What to do if your landlord gives you a Form 4A rent increase notice

A Form 4A rent increase notice means your landlord is proposing a new rent. It does not mean you have to decide everything immediately, but you should read it carefully and act before the date the new rent is due to start if you disagree.

Form 4A is officially called “Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent for assured tenancies in the private rented sector”. After that first point, most people simply call it a rent increase notice or Form 4A.

Check your rent increase for free if you want to compare the proposed rent with local market evidence before deciding what to do.

Read the notice before focusing on the amount

It is natural to look straight at the new rent. That figure matters, but the rest of the notice matters too.

Check:

• your name and property address
• the landlord or agent details
• the current rent
• the proposed new rent
• the date the new rent is due to start
• whether the rent includes bills or other charges
• the date the notice was signed or served

This guide does not decide whether the notice is legally valid. UpRently is not a notice validity checker. The reason to check these details is practical: you need to understand what your landlord is proposing, when it would happen and whether you need advice.

The most important deadline is the proposed start date for the new rent. If you want to use the official market rent process, the application must be made before that date. Leaving it until the last few days can create unnecessary pressure.

Check whether the proposed rent looks close to market rent

Once you understand the notice, the next question is whether the proposed rent is above the open market rent. That means what a similar home might reasonably rent for now.

This is the point where many renters feel unsure. A rent increase can be stressful because it affects your budget, but the official rent question is not only about affordability. It is about local evidence.

A good comparison should look at homes that are genuinely similar. A one-bedroom flat should usually be compared with other one-bedroom flats, not with shared rooms or houses. A terraced house should usually be compared with similar houses. A property with parking, a garden or recent refurbishment may not compare fairly with one that does not have those features.

The location also matters. In some areas, rents can change noticeably between neighbourhoods, even within the same town. A home near a station, university, major employer or town centre may attract a different rent from a home further away.

Do not rely only on online comments or a percentage

You may find online advice saying rent can only go up by a certain percentage. That can be misleading. Current guidance for private renters in England is based on the open market rent, not a fixed percentage cap.

The percentage still matters to you. It helps you understand affordability and whether you need to speak to your landlord, review your budget or get advice. But it does not prove the increase is above market.

Example: if your rent rises from £800 to £960, that is a 20% increase. It may feel high. But if comparable homes are now around £950 to £1,000, the proposed rent may be supported by market evidence. If comparable homes are closer to £850, the increase looks less well supported.

That is why rent evidence matters. It helps you move from “this feels high” to “this is how the proposed rent compares with similar homes”.

Decide what your next step is

Once you understand the notice and have checked comparable rents, there are usually a few possible next steps.

You may accept the new rent if it looks close to the market and is affordable for you. You may speak to your landlord if the increase looks too high or if the timing creates pressure. You may ask for more information about how they reached the proposed rent.

If you think the proposed rent is above the open market rent, you can look at the official market rent application process. MR1, officially called “Apply for a determination of an open market rent”, is the application used to ask the tribunal to decide the open market rent. UpRently can help you understand and organise comparable rent evidence, but it does not complete MR1 or submit anything for you.

Keep records of what you receive and what you send. Save a copy of the notice, any emails with your landlord and any rent evidence you find. If you later need advice, this information will help someone understand the position more quickly.

How UpRently fits in

UpRently exists because the official process expects people to think about market rent evidence, but many renters do not know how to do that confidently.

The free UpRently Rent Rise Checker compares the proposed rent with local rental evidence where suitable comparables are available. It gives a simple result and shows the confidence level, so you can see whether there is enough data to support a stronger view.

If you need a clearer record, the Evidence Pack brings the comparables, method and summary together. This can help you prepare for a conversation with your landlord or understand the evidence you may want to rely on if using the official process.

The checker and Evidence Pack are not a substitute for advice. They are designed to reduce friction by helping you understand the local rent evidence.

What to read next

• Is my rent increase fair?
• Can my landlord increase my rent?
• How to challenge a rent increase in England
• MR1: apply for a determination of an open market rent
• What evidence helps with a rent increase challenge?