Street wiseSECTION 13 · RENT REVIEW EVIDENCE
SECTION 13 READY · REAL MARKET COMPARABLES
Rent Review
Evidence Pack
Comparable lettings evidence supporting a proposed rent under Section 13, Housing Act 1988 (Form 4A). Formatted to sit behind the notice — and to stand up on paper if the tenant refers the increase to the First-tier Tribunal.
Market estimate
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Weighted median of the evidence
Evidence-supported range
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Weighted 25th–75th percentile
Three steps from estimate to a pack you can put behind a Form 4A notice.
Weights combine let-agreed status (achieved beats asking), distance, recency and similarity.
Sanity checksAPPLIED TO EVERY COMPARABLE
Before ranking, every listing is screened out if it is a room in a shared house (fails the rent-per-bed check against the local distribution), a short-let or serviced listing (nightly-rate economics), or a per-bed price outlier.
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Street wiseSERVING THE NOTICE—
FORM 4A · SECTION 13, HOUSING ACT 1988
Serving your Section 13 notice properly
Since 1 May 2026, rent increases on periodic tenancies in England must go through Section 13. A notice that fails on any point below is invalid — the increase simply doesn't happen.
Use the correct form — Form 4A. "Landlord's notice proposing a new rent under an assured periodic tenancy." A letter, text or email is not a valid Section 13 notice. Use the current published version of the form.
Give the minimum notice period. At least two months' notice before the new rent takes effect, and the start date must align with the beginning of a rental period. Count from when the tenant receives the notice, not when you post it.
One increase per 12 months. Only one Section 13 increase is allowed in any 12-month period. Check the date the current rent took effect before serving.
Know what happens if the tenant challenges. The tenant can refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) free of charge before the start date. The tribunal sets the open-market rent — it can be lower than you proposed, never higher — and there is no backdating of the increase.
IF THE TENANT CHALLENGES — IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Most tribunal references are decided on the papers: no hearing, no advocacy — just the evidence each side submits. The tribunal asks one question: what would this property let for on the open market today?
That is what this pack answers. A proposed rent inside the evidence-supported range, backed by real let-agreed comparables with rents and distances, is very hard to argue down. Submit this pack as your representation, keep the original notice, and don't negotiate outside the process while a reference is live.
METHODOLOGY & DATA VINTAGE
Comparables are real let-agreed and advertised lettings near the subject, filtered to like-for-like bedroom count and property type, with shared-house and short-let listings screened out (shown under exclusions, never hidden). Estimate = weighted median, led by same-street/building evidence where enough exists, shrunk toward the district benchmark; range = weighted 25th–75th percentile. Rents arrive as weekly figures (a listing can show £1–3 off its advertised pcm). Evidence base refreshed weekly; 96% of lettings agree at the final advertised price. Engine —.
MARKET SNAPSHOT —
ESTIMATE PRODUCED —
PACK REF —
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Not legal advice. This pack is market-evidence support for a Section 13 rent review. It does not constitute legal advice; for questions about a specific tenancy or notice, consult a qualified professional.
Real comparables. The comparable lettings, distances, rents and the estimate in this pack are real, drawn from Streetwise's market data as at the date shown above.
Verify current legislation. The rules governing rent increases changed on 1 May 2026 and may change again. Confirm the current form and process before serving.