Renters5 min read
My Landlord Won't Return My Deposit — What Can I Do?
If your landlord is withholding your tenancy deposit unfairly, you have legal options. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting your money back under UK law.
17 Feb 2026Read guide
Your landlord wants to raise your rent. But is the increase legal? Here's exactly what UK law says about how, when, and by how much landlords can increase rent — and how to challenge an unfair rise.
Rent increases are one of the most contentious aspects of private renting. With housing costs rising sharply across the UK, more tenants than ever are receiving notices of significant rent hikes — sometimes exceeding 20% in a single increase.
But landlords cannot simply increase your rent whenever they want, by however much they want. UK law sets out a clear framework — and the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has tightened it further.
The method a landlord must use to increase rent depends on your tenancy type.
During a fixed term (e.g., a 12-month AST), your landlord cannot increase your rent unless:
If your contract has no rent review clause and you have not agreed to an increase, any purported rent increase during the fixed term is not enforceable. You do not have to pay the higher amount.
Once your tenancy becomes periodic (rolling month-to-month or week-to-week), the rules are different. Under the Housing Act 1988, the main mechanism for a landlord to increase rent on a periodic assured shorthold tenancy is a Section 13 notice.
A Section 13 notice must:
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 confirms and codifies the one-increase-per-year limit for all tenancies. It also explicitly bans rental bidding wars — landlords and letting agents cannot advertise a property at one price and then accept offers above the asking rent. This had become common practice in high-demand areas.
There is no legal cap on how much rent can be increased in England (unlike Scotland, which introduced a temporary rent cap). However, the increase must be at open market rent — what the property would achieve if advertised today.
If a landlord attempts to increase rent above the open market level, you can challenge it.
If you receive a Section 13 notice proposing a rent increase you believe is above the market rate, you have the right to refer it to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
The process:
Applying to the tribunal does not give your landlord grounds to evict you. Under the Renters' Rights Act, retaliatory eviction protections apply.
To research the market rent, look at comparable properties currently advertised on Rightmove and Zoopla in your area. If similar properties of the same size and type are renting for less than your proposed new rent, that is strong evidence for the tribunal.
Sometimes landlords increase rent informally — through a letter, email, or verbal conversation — rather than using the correct legal process. If you simply start paying the higher amount, you may be treated as having agreed to it.
If you receive an informal rent increase request:
Under the old law, landlords could use Section 21 to evict tenants who refused rent increases — a form of effective financial pressure known as a "backdoor rent hike." The abolition of Section 21 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 removes this tool entirely.
A landlord cannot evict you for:
Attempting to do so would constitute a retaliatory eviction, which courts can take into account when determining possession applications.
This is a common pressure tactic. Even if your landlord does decide to sell, under the Renters' Rights Act, they must use the correct statutory ground for possession (the new Ground 1A for selling) and cannot use it within the first 12 months of your tenancy. You are entitled to four months' notice.
Threatening to sell as leverage to extract a higher rent agreement does not create any legal obligation on your part.
If you receive Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit, a rent increase does not automatically mean your benefit will increase to cover it. The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) sets a cap on what benefits will cover.
If your rent is increased beyond your LHA rate, you will need to make up the difference. Check your LHA rate for your area on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) website before agreeing to any increase.
Received a rent increase notice? Upload it to fairead to check whether it follows the correct legal process and understand your options for challenging it.
Upload any UK legal document and get an instant AI breakdown — clause by clause, risk by risk, in plain English.
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