The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 Rollout – what Bassetlaw landlords need to know.
From Royal Assent in October 2025 through to the “big switch-on” in May 2026 and beyond, the Renters’ Rights Act is going to reshape the way you let property in Bassetlaw.
As local letting specialists covering Retford, Worksop and the surrounding villages, our focus is simple:
- protect your investment
- keep you compliant
- minimise voids and stress
This blog walks you through what’s changing, when it’s happening, and what we’d recommend you do now to get ahead of the curve.
The key dates at a glance
Here’s the broad rollout timetable as it stands today:
- 27 October 2025 – Renters’ Rights Bill receives Royal Assent and becomes the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
- Late December 2025 – first changes go live, mainly stronger investigatory and enforcement powers for local authorities.
- 1 May 2026 – major tenancy reforms in the private rented sector in England start together on a single “big bang” date:
- Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions abolished
- Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies withdrawn and replaced by open-ended assured periodic tenancies
- New, updated grounds for possession
- Rent increases capped at once per year, with a right for tenants to challenge
- Ban on rent bidding and limits on rent paid in advance
Protections against discrimination (for example, tenants on benefits or families with children)
- Clearer rules around pets
- From late 2026 onwards – phased rollout of:
- A national Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database – all landlords and rented properties must be registered
- A mandatory PRS Landlord Ombudsman scheme
- Into the 2030s (dates to be confirmed) – further measures including:
- A Decent Homes Standard for the PRS
- A push towards a minimum EPC C for rented homes by 2030, subject to exemptions and final regulations
- Stronger time limits and expectations around dealing with serious hazards such as damp and mould (“Awaab’s Law”-style protections)
What actually changes for you on 1 May 2026?
From 1 May 2026, the day-to-day mechanics of being a landlord in Bassetlaw will start to feel very different.
1. No more Section 21 “no-fault” notices
You will no longer be able to use Section 21 to regain possession “just because”.
Instead, you’ll need to use updated Section 8-style grounds, which cover things like:
- Selling the property
- Moving back in yourself or housing a close family member
- Serious rent arrears
- Persistent late payment
- Anti-social behaviour or serious breach of tenancy
The idea is that good landlords with genuine reasons can still recover their properties, but the days of “we just want you out” without a specific reason are over.
2. All tenancies become open-ended
Fixed-term ASTs will be phased out. Over time, everything moves to an assured periodic tenancy – in practice, a rolling contract.
- Tenants will generally be able to leave with two months’ notice.
- You’ll use the new possession grounds if you need the property back.
For Bassetlaw landlords, that means less focus on “6-month/12-month ASTs” and more focus on choosing the right tenant, at the right rent, from the start – something we already build our lettings service around.
3. Rent increases – once a year, with checks
The Act formalises fairer rent rules:
- You’ll be limited to one rent increase every 12 months.
- Increases need to be reasonable and aligned with market rent – tenants will have more scope to challenge unfair rises.
That makes accurate pricing using local market data even more important. We’re continually tracking what homes actually let for in Retford, Worksop and the surrounding villages, not just what they’re advertised at, so our landlords are protected both financially and legally.
4. No bidding wars & limits on rent in advance
To reduce pressure on renters, the Act introduces:
- A ban on rental bidding – you market at a set price and can’t invite or accept offers over that figure.
- A cap on rent in advance – typically limited to one month upfront, alongside the tenancy deposit.
If you’ve relied on large up-front payments as a comfort blanket, you’ll need to lean more heavily on robust referencing, affordability checks and good management – all of which sit at the heart of our lettings process.
5. Stronger protection around discrimination & pets
From 2026 it will be expressly unlawful to:
- Refuse a tenant just because they receive benefits
- Blanket-ban families with children
- Automatically refuse reasonable pet requests without proper consideration
That doesn’t mean you must accept every applicant or every pet. It does mean your criteria, advertising and decision-making need to be fair, consistent and clearly documented.
