Landlord Forum Spotlight – can statutory notices be sent via email?
Our members-only forum is a great place for landlords to seek advice and share experiences.
This month, we look at a question from a member who wants to increase their tenant’s rent and wants to know more about the process.
They are aware that, post 1st May, they will need to serve a section 13 notice raise the rent, and want to serve this notice by email - their preferred method.
The tenant has objected, saying the notice should be posted.
The member is looking for clarification on who is in the right, not least as the tenant has been happy with them serving documents such as EPCs and How to Rent Guides by email in the past.
What did other landlords say?
The response from our members was mixed. Some thought using email to serve the documents was fine, as long as it was stated in the original tenancy agreement that email was a legitimate way of communicating between landlord and tenant.
Others felt using email was acceptable only for certain documents, such as EPC, EICRs and Gas safety certificates.
The advice from our Landlord Support Team
A member of our landlord support team then joined the conversation.
They told the member we would recommend personally delivering the section 13 notice to the property, and having a chat with their tenant about the proposed increase. They also advised them to attach a covering letter to the Section 13 notice explaining what it is, and how you came to your decision when setting the new rent.
They did stress, however, that is best practice advice. Notices can still be served in line with whatever is in your tenancy agreement, and we have created a tenancy agreement form which contains a clause where you can serve notices by email.
We have an entire section on our website devoted to rent increases and serving section 13 notices.
Join the conversation on Community Connect
Want to tap into the collective knowledge of thousands of fellow landlords? Our Community Connect forum is the place to ask questions, share your experiences and get practical advice from landlords who've been there before. From property maintenance challenges to tenancy queries, our community is here to help.
Click here to see what other members are talking about and have your say.
