The Property Podcast

Can you buy with confidence in a city you've never lived in? And with flats having a bad press, should you be selling yours? Rob & Rob tackle both on this Tuesday's Ask Rob & Rob. (00:17) Robin lives in London but finds it unaffordable, so is looking at places like Coventry and Nottingham. But how do you get to know an area from a distance? Rob D reveals the free tool he calls his secret weapon, and Rob B explains how to get a straight answer from local letting agents. (03:55) Aleem wrote in to our Sunday Times column. With flats trailing for the past decade, should he sell his and buy houses instead? Rob D separates the temporary factors holding them back from the permanent ones, and Rob B explains why he still buys both. 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

Last year one man paid an estimated £330 million in tax. This year, the UK will get nothing... Rob & Rob ask what happens to everyone else when the wealthy leave the country. They also put a landlord survey on management time to the test, and share how AI came to the rescue when both their boilers broke. (02:14) The global league table the UK now tops, and it's not one to celebrate (06:15) Rob & Rob agree with Gary's Economics on the problem. So where do they part ways? (12:52) Would a 2% yearly tax on fortunes over £10 million raise as much as promised? (16:58) How many hours a month do landlords say they spend managing property? Rob B has his doubts (23:07) Paying an agent 10% or hiring a PA? Rob D explains which works out cheaper on his portfolio (28:14) The £5,000 boiler quote Rob D questioned, and what one AI prompt turned up (31:31) Rob B takes the cover off a boiler for the first time. What could go wrong? Links mentioned: Rokos to leave UK for Greece - Hedgeweek Private Wealth Migration 2025 - Henley & Partners More landlords turn to letting agents in complex, professionalised market - Mortgage Solutions 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

Is it time to leave a strategy that's working and chase capital growth further from home? And should a new landlord show a property to every prospective tenant at the same time? It's Tuesday, which means Rob & Rob is back answering your questions. (00:48) Regan and his dad own two one-bed flats in Hemel Hempstead, both let at £1,100 a month. Should they keep buying more of the same, or switch to a cheaper area? Rob B explains why total return changes the sums, and Rob D weighs how long any advantage could last. (06:21) Laura's first buy-to-let is coming to the end of its refurbishment. Should she hold an open house for tenant viewings, or book individual appointments? Rob D draws on the one time he's tried it, and Rob B explains what it means if a property won't let. 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

98 separate measures, and for property investors it all comes down to one line... Recorded hours after the Chancellor sat down, Rob & Rob pick through the headlines and the extra tax heading for landlords who hold property in their own name. They also weigh up the government's big promise on AI, then end on a positive note for anyone building a portfolio. (00:49) Is that it? Why Rob & Rob came away from this Budget frustrated (06:12) Why the extra tax on property income won’t touch three in four new buy-to-lets (06:53) Long-standing landlords are left asking “why bother?” What that means for rents (09:41) My First Home starts lending in April. Why that date matters if you’re buying from housebuilders (10:36) Entrepreneurs’ relief is halved again, and Rob B predicts what comes next (13:33) Can £35 million of AI really cut civil service costs by 20%? (17:15) How a Budget where little happened could help your next mortgage rate 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

Is it worth selling your investment properties to become mortgage-free? And why do bungalows get so little attention from investors? Rob & Rob answer two tricky listener questions on this week's show. (00:40) John owns two buy-to-lets in the North West, and selling both would clear his personal mortgage. Should he pay it off and save to go again, or reinvest somewhere with stronger fundamentals? Rob D weighs up the emotional side, while Rob B runs the cold, hard numbers. (05:21) Gareth has noticed bungalows often need work, but tend to sit on bigger plots with room to add value. Are they a solid investment, or does the niche market make them riskier? Rob B points to a supply problem that shapes their long-term prospects, and Rob D considers the type of tenant a bungalow can attract. 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

A new Chancellor, a Budget rumour mill in full swing, and the first hard data on tenants who challenge a rent rise... Rob & Rob weigh up what's likely to land next week and what it could mean for property investors. Rob D shares what he found when he got AI to work through every tribunal ruling since May. Then Rob B reveals what happened when he asked Claude to point out his blind spots. It didn't hold back. (00:59) Ambition or a holding pattern? What Rob & Rob expect from this Budget (04:37) The capital gains tax rise that could end up costing the Treasury money (07:42) Help to Buy is back under a new name. Will a 2.5% deposit help anyone beyond housebuilders? (11:48) What 73 rent tribunal decisions reveal about Section 13 increases (16:10) The timing quirk that makes challenging a rent rise a no-lose bet for tenants (20:28) What Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues have to do with Rob B's AI experiment (34:24) The test that shows your AI is still being too nice Links mentioned: Budget 2026: what might Burnham and Healey have in store? Capital gains tax rumours ramp up ahead of the Budget Residential property tribunal decisions - GOV.UK 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

