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Rent review clauses are void: what landlords should do instead

For years, many tenancy agreements set out how the rent would rise – an index-linked formula, or a fixed percentage each year. Since 1 May 2026, those clauses no longer have any effect. This guide explains what changed, why it applies even to agreements signed before the Renters’ Rights Act, and how landlords should now plan annual increases through Section 13.

Last reviewed: 1 July 2026 · Reflects the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, in force from 1 May 2026

What changed on 1 May 2026

The Renters’ Rights Act made the Section 13 procedure the single route for increasing the rent on an assured periodic tenancy in England. As part of that, rent review clauses in assured tenancy agreements stopped having effect. It does not matter whether the clause is index-linked (tied to a measure such as inflation), a fixed annual uplift (say, a set percentage each year), or a stepped schedule of rises written into the agreement – from 1 May 2026 none of them can be relied on to increase the rent.

The practical effect is simple but far-reaching: whatever your tenancy agreement says about future rent, the rent does not go up automatically. If you want to increase it, you have to serve a Section 13 notice.

It applies to existing agreements too. This is the point landlords most often miss. The change is not limited to tenancies signed after the Act. A rent review clause in a pre-Act agreement also stopped having effect on 1 May 2026. You cannot rely on a clause just because the tenancy predates the reforms.

Why the change was made

The reforms were designed to make rent increases transparent and challengeable. A rent review clause can lock a tenant into rises they cannot question – and an aggressive index-linked or fixed-uplift clause could push the rent well above the market. By routing every increase through Section 13, the Act gives tenants a consistent process, a minimum of two months’ notice, and the right to refer the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal. A clause buried in the agreement offered none of that, so the Act simply switched it off.

What landlords should do instead

The answer is to plan your annual increases around the Section 13 procedure rather than the agreement. In practice that means:

  1. Treat Section 13 as your only lever. Forget the clause. If you want to raise the rent, budget on serving a Form 4A notice each time, and factor in the timing.
  2. Plan once a year, and no sooner. The rent can only rise once every 12 months – at least 52 weeks after the last increase took effect, or 12 months after the tenancy began for a first increase. Diarise the earliest date you can act.
  3. Set a defensible figure. Because the tenant can refer the rent to the tribunal, and the tribunal decides the open market rent, base your increase on genuine local comparables rather than a formula.
  4. Get the dates exactly right. The two months’ notice, the rent-due-date rule and the 12-month gap all have to line up. The Section 13 date calculator works them out and shows the earliest valid effective date.

For the full process, from setting the figure to keeping proof of service, see our step-by-step guide on how to serve a Section 13 rent increase. To understand the once-a-year timing in depth, read the 12-month rule explained.

Example: a landlord relying on an old clause

A tenancy signed in 2023 contains a clause raising the rent by 5% every January. In January 2027 the landlord assumes the rent rises automatically under that clause. It does not: the clause stopped having effect on 1 May 2026. To increase the rent, the landlord must serve a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, giving at least two months’ notice, with the new rent taking effect on a rent due date and no sooner than the 12-month gap allows.

Don’t collect an increase under a void clause. Continuing to charge a rise based on a rent review clause after 1 May 2026 risks collecting rent that was never validly increased. If in doubt about a clause in your agreement, take advice and switch to the Section 13 route.

What this means for tenants

If your agreement contains a rent review clause, it no longer governs your rent. Any increase now has to come through a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, with proper notice and the right to challenge the figure at the tribunal. If a landlord tries to raise the rent by pointing to a clause in the agreement rather than serving a valid notice, the increase is not being done the lawful way – and you can check any notice you do receive against what makes a Section 13 notice invalid.

Frequently asked questions

Are rent review clauses still valid in 2026?

No. From 1 May 2026, rent review clauses in assured tenancy agreements have no effect – including index-linked and fixed-uplift clauses.

Does this apply to agreements signed before the Act?

Yes. It applies to existing agreements as well as new ones. A rent review clause in a pre-Act agreement stopped having effect on 1 May 2026.

How do landlords increase the rent now?

Through the Section 13 procedure on Form 4A: at least two months’ notice, taking effect on a rent due date, and no more than once every 12 months.

Can a landlord and tenant just agree an increase between themselves?

An informal agreement outside the Section 13 procedure is not enforceable as a Section 13 increase. To be sure an increase is valid, use Form 4A and follow the statutory date rules.

Is this legal advice?

No. This page is general guidance. For advice on a specific clause or agreement, check GOV.UK or speak to a solicitor or professional adviser.

About this page. Written and maintained by James, founder of TenancyTools.uk, who runs a UK property management business working with landlords, resident management companies and tenants day to day. Every rule on this page is checked against the legislation and current GOV.UK guidance, and the page is reviewed whenever the rules change. See our editorial policy.

Disclaimer: TenancyTools.uk provides general guidance and calculation tools, not legal advice. The Section 13 rules described on this page apply to assured periodic tenancies in England under the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Different rules apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. While we work hard to keep every page accurate and up to date, you should verify dates and requirements against the current prescribed form and guidance on GOV.UK before serving or responding to a notice, and take professional advice where the outcome matters.