From late 2026 – the landlord database and ombudsman
After the tenancy reforms land in 2026, the next big change for landlords is transparency and accountability.
Private Rented Sector Database
From late 2026, the government will start rolling out an online PRS Database across England.
You can expect to:
- Register yourself as a landlord
- Register each rented property, likely with an annual fee
- Upload key compliance information (EPC, gas and electrical safety, and so on)
Once live in our area, tenants will be able to look you up, and councils will have a clearer picture of who’s renting out what, and where.
PRS Landlord Ombudsman
Alongside the database, every landlord will need to be a member of a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman scheme:
- A free-to-use complaints service for tenants
- A way to resolve issues without going straight to court
- Another reason to keep your paperwork, processes and communication spot-on
At Nicholsons, our lettings service is built around strong compliance and clear communication, which will dovetail with this new framework as it comes in.
The longer view – Decent Homes, EPC C and Awaab’s Law
The Act also paves the way for tighter standards on condition and energy efficiency in the private rented sector.
While dates are still being consulted on, current guidance and policy direction suggest:
- A formal Decent Homes Standard for the PRS – bringing private rentals closer to social housing standards.
- A requirement for most rented properties to reach around EPC C by 2030, unless a valid exemption applies.
- Extending Awaab’s Law-style timescales to the PRS – meaning faster responses to serious hazards such as damp and mould, dangerous electrics and other health risks.
For many Bassetlaw properties – especially older stock in villages and town centres – that could mean planning ahead for insulation, heating and ventilation upgrades rather than waiting until the last minute.
What should Bassetlaw landlords be doing now?
Here’s how we’re advising our landlords locally:
1. Review your current tenancies and documents
- Check your existing ASTs, notice clauses and rent review clauses.
- Make sure your referencing, “How to Rent” documents, gas/electrical/EPC certificates and deposit protection are all up to date and properly filed.
- Start planning how you’ll move to periodic-style tenancy management from May 2026.
2. Stress-test your numbers
With rent increases limited to once a year and tenants having more power to challenge, it’s vital your starting rent is right.
We can help you:
- Benchmark your property against real achieved rents in Retford, Worksop and the surrounding villages
- Build in a sensible, sustainable rent strategy that protects yield without risking voids or disputes
3. Tidy up property condition now
With stronger enforcement powers for councils and more scrutiny from tenants, now is the time to:
- Deal with niggling repair issues you’ve been putting off
- Get ahead on damp and mould, ventilation and heating checks
- Look at the steps you’ll need to take to work towards EPC C by 2030, especially on older homes
4. Decide how “hands-on” you want to be
The Renters’ Rights Act doesn’t just change the law – it changes the admin burden.
At Nicholsons we offer options so you can choose how involved you want to be:
- Let-only – for landlords who want us to find and thoroughly vet the tenant, then manage the tenancy themselves.
- Full property management – a comprehensive service where we and our specialist partners take care of everything, from marketing and viewings to maintenance, renewals and compliance monitoring.
Either way, you receive our award-winning marketing and local expertise, with advice tailored to your investment and lifestyle.
How Nicholsons can help you prepare
We’re an independent, multi award-winning estate agency covering Bassetlaw from our Retford and Worksop offices. Our lettings service is built for landlords who care about their properties and their tenants, and who want a proactive team on their side as the rules tighten.
Were running a FREE, live Renters Rights Act webinar on Monday 1st December at 18:00 to book your seat click the banner below.
Over the coming months we’ll be:
- Updating all of our tenancy documentation and processes for the new regime
- Running one-to-one reviews with our managed landlords to check readiness
- Sharing plain-English guides and local updates as more detail is released
If you’re a landlord in Bassetlaw and you’d like a no-obligation Renters’ Rights Act check-up on your portfolio – or you simply don’t want to juggle all of this on your own – we’re here to help.
You can reach us on 01777 808777 / 01909 492299, email lettings@nicholsonsestateagents.co.uk, or book a valuation / landlord consultation directly through our website.
