-
14/7/25 8:13 pm
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Landlords have been urged not to fall foul of looming rent rise legislation by updating their records and processes.
Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, they will only be able to increase rents by serving a Section 13 notice once every 12 months after giving two months’ notice. All increases must also reflect current market rates.
Which signals the end of a landlord being able to Whatsapp their tenants and tell them the rent is going up.
And Allison Thompson (pictured), national lettings managing director at LRG, says this change means a shift in how landlords approach rent increases because rent review clauses in tenancy agreements will no longer be enforceable, as well as informal agreements not being valid without the Section 13 notice.
“Landlords will need to plan rent increases carefully, especially in rising markets where waiting 12 months to adjust rent may affect profitability,” advises Thompson.
“It will also become more important to gather clear evidence of comparable market rents as tenants will be given greater ability to challenge rent increases they believe are unfair.”
The tribunal process will also become less risky for tenants; if they dispute an increase, the rent will no longer be backdated and can’t be raised above the figure proposed by the landlord. In cases of financial hardship, tribunals can defer the increase by up to two months.
For landlords, this means longer lead times
She explains: “For landlords, this means longer lead times and potentially delayed income increases, even where the rent remains below local market averages.”
Thompson urges landlords to take sensible steps now to get ahead of the legislation by removing any rent review clauses from tenancy agreements. She suggests they keep detailed records of when rent was last increased, monitor local rental trends, discuss rent increases with tenants before issuing a notice and to plan any increases well in advance.
Tags:
Comments