts. The application is free, and the tribunal cannot set a rent higher than the landlord asked for.
Does this apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. Wales uses the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, with at least two months’ notice and no more than one increase a year. Scotland’s private residential tenancies need three months’ notice. Northern Ireland has its own rules, including a limit of one increase in 12 months. This calculator works out dates under the English rules.