Episodes

  • Is being a landlord still worth it?

    Is being a landlord still worth it?
    Oct 1 2026
    Everyone has an opinion on whether being a landlord still pays off. Very few have the data to back it up... Richard Donnell, Zoopla's Executive Director - Research, is back on the show. Rob & Rob put the big question to him straight away, and his answer comes with a condition every landlord should hear. From there, he tests the headlines investors have been worrying about against the evidence. (02:12) Are landlords really heading for the exit, and who's buying the homes they sell? (04:00) Why so many investors now expect to buy a property that needs work (06:44) What the Renters' Rights Act has changed so far, and what it hasn't (08:33) Three quarters of landlords are over 60. So, who owns Britain's rental homes next? (11:43) Why housing will always feature in the wealth tax debate, and the signal that landlords still matter to the government (15:42) Is the average £10,000 EPC upgrade worth it, or is it time to sell? (18:21) The long-run link that still sets property apart from anything else Richard could invest in Links mentioned: Zoopla's rental estimate tool Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Find out more about Property Hub Invest
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    22 mins
  • ASK543: My non-paying tenant just became my colleague! PLUS: Should I buy this with cash?

    ASK543: My non-paying tenant just became my colleague! PLUS: Should I buy this with cash?
    Sep 29 2026
    Should you buy with cash or take out a mortgage when you're starting out? And what happens when the tenant you're evicting gets a job at your company? Rob & Rob answer two tricky listener questions on this week's show. (00:48) Alice has £600,000 saved and wants to get into property, but she's torn between flipping doer-uppers with cash and building a rental portfolio with a mortgage. Which way should she go? Rob B explains what needs to come first, before any strategy is on the table. (05:24) Mike's non-paying tenant is due to be evicted by bailiffs, but they’ve just been hired by the same company he works for. Should he reveal he's the landlord, or keep quiet? Rob D weighs up the risks to the eviction, and how the new job could work in his favour. Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Got a question? Send it in here Find out more about Property Hub Invest
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    11 mins
  • The unintended consequence of the Renters’ Rights Act that NOBODY is reporting

    The unintended consequence of the Renters’ Rights Act that NOBODY is reporting
    Sep 24 2026
    The Renters' Rights Act has been live for five months. The changes it's caused aren't the ones anyone was arguing about beforehand... Rob & Rob get into the bidding ban that backfired, the financially secure tenants now struggling to rent at all, and the new fees letting agents are testing on landlords. Then they work out what £100,000 in savings is really earning once tax and inflation have taken their share, and what the same money does over five years in property. (02:05) Inverse bidding wars, and why landlords are advertising rents above what they expect to get (06:54) Is the ban on rent in advance shutting out the tenants who can most afford it? (08:25) The fee one agent quoted Rob B for a £25 a month increase (13:06) Why a 5% savings rate is a trap, and who is walking into it (15:26) What £100,000 in the bank really pays you after tax and inflation (17:18) The same money in property, and the gap after five years of modest growth (21:16) Hub Extra - which side of AI your income lands. Links mentioned: London landlords' latest tactic: inverse bidding wars Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Find out more about Property Hub Invest
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    33 mins
  • ASK542: Should I add mortgage fees to my loan? PLUS: My tenant is running a business from my property - what now?

    ASK542: Should I add mortgage fees to my loan? PLUS: My tenant is running a business from my property - what now?
    Sep 22 2026
    Should you add the mortgage fee to your loan, or pay it upfront? And if your tenant's running a business from your rental, what does that mean for your insurance and mortgage? Rob & Rob tackle both questions on Tuesday’s Ask Rob & Rob. (00:41) Esther is buying her first property through Property Hub and weighing mortgage deals with and without an arrangement fee. Should she pay the fee upfront or add it to the loan? Rob D breaks down the two options. (04:00) Lawrence and his brother have discovered their long-term tenants are running a commercial business from the property. Does this invalidate the landlord insurance and mortgage, and what should he do about it? Rob B sets out the checks to make and the steps to take before it becomes a bigger problem. Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Got a question? Send it in here Find out more about Property Hub Invest
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    8 mins
  • The man who sees every rent in Britain

