Rent reviews under the Renters' Rights Act. Form 4A is the only valid notice from 1 May 2026. Here is how to get it right.

From 1 May 2026, the only legal way to increase rent on an assured periodic tenancy in England is by serving a Form 4A Section 13 notice. Contractual rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer have any effect. For landlords across Huntingdonshire with annual review dates arriving this summer, the window to serve is now, and getting the notice right the first time matters.

What changed on 1 May 2026?

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished fixed-term assured tenancies and converted all existing assured tenancies to periodic tenancies. In parallel, the Housing Act 1988 Section 13 procedure was overhauled and the new prescribed Form 4A replaced the old Form 4.

Before the Act, many landlords relied on a rent review clause written into the tenancy agreement to increase rent at the anniversary date. Those clauses are void from 1 May 2026. Only Section 13 and Form 4A can trigger a lawful increase.

Two substantive rules run alongside the form requirement: rent can only be increased once every 52 weeks, and the proposed new rent must not exceed the open market rent for the property at the time of review. Both rules apply whether the tenancy started before or after 1 May 2026.

How does Form 4A work?

The notice must use the prescribed Form 4A, available from GOV.UK's assured tenancy forms page. Serving it correctly requires the following:

• ·Give at least two months' written notice before the date the increase is to take effect.
• ·State the proposed new rent figure clearly.
• ·State the date from which the new rent applies. That date must fall at the start of a rental period, for example the first of the month on a monthly tenancy.
• ·Keep a dated record of service: an email delivery receipt or a signed acknowledgement from the tenant.

A worked example: a landlord in Huntingdon serves Form 4A on 10 June 2026. On a monthly tenancy running from the first of the month, the earliest eligible start date is 1 September 2026, the first rental period beginning at least two months after service. The tenant has until 1 September to accept the figure or refer it to the First-tier Tribunal.

Can tenants challenge a Section 13 increase?

Yes. A tenant who considers the proposed rent above the local market rate can refer the Form 4A notice to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) free of charge. The tribunal carries out an independent market rent determination. If the proposed figure is at or below market for comparable lets in the area, the tribunal is likely to confirm it. If it is above market, the tribunal will reduce it.

The practical implication: before serving, check the proposed figure against current asking rents for similar properties nearby. Our letting agents in Huntingdon and Brampton cover the full Huntingdonshire corridor and can provide a current rental valuation before you serve.

What mistakes are landlords making with Section 13?

Three errors have surfaced since the Act came in on 1 May 2026:

1. 1.Sending a rent review letter or relying on the old contractual clause instead of Form 4A. Neither has legal effect from 1 May 2026. The increase simply will not take effect.
2. 2.Giving less than two months' notice. A Form 4A that does not meet the notice period is void, and the landlord must start again from scratch.
3. 3.Proposing a figure above the open market rate. The tribunal will reduce it, and the landlord has delayed the review in the process. A market-anchored figure is unlikely to be challenged at all.

For a broader overview of how the Act has changed day-to-day letting practice, see our earlier guide to the Renters' Rights Act: the first weeks in Huntingdonshire.

What should Huntingdonshire landlords do right now?

If your tenancy's annual review date falls in July, August or September 2026, you need to serve Form 4A in June or early July to allow the full two months' notice. The checklist:

1. 1.Identify the date the rent was last increased (or the tenancy start date if it has never been reviewed).
2. 2.Add 52 weeks to confirm the earliest date an increase can take effect.
3. 3.Count back two months from that date to find the earliest valid service date.
4. 4.Check the proposed figure against current market rents for the area.
5. 5.Download Form 4A from GOV.UK, serve it in writing, and keep a dated record.

Our landlord compliance guidance covers Form 4A alongside the full range of current requirements. If you are uncertain about current market rents for your property, our Tenancy MOT service includes a rent-review timing check and a rental valuation as standard.