Section 13 Rent Increase Evidence Checklist for Landlords

This guide explains section 13 evidence checklist in plain English, including the rules, common mistakes and practical next steps.

What evidence should a landlord keep?

Keep the completed notice, the tenancy and rent history, a reliable record of service, and the material you used to judge the open-market rent. The evidence should tell one consistent story: what the tenant pays now, why the new figure was selected, when it is intended to start and how the tenant received the notice.

Evidence-backed increase

Build Form 4A and the supporting evidence together

Check the timing, review comparable properties and keep the notice, proposed rent and explanation in one organised route.

• Check the supportable rent against current local listings.
• Keep Form 4A, dates and service details together.
• Step up to Tribunal-Ready when challenge risk is visible.

Build my supported rent increase

Checks before preparing Form 4A

Under the current England process, a landlord normally uses Form 4A, gives at least two months' notice, and cannot increase the rent more than once a year. An increase also cannot take effect in the first year of the tenancy. Before generating the notice, verify the tenancy start date, the date of the last effective increase, the rent period and the earliest lawful start date.

Those checks matter because a commercially reasonable figure does not cure a timing or notice problem. Keep the calculation beside the final notice rather than relying on memory later.

The Section 13 evidence checklist

• The signed tenancy agreement or written statement of terms.
• The current rent, payment frequency and a clear rent-payment history.
• The tenancy start date and the date the last increase took effect.
• The proposed rent and the intended effective date.
• A copy of the exact Form 4A served on the tenant.
• A service record showing the method and date of delivery.
• Current local listings for genuinely comparable properties.
• Notes explaining important differences in size, condition, furnishing, location or facilities.
• A short, consistent explanation of how the proposed figure was selected.
• Any tenant correspondence about the proposal or an agreed resolution.

Choosing useful comparable properties

A nearby listing is not automatically a good comparable. Look for properties that broadly match the subject property on type, bedroom count, location, condition and furnishing. Record when each listing was captured, because asking rents change and listings disappear.

Avoid selecting only the highest advertised rents. A balanced evidence set is more credible and helps you see whether the proposed figure sits comfortably within the market or needs a stronger explanation. The tribunal determines open-market rent; an advert is evidence, not a guarantee of the result.

Keeping a clear service record

Keep a clean copy of Form 4A and record when and how it was given. GOV.UK says the notice may be given in person, by post, or by email where the tenancy agreement allows email service. Check the agreement rather than assuming every delivery method is available.

Supported or Tribunal-Ready?

The Supported Rent Increase Pack is the natural route when the proposed rent is comfortably supported by the local evidence and there is no clear sign of a dispute. It keeps Form 4A, comparable listings, the rent summary and the landlord's explanation together.

Choose the Tribunal-Ready Rent Increase Pack when the tenant has objected, challenge risk is high, or the proposed figure needs a more developed evidence narrative. It does not guarantee an outcome, but it creates a more organised file for answering the challenge.

Frequently asked questions

Does market evidence make an invalid notice valid?

No. Evidence about the amount does not replace the correct form, dates, notice period or service method.

Should I keep screenshots of online listings?

Yes. Save the date, address area, asking rent and relevant property details because live listings may later change or disappear.

What if the tenant proposes a different rent?

Keep the correspondence and take care before agreeing anything. If the route becomes disputed, consider the Tribunal-Ready pack or independent advice.