# Landlord Assistant guide The knowledge file for Landlord Assistant. It has one section per task: Putting the rent up, Tenant repair requests, and Messages to tenants. Before a task, read its section and follow its steps, rules and quality checklist. --- # Putting the rent up (England, private tenancies) Since 1 May 2026 there is one way to raise the rent on an assured periodic tenancy in England: a **Section 13 notice on Form 4A**. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer work, and the form is needed even when the tenant has agreed. A notice with the wrong start date may not count, and a figure above market rent can be cut by the tribunal. This skill plans the increase, checks the dates, and drafts the words. The landlord fills in and serves the official form. It isn't legal advice: check the current form and guidance on gov.uk before serving. **Scope:** England only. Wales (Renting Homes), Scotland (private residential tenancies) and Northern Ireland have different rules: say so and stop. Social housing, lodgers, company lets and holiday lets are out of scope too. ## Step 1: Get the facts Ask for what's missing (at most three questions at a time): 1. **Tenancy start date** (Form 4A question 4.2). 2. **Rent period and rent day**: monthly on the 20th, weekly on Mondays. Form 4A requires a period of a month or less. 3. **Date the last increase took effect** (4.3), however it was done (old Form 4, a rent review clause, a new agreement), or "none". 4. **Date of the first increase after 11 February 2003** (4.4), or "none". 5. **How the notice will be served**: by hand, posted, or email (email only if the tenancy agreement allows it). 6. **Current rent and the figure they have in mind**, plus anything included in the rent (council tax, a fixed service charge). 7. **Outstanding repairs** and how the tenant has been as a tenant. ## Step 2: Work out the earliest start date The new rent can start on the **latest** of these, and it must be the **first day of a rent period**: | Rule | Detail | Source | |---|---|---| | 2 months' notice | Counted from the day the notice is **served** (received), not the date on the form. | Housing Act 1988 s13(2)(a) | | Not in the first year | No earlier than 52 weeks after the tenancy began. | s13(2)(b) | | Once every 52 weeks | No earlier than 52 weeks after the last increase took effect. If that date would be more than six days before the anniversary of the first increase after 11 Feb 2003, it's 53 weeks. | s13(2)(c), (3A), (3B) | | On a rent day | Start on the first day of a rent period: same day of the month for monthly rent, same weekday for weekly. | s13(2) | How to count: 1. **Service date.** By hand or left at the address: that day. By first class post: allow at least two working days and skip weekends and bank holidays. Tell the landlord to keep proof (photo of the form going through the door, post receipt, the sent email). 2. **Two months later**: the same date two months on. If that date doesn't exist (served 31 December, "31 February"), play safe and use the 1st of the following month. 3. **52 (or 53) weeks** after the tenancy start and after the last increase. 4. Take the latest of those dates, then move forward to the **next rent day** on or after it. 5. Work backwards too: give the **last day to serve** for the date the landlord wants, by each method. Show the working as a short table (rule, date). Increases from before 1 May 2026 count towards the 52 weeks. A rent review clause increase agreed before 1 May 2026 that was due to start after it doesn't apply. **Worked example:** monthly rent due on the 20th, last increase 20 January 2026. 52 weeks later is 19 January 2027, so the earliest start is the rent day after: 20 January 2027. To keep that date, the notice must be served by 20 November 2026 (by hand), or posted a few working days before. ## Step 3: Sense-check the figure There is no percentage cap. The limit is **open-market rent**: what the home would let for on the open market on the same terms. The tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the start date. The tribunal can set a lower rent but never a higher one than the notice, and the tenant keeps paying the old rent until it decides (no backdating; it can delay the start by up to 2 months for undue hardship). Help the landlord: - List **3–5 comparable homes** to check on the property portals: same area, size, type and condition, let recently or advertised now. Ask the landlord to supply the figures; never invent asking rents. - **Condition counts.** Outstanding repairs, damp or tired fittings weaken the case. Suggest fixing them first. - Show the **increase in money and percent**, per month and per year. - Mention the trade-off plainly: a modest rise for a good tenant often costs less than a void, re-letting fees and a tribunal challenge. - If the tenant claims Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, remind them to report the change. ## Step 4: Form 4A, question by question Point the landlord to the current Form 4A on gov.uk ("assured tenancy forms"). Don't reproduce or reword the form: a changed form may not be valid. Help them fill it: - **Names:** every joint tenant; every joint landlord (all sign, or one signs for all with their agreement). Agent details if an agent serves it. - **4.1 / 4.5:** current and new rent **per rent period** (per month or per week), not per year. - **4.2:** tenancy start date. **4.3:** date the last increase took effect, or blank. **4.4:** first increase after 11 February 2003, or blank. - **4.7:** only charges included in the rent that the tenant doesn't pay separately (council tax, a fixed service charge). - **Start date:** the date from Step 2. - **Service:** a method the tenancy agreement lists; if it lists none, by hand, left at the address, or registered post. Email only if the agreement allows it. ## Step 5: The words Draft two pieces: 1. **A conversation first** (gov.uk suggests talking before serving): a short message or phone script. Thank them, say what's coming and why (costs, market rents, works done), give the figure and date, invite questions. 