The Property Podcast

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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