Rob & Em

Disha and her partner own three buy to lets in Wigan, but with the Renters' Rights Act coming in, buy to let was getting harder and they needed cashflow. Rent to rent was the way forward because you don't need a big deposit. You can start with a smaller amount and still be successful. They have just signed their first rent to rent deal and are getting it ready to go live, with a plan to use it as the template to scale. Her reason is simple: to give her two girls a better life and pay for their education.

Carlton and Tamara spent years in the creative industry working music festivals, where nobody thinks about pensions. They wanted to secure their own future, give their parents the retirement they deserve, and spend more time with their daughter. After getting burned on stocks and crypto, Carlton studied property and saw rent to rent was the best strategy for cashflow. They had already paid for another serviced accommodation course, but within weeks chose Simon for the community and support: people walking the walk who take the time to help you through each challenge. Within three months they had two deals in Manchester and London. The first came from a networking meeting with a landlord who wanted guaranteed rent, and it was booked out for its first six weeks. Now the landlord's business partner has offered them another property. Carlton finds the deals while Tamara runs the operations. His advice: "It's from consistent action that things actually start happening."

Yasmin worked in recruitment and then university careers advice, and Pash spent years as a solutions architect in tech. When both stepped away from work for family and personal reasons, they asked themselves how they could earn money working for themselves. They had tried an Amazon drop shipping business before, where the promised training and one to one support never really came, so they were sceptical at first. Simon reassured them, and the support started straight away: a call with Guy, weekly group calls and a community that has been amazing. Within a week or two of starting, Pash found their first landlord on OpenRent. The flat had already been an Airbnb, so the deal was done quickly. They are now on deal four with a fifth in the pipeline. Their London Bridge flat was fully booked for two months within four days of going live. Yasmin's advice: "Do it. It's scary at first, but it is absolutely worth it."

Kim left behind a 20 year career in television production to build a rent to rent business in Cambridge. Her serviced accommodation units combine professional design with smooth operations, giving guests premium stays and Kim a reliable income. She is proof that it is never too late to change direction and build a business on your own terms.