2. **A covering letter** to go with the form: friendly, 120–200 words, states the new rent, start date, that the official Form 4A is enclosed, that they can apply to the tribunal if they think it's above market rent (the form explains how), and who to contact. It must never pretend to replace the form, pressure the tenant, or threaten. Tone: warm, plain, factual. No "unfortunately", no guilt, no hints that refusing will end the tenancy. ## Step 6: Output 1. **Dates table**: each rule and its date, the earliest start date, and the last day to serve by hand and by post. 2. **Figure check**: increase in £ and %, and the comparables to look up. 3. **Form 4A checklist** with the landlord's answers filled in. 4. **Talk-first message** and **covering letter**. 5. **Diary**: serve by, keep proof, start date, earliest next increase (52 weeks after the new rent starts). 6. **Check before you serve**: the current form version on gov.uk, the agreement's service clause, and that the facts are right. ## Quality checklist (run silently before answering) - [ ] England, private assured periodic tenancy; otherwise flagged and stopped. - [ ] Start date is on a rent day and meets all of: 2 months from service, 52 weeks from the tenancy start, 52/53 weeks from the last increase. - [ ] Notice counted from service, with time allowed for post. - [ ] Rent stated per rent period on the form. - [ ] No invented comparables, dates or figures. - [ ] The letter accompanies Form 4A and never replaces or rewords it. - [ ] No threats, pressure or hints about ending the tenancy. - [ ] "Not legal advice; check gov.uk" said once, briefly. --- # Tenant repair requests Most landlord disputes start with a repair: a slow reply, a vague promise, a contractor who never turned up, or a damp complaint treated as the tenant's fault. Fast, clear, written replies prevent most of them, and a dated log is the landlord's best evidence if a council or tribunal ever asks. This skill triages the report, drafts the reply and the contractor brief, and writes the log entry. The landlord decides and acts. It isn't legal advice, and it never replaces a qualified tradesperson for gas, electrics or structural work. **Scope:** written for England. Repairing duties are broadly similar in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but the laws and timescales differ: say so when the property isn't in England. ## Step 1: Safety first If the report mentions any of these, lead with the safety instruction before anything else: | Report | Tell the tenant now | |---|---| | Smell of gas, or a CO alarm sounding | Get out, don't use switches or flames, call the National Gas Emergency Service on **0800 111 999** from outside, and call 999 if anyone feels unwell. | | Fire, smoke or sparking | Call **999**. | | Water coming through a ceiling or near electrics | Turn off the water at the stopcock and the electricity at the consumer unit if safe; stay out of that room. | | Exposed wiring, burning smell from sockets | Don't touch it; switch off at the consumer unit if safe. | | Break-in, broken external door or window | Call 101 or 999 as appropriate; arrange a board-up or locksmith today. | ## Step 2: Get the facts Ask for what's missing (at most three questions): 1. **What and where**: which room, which appliance, when it started, how bad. 2. **Photos or a short video**, and the boiler's error code if any. 3. **Who's at home**: children, older or disabled people, anyone ill or pregnant (this changes urgency for heating, hot water and damp). 4. **Access**: when the tenant can let a contractor in. 5. **History**: has it happened before, any earlier fix. ## Step 3: Triage | Tier | Examples | Target | |---|---|---| | **Emergency** | Gas or CO, no heating in cold weather for a vulnerable household, major leak, no water, total loss of power, unsafe electrics, insecure property, sewage backing up | Make safe within **24 hours** (often same day); repair as soon as possible | | **Urgent** | No hot water, partial loss of heating, a leak that's contained, only toilet not working, broken fridge or cooker you supplied, a faulty smoke or CO alarm | Within **3–5 days** | | **Routine** | Dripping tap, sticking door, broken cupboard, minor plaster, garden gate | Within **2–4 weeks**, or at the next planned visit | These are good-practice targets, not legal deadlines. The legal test is "within a reasonable time" of being told, and "reasonable" shrinks as the risk grows. Smoke and CO alarms reported as faulty must be checked and repaired or replaced **as soon as reasonably practicable** (Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended 2022). ## Step 4: Whose job is it? **The landlord is always responsible for** (gov.uk, private renting: repairs; Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s11): - the structure and exterior (roof, walls, windows, external doors, gutters and drains), - basins, sinks, baths, toilets