Form 4: a rent increase notice served before 1 May 2026

What it is

Form 4 is the prescribed form for a section 13 notice proposing a new rent under an assured periodic tenancy of premises in England. It is the form used for notices served before 1 May 2026; Form 4A replaced it for notices served on or after that date.

Receiving a Form 4 rather than a Form 4A does not mean the notice is defective. It means the notice was served under the earlier rules, and those rules still govern it.

The difference that matters

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, a tribunal cannot set a rent above the one the landlord proposed. That protection attaches to notices under the new regime.

On notices served under the earlier rules, tribunals could and did determine a rent higher than the figure proposed. In the decisions we hold, it happened in 100 of the 878 earlier cases where both figures were recorded — a little over one in nine.

If you were served a Form 4, that risk is real and you should weigh it before applying. It is the single most important thing to understand about which form you were sent.

What has to be on it

The same basic requirements apply as to any prescribed rent increase notice.

• It names every tenant on the tenancy, spelled correctly, including joint tenants.
• It names the landlord — the actual landlord, not only the agent.
• It gives the address of the property, including the flat number where there is one.
• It states the new rent and the date it is to start.
• It gives you at least the minimum notice before that date.

The deadline is the same

You have to apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the date the new rent is due to start. That is on the notice.