Rent increase during tenancy

The answer depends heavily on what type of accommodation you have, because “student rent” covers several very different legal arrangements. The most important first step is to identify which of these applies to you.

Identify the type of agreement you have

There are three common situations for students, and they are treated differently:

A private tenancy with a private landlord or letting agent. This is usually an assured shorthold tenancy (AST), often granted for a fixed term matching the academic year (for example a 12-month or 44-week fixed term). This carries the strongest legal protections.

Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), for example large private student blocks run by companies. These are often granted as licences to occupy rather than tenancies, or as ASTs, depending on the exact arrangement. The label used in the contract is not decisive; what matters is whether you have exclusive possession of your own room.

University halls of residence. These are almost always licences, and university licences are excluded from the assured tenancy regime, so most statutory rent protections do not apply. Your rights come mainly from the contract itself.

Can the rent be increased mid-year

For a fixed-term AST, the general rule is that your landlord cannot simply raise the rent during the fixed term. The rent is fixed for the length of the term unless one of the following applies:

1. You agree to the increase (a landlord can always propose one and you can accept).

2. Your contract contains a rent review clause that expressly allows an increase during the fixed term and sets out how it is calculated. If there is such a clause, the landlord can rely on it, but only in accordance with its exact terms.

A statutory section 13 notice, which is the usual mechanism for increasing rent, generally cannot be used during a fixed term at all. It applies to periodic (rolling) tenancies, or once a fixed term has ended and become periodic. Even then, it can only be used once in any 12-month period.

So, if you are in a fixed-term AST with no rent review clause, the landlord normally cannot lawfully increase the rent until the fixed term ends, and you have not agreed. If there is a rent review clause, read it carefully: it must be followed precisely, and an increase that does not comply with its wording is not valid.

For a licence (halls or many PBSA schemes), the position is governed by the contract. Most reputable providers fix the rent for the whole booking period, but you should check the small print for any clause permitting in-year increases. Statutory rent challenge routes generally do not apply to licences.

How to challenge an increase

If you dispute an increase, the route depends on the basis of the increase:

If the landlord is relying on a rent review clause, the challenge is essentially contractual. Check whether the clause was validly triggered, whether correct notice was given, and whether the new figure was calculated exactly as the clause requires. If it was not, the increase is arguably invalid and you can dispute it in writing on that basis.

If the landlord has served a section 13 notice (more likely if your fixed term has ended and you are now on a periodic tenancy), you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to determine what a reasonable market rent would be. This application is free. Crucially, the Tribunal must receive your application before the date the proposed increase is due to take effect, so act quickly. The Tribunal decides the open market rent for the property, which means it can in principle set the rent at, above, or below the proposed figure, so this route carries some risk if the proposed rent is actually below market value.

If you have a licence, you cannot use the section 13 Tribunal route. Your options are to negotiate, to hold the provider to the contract terms, and if it is a large PBSA provider, to use their complaints procedure and any redress scheme they belong to.

Upcoming changes to the law

The law in this area is changing under the Renters’ Rights Act. When the relevant provisions come into force, assured shorthold tenancies and fixed terms are being abolished for most private tenancies, rent review clauses will no longer be usable to raise rent, and rent increases will only be possible once a year using the statutory notice procedure, with a right to challenge at the Tribunal. Shelter indicates that from 1 May 2026 a rent increase can no longer be imposed through a rent review clause. There is also a specific student-related possession ground being introduced for typical student lets, aimed at preserving the yearly student letting cycle. Because commencement dates are being phased in, check the current position before relying on the new regime, and note that the position that applies to you now depends on when your agreement was made and what stage the reforms have reached.

What facts would change the answer

To give you a firm view, the key missing details are: whether you have your own room with exclusive possession or shared it (tenancy versus licence); whether your accommodation is private, PBSA or university halls; whether you have a fixed term and what dates it covers; whether your contract contains a rent review clause and what it says; and exactly what document the landlord has used to notify the increase (a letter, a contractual notice, or a section 13 form).

Practical next steps

1. Find and read your tenancy or licence agreement, focusing on the term dates and any rent review clause.

2. Do not pay the increased amount before checking, because in some situations paying can be treated as accepting the new rent.

3. Write to the landlord or provider asking on what contractual or statutory basis they say they can increase the rent mid-term, and ask them to identify the exact clause or notice relied on. Keep this in writing.

4. If they cannot point to a valid rent review clause, a valid section 13 notice, or your agreement, state clearly in writing that you do not accept the increase and that the existing rent continues to apply.

5. If a valid section 13 notice has been served and you think the figure is too high, apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the increase date, bearing in mind the market-rent risk.

6. For free, tailored help, the university accommodation office, the students’ union advice service, Citizens Advice and Shelter can all assist, and Shelter has specific online guidance on rent increases and rent review clauses.

If you tell me which type of accommodation you have, whether you are in a fixed term, and exactly how the increase was communicated, I can give you a much more precise answer on whether it is lawful and the best way to resist it.