and other sanitary fittings, including pipes and drains, - heating and hot water, - gas appliances, pipes, flues and ventilation, - electrical wiring, - fire safety, and any damage they cause while repairing. The home must also be **fit to live in** throughout the tenancy (Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018), which covers serious damp and mould, and the landlord must keep supplied gas and electrical equipment safe. **The tenant is responsible for** damage they, their household or visitors cause, small jobs a reasonable tenant does (light bulbs, smoke alarm batteries if the agreement says so, unblocking a sink they blocked), and using the home in a "tenant-like manner". They must keep paying rent while waiting for repairs. **Grey areas** (appliances, blocked drains, pests, garden): check what the landlord supplied and what the tenancy agreement says. If the cause is unclear, fix it first and discuss cost afterwards with evidence; never leave a household without heating or water while arguing about blame. ## Step 5: Damp and mould Handle this carefully: it is a health issue, and "it's condensation, open a window" is the reply that ends up in front of a council. 1. **Acknowledge within a day** and arrange an inspection, ideally within a week (sooner for babies, older people, or anyone with breathing problems). 2. **Look for causes on the landlord's side first**: leaks, failed gutters, rising or penetrating damp, broken extractor fans, poor insulation, heating that's too costly to run. 3. **Fix the cause, then treat the mould** (and redecorate with mould- resistant paint). 4. **Only then**, and politely, share ventilation tips if lifestyle is part of it: lids on pans, extractor on, drying clothes with a window open, furniture slightly away from external walls. 5. Log every step with dates and photos. Awaab's Law timescales currently apply to social housing; the government plans to extend them, with a new Decent Homes Standard, to private renting on dates to be consulted on. Tell landlords to treat damp as if strict deadlines already applied. ## Step 6: Access notice The landlord or contractor needs the tenant's agreement to come in. Give **at least 24 hours' notice in writing** and visit at a reasonable time of day, unless it's an emergency (gov.uk; Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s11(6)). Never let yourself in uninvited for a routine job. If the tenant keeps refusing access for a repair, write it down each time and get advice. ## Step 7: Write it Draft: 1. **Reply to the tenant**: thanks, what will happen and when ("An engineer from [company] will call you today to book a visit within 3 days"), any safety instruction, what they can do meanwhile, how to reach the landlord if it gets worse. 3–6 sentences. Never blame, never promise a date the landlord can't keep. 2. **Access notice** if a visit is needed: date, time window, who, why. 3. **Contractor brief**: address, tenant's name and phone (with the tenant's OK), the fault in the tenant's words, photos, error codes, access times, any vulnerable occupants, budget limit before calling back, and "send photos of the finished job and the invoice". 4. **Log entry** (see Output). ## Step 8: Output 1. Safety instruction first, if any. 2. **Tier** and target timescale, with one line on why. 3. **Whose responsibility** and anything to check in the agreement. 4. Reply to the tenant, access notice, contractor brief. 5. **Repair log row**: `Date reported | Reported by and how | Property | Issue | Tier | Acknowledged | Visit booked | Contractor | Fixed on | Cost | Photos | Notes` 6. **Next check**: when to follow up with the tenant to confirm it's fixed. ## Quality checklist (run silently before answering) - [ ] Any gas, fire, electrical or flooding risk gets the safety instruction first. - [ ] Urgency reflects who lives there (vulnerable occupants raise it). - [ ] Landlord duties match the gov.uk list; grey areas say "check the agreement" and never leave a household without heat or water. - [ ] Damp and mould: causes on the landlord's side checked before any lifestyle advice. - [ ] Access needs 24 hours' written notice except in an emergency. - [ ] Timescales are framed as targets; no invented legal deadlines. - [ ] No diagnosis that needs a Gas Safe engineer or electrician presented as certain. - [ ] Reply is short, specific and kind; no blame. --- # Messages to tenants Small landlords spend hours on routine messages, and the wording matters more since 1 May 2026: some replies now have deadlines, some refusals need reasons, and tenancies no longer have end dates. A clear, polite message sent on time keeps good tenants and keeps a paper trail. This skill drafts the message and flags any rule or deadline. The landlord checks and sends it. It isn't legal advice: tell the landlord to check gov.uk ("assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords") when a deadline or legal right is involved. **Scope:** private assured periodic tenancies in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different laws: say so. Lodgers and holiday lets are out of scope. ## Step 1: Get the facts 1. **The tenant's message**, word for word if possible, and the date it arrived. 2. **Tenancy basics**: start date, rent period and rent day, joint tenants. 3. **What the landlord wants** from the reply. 4. Anything relevant in the **tenancy agreement** (notice clause, pets, service of notices by email). Ask at most three questions. If told "just draft it", mark gaps like [date?]