With plans to introduce a minimum EPC rating of C to the private rented sector moving forward apace, this month's podcast looks at what this means for you.

Proposals to introduce the minimum rating in 2030 will require landlords to spend up to £10,000 per property on upgrades, with the Government also launching a consultation into plans to revise the way EPCs are calculated.

We speak to Caroline Postles, existing dwellings technical team manager at Elmhurst Energy (www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk) about what the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) plans will mean in practice, with Lisa Steele, lending director at Paragon Bank (www.paragonbank.co.uk) looking at funding options for improvements – and the impact of the new rules when it comes to getting a buy-to-let mortgage.

We are also joined by Emma Grant, head of trade experience and commercial partnerships at Checkatrade (www.checkatrade.com) about how to ensure you find the right person for improvement works, and the potential impact of the drastic shortfall of trained trades on the Government's plans.

Elsewhere in the show Landlord Support Adviser, Connor Cathcart joins us to talk about the calls coming into us this month, with the Renters' Rights Act, specifically the new tenant information sheet coming out on top.

He runs through what you need to know – with further information on this, and all things Renters' Rights available on our exclusive member hub here: https://www.nrla.org.uk/resources/renters-rights

How can I watch?

You can listen and watch the podcast via the NRLA website at https://www.nrla.org.uk/news/listen-up-landlords-podcast, or via your preferred streaming service. To watch the video, you will need to tune in via Spotify or by watch the show on YouTube.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

To watch the YouTube recording click below:

More information

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

To read a full transcript of the show visit: https://www.nrla.org.uk/news/listen-up-landlords-podcast

For more on the NRLA's work on energy efficiency visit: https://www.nrla.org.uk/campaigns/energy-efficiency

Listen Up Landlords is brought to you by the NRLA Hosted by: Richard Blanco Produced by: Sally Walmsley Video Production: Alexandra Southerington

This month we invite you to enjoy a very special episode of Listen Up Landlords, marking International Women's Day.

International Women's Day, which is celebrated annually on 8th March, is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the achievements of women, while highlighting discrimination and calling for gender equality.

Not only do we introduce you to three truly inspirational NRLA members, but we are also unveiling our new video format for the first time.

Ben and Richard meet Hasmita Reardon, Lorraine Thomas and Mandy St John Davey MBE, to hear about their property journeys and achievements, and what they are doing to support and inspire women in property.

Meet the guests

Hasmita Reardon

Hasmita arrived in the UK as a refugee in 1972 at just 11 years old, with little more than the clothes on her back. She bought her first properties from a small inheritance and now has a portfolio of more than 60 homes. She ran her own property management company, Reardons and has set up a charity supporting victims of domestic violence, New Leaf Support. New Leaf offers a full range of support for women leaving abusive relationships – with Hasmita using some of her own properties to house those who might not meet the eligibility criteria for a place in a women's refuge. She also converted her former family home into a children's home, once her own sons flew the nest. She talks about how her experience of homelessness inspired her to invest and support those in need of help.

Lorraine Thomas

Property developer, investor and mentor Lorraine Thomas is another landlord with a social conscience. She made her first foray into the world of property after leaving a career in the legal sector, with her first role finding accommodation for disadvantaged young adults. Shocked by some of the conditions she encountered, she decided to enter the world of property development and in 2016 set up View from my Window, a property development and management company with a focus on providing affordable housing for disadvantaged tenants. Lorraine is also a property mentor and creates joint ventures between group mentees to encourage them to invest, as well as going into schools to encourage more women and girls into the industry. She talks to us about how lifting others is at the core of her business and shares her advice when it comes to succeeding in property.

Mandy St John Davey MBE

We also talk to Mandy St John Davey MBE about her property journey. Mandy, who was recently named on a list of the world's top 10 self-made women entrepreneurs by global tech giant Microsoft, was recognised in the 2024 New Year Honours List for her dedication to supporting and mentoring women in property. A former Chair of 'Women in Property', which creates opportunities, expands knowledge and inspires change for women working in property and construction industry, she has long championed the importance of female role models and networks. She talks about how she started out and grew her business internationally as well as talking about her work as an industry mentor.

We are also joined by our chief marketing officer Carla Johnson, who fills us in on the NRLA's International Women's Day event which will take place next Thursday, March 5th.

More information

You can listen and watch the podcast via the NRLA website here, by clicking the banner below, or via your preferred streaming service. To watch the video, you will need to tune in from Spotify or watch on YouTube.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

To read a full transcript of the show click here.

Video editor: Alexandra Southerington

With implementation of the Renters' Rights Act now just a few months away, we look at two key elements of the legislation – new rules on pets and the unique challenges faced by student landlords.

