House Tiebreaker
NOTICECHALLENGE

Section 13 rent increase?

Ask the panel.

Get the rent panel — £49

Received a Section 13 rent increase notice? An evidence-grade panel benchmarks the proposed rent against official ONS and VOA data for your area — within 48 hours.

Built on official sourcesONS private rent statisticsVOAPolice.ukEnvironment AgencyEPC Register

Independent decision support. Not a RICS survey, a valuation, financial advice, or legal advice.

Every figure the panel turns on is fetched from its primary official source, attributed and dated.

The notice

What a Section 13 increase means

A landlord can propose a rent increase for an assured or assured shorthold tenancy using a Section 13 notice (Form 1) under the Housing Act 1988. The notice states the proposed rent and the date it takes effect — at least a month after you receive it. A comparable process applies in Wales under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

You don't have to accept the proposed figure. Before the effective date, you can refer the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in England, or the Residential Property Tribunal in Wales. The tribunal then decides a market rent — what the property could reasonably be let for on the open market.

A market rent turns on comparable rents: what similar homes let for nearby. That is exactly the question a data-led rental panel answers, from official sources.

This is independent decision support, not legal advice. For the formal process, speak to Citizens Advice, Shelter or a housing adviser.

The panel

How it supports your challenge

  1. 01

    You've received a Section 13 notice. Note the proposed rent and the effective date — the date it takes effect.

  2. 02

    Order a rental panel. Send us your address, your current rent and the proposed rent. We work to 48 hours.

  3. 03

    We benchmark the proposed rent against official ONS and VOA rents for your area, per bedroom, and show where it sits in the local distribution.

  4. 04

    Use the evidence pack to negotiate, or refer the increase to the First-tier Tribunal before the effective date.

Contents

What's in the panel

01.

Proposed rent vs the local distribution

ONS and VOA figures, per-bedroom, for your postcode area — not a national average.

02.

Increase outlook

Scenario ranges with every assumption stated.

03.

Running costs

EPC translated into bills you can actually plan around.

04.

Area risk flags

Crime trend, flood, licensing.

05.

Negotiation & evidence pack

The specific figures to cite, formatted to support a negotiation or tribunal application.

06.

Full source list

Every figure attributed and dated — so you can check our work.

Renting — rent panel

Evidence for a Section 13 challenge

£49£99

Founding price — first 25 rental reports

  • One renewal or rent-increase review
  • 48-hour delivery
  • 100% money-back guarantee
  • England & Wales
Get the rent panel — £49

Questions

Section 13, answered

What is a Section 13 notice?
A Section 13 notice is the form a landlord uses under the Housing Act 1988 to propose a rent increase for an assured or assured shorthold tenancy in England. It sets out the proposed rent and the date it takes effect — at least a month after you receive it. A comparable process applies in Wales under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
Can I challenge a Section 13 increase?
Yes. Before the effective date, you can refer the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in England, or the Residential Property Tribunal in Wales. The tribunal decides a market rent — what the property could reasonably be let for on the open market. For the formal process, speak to Citizens Advice, Shelter or a housing adviser.
How does the panel help my challenge?
The tribunal decides a market rent by weighing comparable rents. Our panel gathers those comparables from official sources — ONS private rent statistics and VOA data — for your postcode area, per bedroom, and sets out where the proposed rent sits in the local distribution. That gives you the specific figures to cite in a negotiation or tribunal application.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's independent analysis of official data. You can use it as supporting evidence in a negotiation or First-tier Tribunal application, but for legal advice speak to a housing adviser or solicitor.
How is it produced, and how fast?
Automatically, from official and regulated sources through their published interfaces, using the same method every time. Every report then passes an automated quality gate; most clear it and arrive in minutes. If one fails the gate a person checks it first, so in some cases allow up to 48 hours for delivery.
Where do you cover?
England & Wales.

Independent decision support. Not a RICS survey, a valuation, financial advice, or legal advice.

Looking to compare flats instead? See the renters page or terms.