How do letting agents track section 13 rent increases and section 8 notices?

Since the Renters' Rights Act applied in England on 1 May 2026, rent on a periodic tenancy goes up through a section 13 notice. For each one, track:

• the earliest start date: not in the first year of the tenancy, at least a year after the last increase took effect, at least two months after the notice is served, and at the start of a rent period
• the notice: the date it was served and how, using Form 4A from GOV.UK
• the outcome: accepted, challenged at the First-tier Tribunal or withdrawn
• a tribunal decision: the rent it decides and the date it takes effect, which is never backdated

The date maths is where mistakes happen, especially with an increase made before 1 May 2026 or a rent day that does not fall on the first of the month.

With section 21 gone, possession is through section 8 on one or more grounds, each with its own notice period and restrictions. Track:

• the grounds used, and whether each can be used yet: grounds 1 and 1A, for a landlord moving in or selling, cannot be used to end a tenancy in its first 12 months
• the evidence: for ground 8, the rent arrears at the date of the notice and at the hearing, taken from the rent ledger
• the earliest date to apply to court, from the notice periods of the grounds used
• what happens next: a possession order, the date possession is due and whether the tenant left
• the re-letting bar: after a notice on ground 1 or 1A, the property cannot be let or marketed to let until 12 months after the date the notice gives for court proceedings

The notice served is always the official Form 3A from GOV.UK.

In our live lettings demo at lettings-demo.varsuite.co.uk each tenancy has a Rent reviews tab and a Possession tab. The rent review works out the earliest start date, refuses a date that breaks a rule with the reason and the nearest date that works, and records the outcome. The rent schedule then charges the new rent from the right date.

The possession tab holds every ground in the GOV.UK guidance with its notice period. Grounds that cannot be used yet are refused with the earliest date they could be, ground 8 is checked against the rent ledger, and the earliest court date is worked out. A notice on ground 1 or 1A blocks portal listings and new tenancies on the property until the bar has passed. Lettings lists every let where a rent increase could be served today and every notice in progress, and landlords see both in their portal. The rest of the system is on our letting agent software page.

No. Software keeps the dates consistent and visible, but the rules have detail that depends on the tenancy, so check anything unusual with a solicitor or a lettings body. For the wider picture, see what software letting agents need for the Renters' Rights Act.