Presenters Ben Beadle and Richard Blanco are joined by Sandy Bastin, Director of Resolution, of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and Scott Fryer, policy manager at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

With many landlords concerned about pet damage, Sandy outlines the scale of the issue, outlining the importance of detailed condition reports pre-tenancy, and how to approach claims, with Scott addressing the grey area around the suitability of certain pets for certain types of properties.

Landlord Support Adviser, Connor Cathcart joins us to talk about calls coming into the Landlord Support Line this month, and letting agent Sally Hatcher, founder of Sally Hatcher Estates joins us to talk about student lets.

Sally, who works with landlords and students in Canterbury, talks about challenges landlords are facing around notice periods this academic year and the likely impact on the sector going forward.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

To read a full transcript of the show click here.

More information

To visit our Renters' Rights Hub, packed with information and resources to help you manage the transition click here.

The NRLA's award-winning training academy runs a comprehensive Renters' Rights Act training offer. Click here to book your place.

Presenters Ben Beadle and Richard Blanco host a special festive edition of NRLA podcast Listen Up Landlords, looking back over the last 12 months and ahead to what 2026 has in store.

Ben and Richard are joined by Russell Quirk, founder of Proper PR, Andy Graham from the HMO Podcast, Kim Opszala, landlord and founder of Komo Properties and Lucian Cook, Head of UK Residential Research at Savills.

They unpack the latest on all things private rented sector, and reflect on the changes up ahead in 2026, from the implementation of the Renters' Rights Act to the rollout of Making Tax Digital and the Government's proposals on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES).

They also share their predictions for the year ahead, from the impact of tax changes announced in the Autumn Budget to the cost of borrowing – and the effect of all of these on the supply of homes to rent.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

To read a full transcript of the show click here.

More information

• We are hosting a webinar looking at the Renters' Rights Act in relation to student lettings on January 7th. The event, sponsored by RentGuarantor, will look at what you need to do to prepare and how to stay compliant and will include a live Q&A. For more information, and to book, click here.
• To visit our Renters' Rights Hub, packed with information and resources to help you manage the transition click here.
• The NRLA's award-winning training academy runs a comprehensive Renters' Rights Act training offer. Click here to book your place.

Days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her second budget, we take a deep dive into what the announcements mean for you.

Rates of income tax from property income will increase by two percentage points from April 2027, a move which the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has recognised will hit landlords in the pocket, force rents up and hit the supply of homes.

Other measures that will affect landlords include a so-called 'mansion tax' – a council tax surcharge which will be introduced for properties valued at over £2 million and will be introduced in April 2028.

Our presenters Ben and Richard are joined by David Fell, lead analyst from Hamptons, Chris Norris, the NRLA's chief policy officer and Professor Christine Whitehead, Emeritus Professor of Housing Economics at the London School of Economics, to address all the key questions, from the likely impact of tax changes on the supply on homes, to the potential effects of the 'mansion tax' on larger HMOs.

You can listen to the podcast via the NRLA website here, or tune in on your preferred streaming service.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

To read a full transcript of the show click here.

More information

To read what our CEO Ben Beadle thinks about the changes announced click here.

The NRLA's award-winning training academy runs a number of affordable finance and tax courses. For more information and to book click here.

HMRC tax boss Jonathan Athow joins presenters Ben and Richard to talk all things Making Tax Digital ahead of next year's April deadline.

Jonathan, who is Director General for Customer Strategy and Tax Design at HMRC, answers key questions on how the new system will work, and what landlords can do now to prepare.

Landlords with an eligible income above £50,000 will need to join MTD in April 2026, those with over £30,000 in April 2027, with incomes over £20,000 mandated in April 2028.

Now, with just six months to go until the first date, it's vital you make sure you know what your obligations will be.

Our presenters Ben and Richard ask all the key questions on everything from arrangements affecting properties that are jointly owned to compatible software options

Hannah Kenyon talks about the calls coming in to the Landlord Support Team this month, and, with Awaab's Law to be extended into the private rented sector under the Renters' Rights Bill, we look at the issue of damp and mould in rented homes and how to tackle it.

The team is joined by Larry Russen, chartered building surveyor at Russen & Turner and Christopher Thomas, director at mould control firm, and NRLA partner, ArcAirTech to talk about the causes of mould and how to effectively treat it.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

To read a full transcript of the show click here.

More information

· To read the NRLA's Making Tax Digital Guide click here.

· To read more about Making Tax Digital regarding joint ownership properties and other tricky topics click here.

· For an opportunity to learn more about MTD and to talk to tax experts and HMRC about its implications, why not join us for our annual NRLA conference in Liverpool on 5th November 2025. We have an exclusive lightning session all about MTD and how to make the transition as seamless as possible.

· You can also sign up for our exclusive MTD eClassroom course. Run by expert tax trainers at our award-winning training academy the course will run through everything you need to be MTD ready, with lots of practical tips and advice on how to make the transition as smooth as possible. For information and to book click here.

