Tenancy Variation & Rent Review Bundle Software

A landlord may serve Form 4A no earlier than 52 weeks after the start of the tenancy AND no earlier than 52 weeks after the date a previous rent increase took effect (Housing Act 1988 s.13(2)). The notice must give at least one month before the new rent takes effect (or longer where the tenancy's rent period is longer than one month). From 1 May 2026 Form 4A is the prescribed form under SI 2026/354 for assured tenancies in the private rented sector.

The tenant must apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber — Residential Property) on Form 2A under Housing Act 1988 s.13(4) BEFORE the new rent takes effect. After that date the right to refer falls away and the new rent applies automatically. FTT Property Chamber residential rent applications are generally fee-free. The application should include market-rent comparables for similar properties in the area, any lettings-agent valuations, and evidence of any disrepair or restricted-use factors that justify a lower rent.

The tribunal determines the open-market rent at which the dwelling-house might reasonably be expected to be let. Both sides should bring: market-rent comparables for similar properties in the same locality; lettings-agent or surveyor valuations of the subject property; photographs and condition reports (especially of disrepair or restricted amenities); witness statements on local market conditions and the tenancy's history; the current rent passing and any history of previous rent reviews. The tribunal may also direct an inspection of the property.

Form 1A is the prescribed notice proposing different terms (not rent — rent variation is Form 4A) on a tenancy that arose by succession under the Rent Act 1977 or the Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976. It is a niche form — most landlords will never serve a Form 1A — but it remains in use for the small population of regulated-tenancy succession cases. The tenant has three months to refer the matter to the FTT on Form 2A.

Residential rent applications to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under Housing Act 1988 s.13(4) are generally fee-free. Where a fee is charged (rare for residential rent applications), EX160 fee remission is available for applicants on qualifying benefits or low income. The tribunal does not normally award costs against the unsuccessful party (FTT(Property) Rules 2013 r.13), so the financial risk to a tenant referring is low.

Yes, within the limits of the Practice Guidance (McKenzie Friends: Civil and Family Courts) [2010] 1 WLR 1881. A McKenzie Friend may take notes, quietly prompt and assist with paperwork, and help the tenant prepare the bundle — but may not address the tribunal or conduct the case without permission. The statement of truth on Form 2A must be signed by the tenant personally. Solicitors, barristers, and Citizens Advice advisers are also options, and Shelter operates a free housing helpline on 0808 800 4444.

From issue to determination, currently four to eight months on average. The FTT issues directions within a few weeks of receipt, the hearing is usually listed within three to four months of issue, and the written determination follows within six to twelve weeks of the hearing. Permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal is narrow under FTT(Property) Rules 2013 r.52 — usually only available where the FTT has gone wrong in law, not where the tenant simply disagrees with the determined rent.

Form 4A proposes a new rent going forward — it does not give the landlord possession of the property, only the right to charge more. Form 3A is the Section 8 notice seeking possession because of (typically) accumulated rent arrears under Ground 8 of Sch.2 HA 1988. Where a Form 4A rent review produces a new rent that the tenant cannot pay and arrears accumulate beyond the Ground 8 threshold of 13 weeks' rent, the Possession Line takes over — see our /housing-possession-debt subsite for that procedure.

The Information Sheet for existing tenancies under SI 2026/324 had a one-off compliance deadline of 31 May 2026 for tenancies subsisting on 1 May 2026 — it is not a per-Form-4A document. For new tenancies entered into after 1 May 2026 the written statement of key terms is given at the start of the tenancy. The Form 4A itself contains the prescribed information about the tenant's right to refer to the tribunal.

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 transitional provisions, all subsisting fixed-term assured tenancies converted to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026 — there is no 'run-out-the-fixed-term' carve-out. Once periodic, the s.13 rent-review procedure (Form 4A) applies. The 12-month cooldown counts from the start of the tenancy as it existed before conversion, so a tenancy that started in (say) August 2025 cannot have a new rent take effect before August 2026.