How to Increase Rent in Uganda Legally: The 10% Rule and Notice

Raising rent in Uganda used to be a conversation at the gate. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 2022 it is a procedure with three parts: once a year, within a cap, in writing. Landlords who follow it keep their tenants and their increases. Landlords who do not can find the increase set aside and the relationship gone.

The rule in one paragraph

A landlord may review rent not more than once in any twelve months. Without the tenant's written agreement the increase may not exceed ten per cent of the current rent. The landlord must give the tenant written notice before the new rent takes effect. That is the whole legal frame; the rest is how you handle it.

When you can increase

• Once in twelve months. Count from the last increase, or from the start of the tenancy if there has never been one.
• After the notice period. The new rent starts only when the written notice has run its course, and it should start on a rent due day so nobody has to pro-rate.
• Not during a fixed term unless the tenancy agreement itself provides for a review on a stated date.

How much you can increase

Ten per cent without agreement. UGX 300,000 becomes at most UGX 330,000. If you want more, you need the tenant to agree in writing, and a tenant who is being asked for more than ten per cent has every right to say no and stay at the capped figure.

Increases above the cap that were "agreed" under pressure are exactly the sort of thing a local council court will unpick. If the market has moved a long way, the honest options are a capped increase this year and another next year, or an improvement to the premises that justifies a new agreement.

Give notice in writing

A dated letter or a message the tenant can keep, stating:

1. the current rent,
2. the new rent in Uganda shillings,
3. the date the new rent takes effect,
4. a line that this is the first review in twelve months and within the ten per cent cap.

Keep a copy. In Rento, edit the lease terms and the new rent applies to invoices raised from the effective month onward; the tenant's next reminder and receipt show the new figure, so the paper trail writes itself.

A notice you can copy

Date: 1 October 2026

Dear Ms Nakato,

This is written notice of a rent review for Unit A1, Kasese Flats. The current rent is UGX 300,000 per month. From 1 January 2027 the rent will be UGX 330,000 per month, payable on or before the 5th of each month as before.

This is the first review in twelve months and the increase is within the ten per cent allowed by the Landlord and Tenant Act 2022. All other terms of your agreement are unchanged.

Thank you for paying reliably this year.

Kasese Rentals, 0772 000 001

Three months' notice, the old and new figures side by side, the start on a due day, and a line acknowledging the tenant. Send it by hand with a copy kept, or by SMS and WhatsApp so both sides have the date it was received.

How to keep the tenant

Most tenants accept a fair increase that is explained and expected. Some habits help:

• Say it early. Sixty to ninety days is generous and costs you nothing.
• Tie it to something. New water tank, repainted stairwell, security lights. Tenants pay more happily for a place that is looked after.
• Keep the good payers. A tenant who has paid on the 1st for two years is worth more than an extra UGX 20,000 a month from a stranger. Consider a smaller increase for them.
• Never raise rent in the middle of an arrears dispute. Sort the arrears first.

Common mistakes

• Verbal increases with nothing in writing.
• Two increases in one year because "the first one was small".
• A new rent that starts mid-month, producing an odd first payment and an argument.
• Applying the increase to the security deposit retroactively. The deposit changes only if the agreement says so and the tenant agrees.

Frequently asked questions

Can I increase rent by more than 10% in Uganda?

Only with the tenant's written agreement. Without it, the Landlord and Tenant Act 2022 caps an increase at ten per cent of the current rent.

How much notice must I give before a rent increase?

Written notice is required before the new rent takes effect. Give it well ahead of the next due day and keep a copy; sixty days is a safe, courteous minimum.

Can rent be increased during a fixed-term tenancy?

Not unless the agreement provides for a review at a stated point. Otherwise the rent is fixed until the term ends.

What if the tenant refuses the increase?

If the increase is within the cap and properly noticed, the tenant must pay the new rent or give notice to leave. If it is above the cap, the tenant can refuse and continue at the capped figure.