What should you do if the council thinks your serviced accommodation breaches planning? And is it worth moving a buy-to-let you already own into a company? It's Tuesday, so it's time for another episode of Ask Rob & Rob. (00:36) Johnny turned his first buy-to-let into serviced accommodation in May, then got a letter from Leeds City Council about a possible planning breach. Should he put in a retrospective application? Rob D explains who to speak to before doing anything else, and the fallback if it doesn't go his way. (04:35) Warren has started letting out his two-bed flat in Chester, which he holds in his personal name. Should he transfer ownership to a limited company? Rob B explains what the switch would cost, and how long it could take to earn that money back. 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

Mortgages keep getting dearer while the base rate stands still, house prices have stalled, and politicians are making promises again... Rob & Rob explain why markets expect interest rates to go up over the next few years, even though the Bank of England might not want them to, and how that’s feeding through to the deals lenders offer. They also get into the new admin heading landlords' way, two very different pitches from opposition parties, and why the building slowdown matters for buyers and renters alike. (00:55) Six months without a base rate change, so why are mortgage rates around 1% higher? (04:32) Remortgage searches up 40% in a month, yet more borrowers are considering a tracker. Which way should you go? (07:08) The house price index that's just recorded its first annual fall since 2023 (09:11) Since the Renters' Rights Act, how are landlords choosing their tenants? (10:21) The landlord database: which region signs up first, and what it costs per property (12:02) The £4.2bn case for scrapping the stamp duty surcharge, and the party promising to go further (16:58) The Greens want a 2% cap on rent rises. How worried should landlords be? (18:49) Angela Rayner's "slim chance" on 1.5 million homes, and why housebuilders are holding back (22:47) The positive case for long-term investors right now Links mentioned: Bank of England Monetary Policy Summary, September 2026 Berkeley: scrapping the stamp duty surcharge could raise £4.2bn House prices: Nationwide's House Price Index Zoopla's House Price Index Lloyds' House Price Index Mortgages and lending: Lenders reprice as gilt yields hit multi-decade highs Bank of England Money and Credit, August 2026 Remortgage searches rise in September A fifth of remortgagors consider a variable rate Landlord behaviour: Landlords more selective about tenants since the Renters' Rights Act Rent guarantor applications up 50% Planning and supply: Government all but admits defeat on 1.5 million homes S&P Global UK Construction PMI, September 2026 Regulation: PRS Database: landlord registration timetable Shadow housing secretary backs scrapping stamp duty Green Party: three-year emergency brake on rents 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

Should landlords sign up to a no-deposit scheme? And what's the fairest way to put the rent up when it's fallen well behind? Your questions answered on this week's episode of Ask Rob & Rob. (00:36) Tim's letting agent has sent him a leaflet promoting Reposit, a deposit alternative scheme. Should he consider using one? Rob D looks at who these schemes serve, and the question he'd ask before letting a tenant skip the deposit. (03:11) Miss Moneypenny's tenants have been in for four years with no increase, and the property is taking heavy wear and tear. How should she approach a rise with the Renters' Rights Act in play? Rob B shares the method he uses after a long tenancy, and how to make the new figure stand up if it's challenged. 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

One of the most respected investors on the planet has just stepped down at 96. Another says he's $1.2 billion in debt, and proud of it... Rob & Rob mark buy-to-let's 30th birthday with three decades of Hamptons data, pick out the Buffett lessons that carry straight over to property, and ask whether Robert Kiyosaki's approach to leverage is one worth copying. (01:01) What £1 put into buy-to-let in 1996 is worth today (01:31) The one thing Hamptons left out when comparing buy-to-let with the S&P 500 (08:19) How 12.5 cents led to what Warren Buffett called his worst investment decision (12:16) Why Buffett moved from bargains to quality, and what that means for your next property (16:05) Why Rich Dad Poor Dad still matters, whatever you think of its author (19:13) Buffett or Kiyosaki? Which one Rob & Rob relate to more as investors (20:55) Hub Extra Links mentioned: 30 years of buy-to-let - Hamptons 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' author Robert Kiyosaki is $1.2 billion in debt Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder Watch Becoming Warren Buffett documentary 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