Housing Act 1988: Primary legislation governing Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies. Specifies requirements for notice periods and sets limits on frequency of rent increases. Notice periods must be given and rent increases cannot occur more than once annually without tenant agreement.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: Establishes fundamental landlord obligations and provides context for justifying rent increases. Any rent increase must be reasonable and justifiable under the terms of this Act.
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Ensures fairness and transparency in contractual terms and communications between landlord and tenant. Rent increase notices must be clear, fair, and transparent in accordance with this legislation.
Rent Act 1977: Applicable to older tenancies and contains provisions about fair rents. While less commonly applicable to modern tenancies, it remains relevant for certain historical rental agreements.
Form 4 (Section 13 Notice): Formal notice procedure required for implementing rent increases in periodic tenancies. Must be used when increasing rent outside of existing contractual provisions.
Notice Period Requirements: Minimum one month's notice required for periodic tenancies. For fixed-term tenancies, increases only allowed if permitted by tenancy agreement, agreed by tenant, or via rent review clause.
Market Rate Consideration: Legal requirement that rent increases must be fair and realistic relative to local market rates, supported by various pieces of legislation including Housing Act 1988 and Consumer Rights Act 2015.