Leading economist Paul Johnson, former director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and now provost of Queen's College Oxford, joins the Listen Up Landlords team this month, following months of speculation on landlord tax.

Paul debunks the myth that landlords are under-taxed relative to owner-occupiers and warns that any moves to make it more expensive to be a landlord will mean higher rents and fewer properties available to rent – a point the NRLA has been hammering home to Government for some time.

With various rumours from Government sources circulating on everything from Capital Gains Tax through to Stamp Duty and National Insurance Contributions, he criticises what he describes as 'kite-flying', and has called for a comprehensive review of the taxation of housing and property with view to creating a long-term strategy for the sector.

Elsewhere, NRLA support team leader Samuel Blackhurst talks about the calls coming into the phonelines on all things Renters' Rights Bill, and Rachael Stocks, NRLA deputy director of marketing shares all the very latest on plans for the NRLA's UK Housing Conference, to be held in Liverpool this November.

Presented by TV's Steph McGovern and with speakers including property guru Sarah Beeney and other big names from across the industry, this year's event is not to be missed, so be sure to get your tickets today.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

More information:

• To read a full transcript of the show click here.

• To finds out more about the NRLA UK Housing Conference in Liverpool on November 5th click here.

• For everything you need to prepare for the Renters' Rights Bill visit our exclusive members' hub here.

• ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

Selling with tenants in situ is becoming increasingly popular according to new NRLA partner Landlord Property Exchange (LPE), and this month NRLA CEO Ben Beadle and Richard Blanco look at the pros and cons of this approach.

LPE founder James Donohue joins the team, along with landlord Sandra Towers who has sold a number of tenanted properties in this way, and said the approach can work well for all involved.

Hannah Kenyon, of the NRLA's landlord support team, discusses the calls the association has been receiving on student tenancies, with the new academic year set to start in the coming weeks.

And, with the Government currently consulting on a new Decent Homes Standard for the sector, Alan Davies, a chartered environmental health practitioner and Director of Housing at RRE Global joins the show to talk about what this will mean for landlords, and the local authorities tasked with enforcing the new rules.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

More information

To read a full transcript of the show click here.

To read more about the new Decent Homes Standard proposals click here.

To find out more about Landlord Property Exchange click here.

n this month's episode of Listen Up Landlords presenters NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle and Richard Blanco welcome Lord de Clifford, the peer responsible for tabling the latest pet amendment to the Renters' Rights Bill.

A Government amendment last month reversed an earlier pledge that would have allowed landlords to require damage insurance as a condition of accepting a pet.

However, Lord de Clifford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, proposed an alternative amendment, which would enable landlords to take an additional 'pet deposit' of three weeks' rent where a pet request is accepted – something the NRLA has been campaigning for, for some time.

Along with NRLA chief policy officer Chris Norris, Lord de Clifford talks about the challenges that came with the Government's initial pledge – and the benefits of his amendment, which will not require tenants to pay ongoing premiums.

Hannah Kenyon, representing the NRLA support team, talks about the calls coming into the phone lines this month, with a distinctly summery feel, as we enter the holiday season.

Later, the podcast team is also joined by Chris Bailey of campaign group, Action on Empty Homes. With an estimated 700,000 homes lying empty in England alone – a figure that is continuing to rise – he talks about the important role landlords can play in bringing properties back into use, as well as the impact of Government legislation.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

More information

To download a transcript of the podcast click here.

For all the latest on the progress of the Renters' Rights Bill and the NRLA's campaigns work click here.

For more information on the work of Action on Empty Homes click here.

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu. If you would like further details on how to become accredited with the NRLA click here.

In this month's episode of Listen Up Landlords presenters NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle and Richard Blanco discuss last month's spending review – with the private rented sector notable by its absence.

Richard and Ben are joined by Chris Walker of Chamberlain Walker Economics and Russell Quirk, co-founder of ProperPR to talk about the Government's spending plans, with £39billion allocated for social homes to rent over the next 10 years.

They examine the 1.5 million housebuilding target over the next four years and look at the challenges and opportunities up ahead – and what impact this might have on the PRS.

Hannah Kenyon, representing the NRLA support team, talks about the calls coming into the phone lines this month, focussing on the impact of proposed changes to minimum energy efficiency standards.

The team is also joined by Ben Rayner of London-based Good Place Lettings, a social letting agency which matches vulnerable tenants on low incomes with suitable homes in the private rented sector.

He talks about the growing number of landlords interested in this market, and the levels of support available to help sustain those tenancies.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.

For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]

ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the 'Your Account' section of the NRLA website. Select 'Other' then 'NRLA Podcast' from the dropdown menu.

More information

To download a transcript of the podcast click here.

If you would like further details on how to become accredited with the NRLA click here.