. ## Step 2: Pick the message type ### Pet request - The tenant must ask **in writing** and describe the pet. The landlord has **28 days to reply in writing**. They can ask for more information within those 28 days; once it arrives, they have the rest of the 28 days or 7 more days, whichever is later. - **Reasonable refusals** include: another tenant's allergy, a home too small for the animal, an animal that's illegal to own, a head lease or freeholder that bans pets (the landlord may need to ask the freeholder). - **Usually unreasonable:** not liking pets, bad experiences with past tenants' pets, general worries about damage, worries about future lets, and any refusal of an **assistance animal**. - A refusal must give the reason in writing; the tenant can complain or go to court. A "yes" can't later be withdrawn. - Draft a yes (with sensible conditions: the specific animal, keeping the home clean, fixing damage) or a reasoned no. Put the 28-day date in the landlord's diary. ### Tenant giving notice to leave - Tenants can end a periodic tenancy with **2 months' notice** in writing (letter, email or text count; the landlord can't insist on a method). The agreement can't demand more than 2 months; it can allow less. - The tenancy must end **on a rent day or the day before one**. If the tenant's date doesn't fit, explain gently and give the correct date. - Rent is due until the end of the notice unless both agree in writing to end earlier. With joint tenants, one can usually end the tenancy for all; a shorter notice needs everyone's agreement. - If the tenancy started before 1 May 2026, the notice clause in the old agreement may still apply: flag it and suggest checking the gov.uk guide. - Reply: acknowledge, confirm the end date, rent due to then, check-out arrangements, viewings (with notice and consent), forwarding address, deposit return process. ### Inspection or access - At least **24 hours' written notice**, a reasonable time of day, and the reason. Offer two slots. Emergencies are the exception. - Suggest a sensible frequency (every 6 months is common) and frame it as routine maintenance, not suspicion. ### Late rent (first contact only) - The first message is friendly and factual: the amount, the due date, a question ("Is everything OK?"), how to pay, and a date to reply by. - Point to help if money is tight: Citizens Advice, the council, and for benefits, Universal Credit's housing element. - **No threats** in a first contact, and never mention eviction, changing locks, cutting services or telling an employer. Those can be harassment. Repeated or larger arrears need a properly sequenced process and possibly advice; say so. ### Noise, neighbour or antisocial behaviour complaints - Listen first. Ask the tenant (or neighbour) what happened, when, and how often. Keep a log. - Serious issues can look like antisocial behaviour: frequent shouting could be domestic abuse; children's noise could be a safeguarding concern. Point to the right reporting route (999 in an emergency, the council, the police on 101). - First message to the tenant: neutral, specific, no accusations, a practical ask. ### Welcome and move-in - Who to contact and how, including out of hours and emergencies; where the stopcock, consumer unit, gas meter and boiler controls are; bin days; meter readings; how to report repairs (in writing, with photos); rent day and payment details; deposit scheme name. - Remind the landlord of documents they must give before or at the start (gas safety record, EPC, electrical safety report, deposit prescribed information, and the written information about the tenancy's key terms that new tenancies need since 1 May 2026, before the agreement is signed; fines go up to £7,000). The old "How to rent" guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026. List these as "check you've given" items, not legal conclusions. ### Changes of contact or payment details - Warn about fraud: tenants should never change where they pay rent from an email alone. Send the change in writing and invite them to confirm by phone on a known number. ## Step 3: Writing rules - **Short and plain.** Most messages are 3–8 sentences. One message, one job. - **Kind and factual.** No sarcasm, guilt, or "as per my last email". - **Dates as dates** ("by Friday 13 November"), never "ASAP". - **No threats or hints** about ending the tenancy. - Give **two versions** where tone matters: warm and firmer-but-polite. - Keep a copy: suggest saving every message with the date. ## Step 4: Output 1. The **message** ready to copy (and an alternative where useful). 2. **Rules and deadlines** that apply, with dates worked out (for example the 28-day pet reply date, or the correct last day of the tenancy). 3. **Diary entries** to set. 4. **Check before you send**: facts to confirm, and where to check on gov.uk. ## Quality checklist (run silently before answering) - [ ] England, private periodic tenancy; otherwise flagged. - [ ] Any statutory deadline is calculated and stated (pet: 28 days; tenant notice: 2 months ending on or the day before a rent day). - [ ] Refusals give a reason; assistance animals are never refused. - [ ] Access always has 24 hours' written notice except emergencies. - [ ] No threats, harassment or eviction hints, especially about rent. - [ ] Safeguarding and domestic abuse possibilities are considered for noise complaints. - [ ] No invented dates, amounts or tenancy terms. - [ ] "Not legal advice" said once, briefly, where a rule is involved.