# The 5 Rules to Buy-to-Let Success in 2026 Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/property-investors-podcast-6454190/the-5-rules-to-buy-to-let-success-in-2026 Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/property-investors-podcast-6454190/the-5-rules-to-buy-to-let-success-in-2026.md Podcast: [Property Investors Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/property-investors-podcast-6454190) Published: 2026-02-18T17:00:01+00:00 Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/propertyinvestors/episodes/The-5-Rules-to-Buy-to-Let-Success-in-2026-e3f8nk8 Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/10d913bac/podcast/play/115678280/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-18%2F418334448-44100-2-b6d41a01f31f.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/property-investors-podcast-6454190/episodes/the-5-rules-to-buy-to-let-success-in-2026 Duration seconds: 2213 ## Resource FREE Training & More : https://linktr.ee/russellleeds Thinking of investing in 2026? We're breaking down the five key rules for buying a buy-to-let property so you can make an informed decision on whether it's the right investment for you. Hosts Russell and Anna discuss the power of leverage , the real costs of buying a property, essential investment formulas , and where to buy for the best returns. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: 5 Key Rules for Buy-to-Let in 2026 00:26 - Rule #1: The Power of Leverage in Property 00:40 - Comparing borrowing for the S&P 500 vs. Property 01:03 - Why property is a "tangible asset" 02:50 - Land is the appreciating asset, not the property 03:46 - Why property leverage is "amazing" 04:50 - Property vs. S&P 500: A 10-Year Comparison 07:11 - ROI Comparison: Property crushes S&P 500 (even with half the growth) 11:10 - Rule #2: The Actual Costs of Buying Property 11:26 - Buy-to-Let Deposit (typically 25%) 11:54 - Stamp Duty for Investment Property 12:28 - Other Costs: Legal Fees, Survey Fees, Broker Fees 14:37 - Rule #3: Investment Formulas (Yield vs. ROI) 15:14 - Why Return on Investment (ROI) is more important than Yield 15:43 - How to calculate Gross Yield 17:24 - The Formula for Return on Investment (ROI) 18:32 - What makes a "good" ROI (10% vs. 20%+) 20:11 - The Importance of the Stress Test 21:37 - Why the property must stack as a normal buy-to-let 22:14 - Rule #4: Where to Buy (Area and Property Type) 22:35 - The Golden Triangle: Nottingham, Liverpool, Yorkshire 23:48 - The benefit of investing in areas you know well 24:47 - Why Northern yields are "much better than they are down south" 25:09 - Freehold vs. Leasehold 27:26 - Choosing a smaller family home (2-4 bed) for investment… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/property-investors-podcast-6454190/episodes/the-5-rules-to-buy-to-let-success-in-2026/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/property-investors-podcast-6454190/the-5-rules-to-buy-to-let-success-in-2026.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.