This is going to be kind of long, apologies in advance - but I really need help and I'm running out of options.
I live in England, so in May 2026 the new Renters' Rights came into place. To start, I'm a student living in a 4-bedroom house with two other students and one person on UC. We aren't on a joint tenancy, so we're each renting our own rooms from our landlord, paying rent on a monthly basis (calculated as 'weekly £' x 52 / 12 = 'monthly £').
Essentially, our landlord told us our rent would increase in the new term back in October 2025. He told me the wrong amount but I didn't notice (said it would go from £105 to £108 p/week, but I was already paying £108). In August 2026, he sent a reminder, and still stated the wrong amount for me, before quickly correcting to the correct amount of £111 p/week (£481 p/month). I told him this was my first time hearing this amount, so it would fall under the new renters rights, and that a minimum 2 months notice was required (he's given us 20 days). He proposed to 'split the difference' and have the increase happen Oct 1st - still not 2 months notice. I explained that he was putting me in a difficult financial position with such little notice as I am a student. I asked that he agree to the full 2 months, and I was happy to consider the email in August as proper notice - even though it should be a section 4a notice.
He told me he couldn't trust that I would pay in November - despite us never having issues prior - and he didn't want to have to wait to serve a section 4a notice. I said I took no issue with the increase, and was happy to sign something to state I would pay the increase in November, to which he never replied. Instead, I received a separate email stated rent for September and October would stay at £468. I replied saying I agreed and asked if that meant November would be moving up to the £481 discussed. He never replied.
A day later, I received a section 4a notice, stated the rent increase would take place December 14th (invalid as increases must take place on the start date of the tenancy - for me, the 24th), and the amount would be £512 - a £44 increase form my current rent and a £26 increase form the previously agreed amount. I asked for clarification as things weren't adding up. He said the increase would take place in November (he'd filled out the notice wrong) and that the amount in the notice was correct - he was increasing my rent 'in line with market rate'.
He essentially did malicious compliance with me - I told him that the Renters Rights means notices should be served via Section 4a, not an email, but that I was happy to count the email as notice in this case to make both our lives easier. But because I was trying to make him observe the 2 months notice, he decided to say 'No, well, you told me it's not valid, so we're cancelling the old offer and have this one now.'
After getting advice from my uni, I replied telling him the Section 4a was invalid because of the start date. I proposed going back to the original £481 starting in November so that he wouldn't have to wait even longer for the rent increase. He never replied. I instead received another section 4a notice - this time with a further increase to £515 p/month (an increase of £3 from the last notice - which feels incredibly childish and petty). I have tried to get advice from my uni but they have basically said they don't know what to do. At this point, he is increasing my rent as a form of punishment for me telling him that he needs to follow the new renters rights.
The rent for the rooms in the property are as follows (they're supposed to be portioned with room size/en-suit in mind):
The largest room (mine) - was £468, now £515
Second Largest - was £416, now £433
Second smallest (with ensuite - has always been the priciest room) - was £498, now £511
Smallest room (by a large amount) - was £450, now £468
The rents are now an absolute mess. The tenant in the smallest room is new, and we weren't able to tell him about the increase as our landlord worked it into the contract. Two years ago, that room was £400. The second largest room is only a door's-width smaller than mine and yet it is £433.
My housemate think sit';s just easier to apologise to our landlord and ask to move back to the £481, but with the way he's been behaving and the amount of frankly illegal things he's tried to do/done, I don't want to do that. I have no clue what to do now. I can't find an easy way to figure out what market rate is for my house without paying the government. I don't like the idea of the risks with a tribunal, where the rent could increase even further. I just don't know what to do. I don't think I'm in the wrong for wanting him to observe the 2 months notice. I made it clear multiple times that I took no issue with the amount of the increase, I just wanted the proper notice. And now he's punishing me for telling him he needs to follow the rules set in place for him.
Again, sorry for the length, but this has been a nearly-3-month situation, and the Student's Union advice people have been absolutely useless.