    The man who sees every rent in Britain
    Sep 17 2026
    Whatever the national rent headline says this month, there's a good chance it isn't describing everything... Rob & Rob are joined by Richard Donnell, Executive Director of Research at Zoopla, who tracks what 9 million monthly users do on the site and how landlords and agents set rents in real time. He takes them through what's driving the gap between one town and the next, and why the case for owning rental property looks nothing like it did 10 years ago. There's also a free tool to check what your own property should be letting for. (02:30) The number that took everyone by surprise, and why it has completely reversed (04:47) Where rents are climbing fastest right now, and what those markets have in common (10:01) Does the data prove the Renters' Rights Act has pushed advertised rents up? (14:49) Why huge demand for rented homes in London still isn't pushing rents up much (17:51) Why the reason for owning rental property has flipped since the tax changes (22:56) Richard's call on rents over the next 12 months (24:58) Hub Extra Links mentioned: Zoopla's rental estimate calculator Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Find out more about Property Hub Invest
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    27 mins
  • ASK541: What advice would you give a first-time landlord? PLUS: Can I rent to a family member?

    ASK541: What advice would you give a first-time landlord? PLUS: Can I rent to a family member?
    Sep 15 2026
    What would you do differently if you were buying your first buy-to-let today? And can you get a mortgage on a property you're planning to rent to a family member? Your questions answered on this week's episode of Ask Rob & Rob. (00:48) Anya is renovating her own home and plans to put the equity into her first buy-to-let, but she's hesitant about taking the plunge. How do you buy with confidence when it's your first? Rob B sets out what he'd put in place to take the guesswork out of it. (03:59) Sarah's second buy-to-let stacks up on paper, but she wants to rent it to a family member and has been told no lender will touch it. Is that right, and does buying in her own name solve it? Rob D explains what changes when a let is regulated, and what that does to the terms on offer. Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Got a question? Send it in here Find out more about Property Hub Invest
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    8 mins
  • Market Update - September 2026

    Market Update - September 2026
    Sep 10 2026
    Bond markets are under pressure across the UK, the US and much of the world. That sounds like a problem for economists, but it has a direct impact on your mortgage... Rob & Rob explain what's pushing government borrowing costs up, and why that's already showing up in swap rates and lender pricing. With the October Budget on the horizon, fresh data on prices and rents, as well as a striking number on where professional investors are putting their money - there's a lot here that could change the maths on your next purchase. (00:56) The bond market is moving, here's why that matters more than the Bank of England rate (04:30) Swap rates at their highest. What that means for your borrowing costs (05:22) The first lender has already repriced, so why moving fast on paperwork pays (08:14) The Budget lands in October, and the tax Rob D thinks is most exposed (11:57) House price growth looks flat, but the real-terms picture is very different (13:22) Rents up year on year, outpacing both inflation and house price growth (13:53) Why the number of professional investors who plan to buy in the next 12 months surprised Rob B (17:00) What England should read into rented homes in Wales (18:25) Hub Extra Links mentioned: Bank of England holds at 3.75% NRLA: Budget 2026, what we know so far Ultra concentrated coffee in a can House prices: Nationwide's House Price Index Lloyds' House Price Index Mortgages and lending: Landlord mortgage rates fall across lenders Lender cuts buy-to-let rates to woo landlords Fewer buy-to-let applications Rents: ONS private rent and house prices London landlords' latest tactic: inverse bidding wars Landlord behaviour: Buy-to-let costs soar twice as fast as rental income Just 5% of Welsh landlords control a third of rental homes Handelsbanken Property Investor Report Investors missing the older-renter opportunity Planning and supply: HBF: Planning on Empty 2026 Centre for Cities: building near stations Regulation: Renters demand rent and eviction data in the PRS Database Short-let landlord register coming soon NRLA warns of risk of unqualified agents UK CertifID trust mark for digital ID Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Find out more about Property Hub Invest
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    21 mins
  • ASK540: How can I sell this property? PLUS: Is this rent increase allowed?

    ASK540: How can I sell this property? PLUS: Is this rent increase allowed?
    Sep 8 2026
    What do you do when a holiday let won't sell and keeps bleeding money every month? And when a new landlord inherits a rent set well below market value, how much of that gap can be closed, and how fast? Rob & Rob tackle both questions on this Tuesday's Ask Rob & Rob. (00:50) Stephanie's last remaining holiday let is losing money every month as mortgage rates bite, and it's been on the market for over a year. Is there anything left to try before covering the shortfall out of her own pocket this winter? Rob B runs through the options worth exploring. (05:36) Mark's buying his first tenanted buy-to-let, and the rent is about to rise by just 5%, to £730, which is a lot cheaper than others in the same area. Once he's able to change it, is it better to jump straight to market value or build up slowly? Rob D explains why neither option is as simple as it sounds. Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Got a question? Send it in here Find out more about Property Hub Invest
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    9 mins