I have a Rent Now tenancy which I want to renew because one of the joint tenants is leaving. The tenancy started 25/08/2024 @ £1175 pcm. A rent increase was mutually agreed 25/08/2025 @ £1200 pcm. Openrent have no knowledge of this so the proposed renewal tenancy is still showing the current rental amount as £1175 pcm and I am unable to edit it
Should I have updated the tenancy to reflect the rent increase…
Thanks in advance
@Christopher32 unless OR are collecting the rent no need to have told them about any increases.
Good idea to have the records agreeing the increase (copy of email exchange or whatever) in your ‘manage docs’ but far from essential. No need to have updated the ast
For future use s13 (form 4a)
Best
My understanding is the same as yours however it does present a problem if renewing. The proposed renewal tenancy is showing the old rent of £1175. I cannot edit it. There is another box for you to enter the proposed rent and if I put in a greater figure it will require a S13 as if I were increasing the rent. If this cannot be resolved I will have to do a complete new tenancy with all the associated admin
Thanks anyway
The previous agreed 1200 will still stand legally i think ( but in any case v doing a s13 not hard - it’s a very short form to complete. Only issue is then stops you doing another increase for a year)
You could try explaining to OR support with the evidence of the previous increase and ask them to amend retrospectively explaining you didn’t do so at the time but they need to do so to avoid doing a s13 but my guess is they may just say do the s13 or a new tenancy.
Alternatively if you are collecting offline not via OR none of the changes need to be done on the OR system/version anyway. It’s nothing to do with them. (Tho might need telling of change in tenants if the deposit was done via OR so can update deposit registration details). Just do a deed of variation (see eg rocketlawyer etc
To change the tenant names) and get it signed by yourself, new tenants and guarantor. The previous increase will stand or you (tho unnecessary) could amend clause about rent to 1200 making clear when the 1200 started.
Best
Hi David
I must admit the terminology had me a little confused. A renewal is not a new tenancy. It allows you to renew the existing tenancy with the same T&Cs. It allows the adding/removing of tenants/ guarantors etc. It allows you to keep the original start date without the notice periods resetting and it is free for tenancies set up using Rent Now.
In my opinion it is easily confused with a completely new tenancy which is another option although I will need to end the old tenancy, return deposits and start all over serving all documents again and of course paying for Rent Now again.
Hopefully support will get back to me soon with the best option.
Don’t expect OR support to be helpful unfortunately. They will always push you to get a new tenancy as more £ and easier for them.
I would just do a ‘renewal’ leave it at 1175 and add a custom clause saying 'From rent payable agreed at 1200pcm payable on of each month, as agreed on
Then it’s clear what has happened and documented in the contract held by OR.
Ps agree the terminology is confusing
Best
A renewal tenancy via Openrent does not cost anything. I’ve used the process easily in the past, and changing the rent was easy, including adding a new tenant, so Im not sure what problem you are having.
Don’t do this. Why would anyone sign a new tenancy agreement with the wrong rent recorded. Makes no sense to me.
Hi Karl
The problem is when doing a renewal tenancy Openrent extracts the particulars from the original listing to create the renewal tenancy agreement. It then allows you to amend certain details such as adding or removing a tenant/guarantor etc although not the rental amount without using a S13.
The rent was £1175 to start with and I increased it by mutual agreement to £1200 on the anniversary 25/08/2025. The tenant has been paying £1200 since so the current rent is £1200.
I assume this is a change as a direct result of the RRA.
Openrent support haven’t grasped the issue. They keep sending me details of how to increase the rent using a Section 13. I have decided to take the hit and continue with the renewal at £1175 and then serve a Section 13 in June increasing rent to £1225 to take effect in August.