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Guide 10 of 126-minute read · short version 1 minute
Renting, leasehold and flats
Solar if you rent or own a flat: whose permission you need, what to check in your lease, fire safety in flats, and what to put in your request.
Looking for a specific answer? Our FAQ page Renting, leasehold and flats answers 7 questions, each with its official sources.
Start here
The short version
- If you rent, you need your landlord’s written permission before fixing anything to a wall, balcony or roof.
- In a block of flats, the freeholder or managing agent may also have to agree, under the lease.
- Plug-in solar is often the most practical option for renters and flat owners, because it can be taken down when you move. It is not yet permitted in Northern Ireland.
- Your landlord’s permission doesn’t replace planning rules or registering the kit, which are separate.
- Put your request in writing: what you will fit, where, how it is fixed and removed, and who pays for any damage.
Layer 2
In more detail
What to check, how to ask and what happens when you move.
What to check first
- Your tenancy or lease: look for clauses on fixing things to balconies, external walls, roofs, railings or shared areas, on alterations to the outside of the building, and on anything that affects fire safety or insurance.
- Who manages the building: landlord, freeholder, managing agent or, in Scotland, a property factor.
- The socket: a plug-in kit needs a suitable socket. If you would need a new or outdoor socket, that is work to the building, so it needs permission too.
- Fire safety in flats: the Energy Saving Trust says flats and higher-risk buildings may have extra rules, including the building’s fire risk assessment. The government specification rules out timber balconies, certain cladding types and buildings having external wall remediation.
What to put in your request
Ask in writing and describe the device, where and how it will be fixed, how it connects and how it will be removed, and who pays for any damage. The government specification makes users responsible for agreeing with the owner, landlord, freeholder or managing agent how any installation costs are shared. Keep the reply, and give your insurer the details. A request might say:
I would like to install a plug-in solar kit at [address]. It is [make and model], which is listed as compliant on the Energy Networks Association register. The [number] panels would be fixed to [location] using [clamps or a freestanding frame], without drilling, and the kit would plug into the existing socket at [location]. I will register it before use, as required, and tell my home insurer. I will remove it and make good any damage when I leave. Please confirm in writing whether you consent, and whether the freeholder also needs to agree.
Adjust the wording to what you actually plan to do. If you would need to drill, or need a new socket, say so.
Leaseholders
Check your lease. In England, permitted development does not remove the need for the landlord’s or freeholder’s consent. If you own a flat in Scotland and there is no freeholder, the Energy Saving Trust says to approach your property factor first, and if you have no factor, the local authority may be able to help. Check your title deeds for conditions on changes to external walls and balconies.
When you move
Plug-in kits must be fixed in a way that can be reversed, so they are designed to be removed. Tell your network operator when the kit is disconnected, then register it again at your new address, and get permission there, before you plug it in. Agree in advance who owns the kit if a landlord contributed to it.
Do tenants have a right to solar?
We have not found any law in Great Britain that gives tenants a right to install plug-in solar, and official guidance is to ask your landlord first.
Key words
- Freeholder
- The owner of the building, as opposed to the leaseholder of a flat in it.
- Managing agent
- The company managing a block on the freeholder’s behalf.
- Property factor
- In Scotland, the firm managing shared parts of a building.
Layer 3For the technically mindedLease covenants, consent and building safety
Covenants against alterations
Leases commonly contain covenants against alterations to the structure or exterior, or against fixing anything to it, either absolutely or without consent. In England and Wales, section 19(2) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 implies into a lease that requires consent for “improvements” a proviso that consent is not to be unreasonably withheld. Whether a solar installation is an improvement, and whether a refusal is reasonable, depends on the lease and the facts, so take advice if it matters to you. Scotland has its own law, including title conditions and tenement rules.
Building safety
In higher-risk residential buildings, external walls and balconies are subject to fire safety management. The government specification bars plug-in solar on aluminium or metal composite cladding, high-pressure laminate cladding, timber cladding, timber balconies and buildings undergoing external wall or building safety remediation, and on walls forming a property boundary between dwellings.
Frequently asked questions
Can tenants use plug-in solar?
Possibly, but you need permission first. The Energy Saving Trust advises tenants, leaseholders and residents of managed buildings to get permission from whoever is responsible for the building, such as the landlord, freeholder or building manager, before buying. It says to get explicit permission if you plan to drill into walls or need an external mains socket.
Can leaseholders install plug-in solar?
Check your lease. The Energy Saving Trust suggests looking for clauses on fixing equipment to a balcony, external walls, roof, railings or communal areas, on alterations to the outside of the building, and on anything that could affect fire safety or insurance. In England, permitted development does not remove the need for the landlord's or freeholder's consent.
Do tenants have a legal right to install plug-in solar in the UK?
We have not found any law in Great Britain that gives tenants a right to install plug-in solar, and official guidance says to get permission from your landlord first. Ask in writing and describe exactly what you plan to fix and where.
What should I put in a request to my landlord?
Ask in writing and describe the device, where and how it will be fixed, how it will be connected and removed, and who will pay for any damage. The government specification makes users responsible for agreeing with the owner, landlord, freeholder or managing agent how any installation costs are shared. Keep the reply, and give your insurer the details.
Can I take plug-in solar with me when I move?
The specification requires fixings to be reversible and non-permanent, so kits are designed to be removed. You must notify your network operator when the device is disconnected, and you would register it again at your new address, and get permission there, before plugging it in. Check the model is still listed on the compliance register before you relocate it.
I own a flat in Scotland and there is no freeholder. Who do I ask?
The Energy Saving Trust says to approach your property factor first if you have one. If you do not have a factor, the local authority may be able to help with statutory compliance. Check your title deeds for any conditions on changes to external walls and balconies.
Does fire safety in flats affect plug-in solar?
Yes. The Energy Saving Trust says flats and higher-risk buildings may have extra rules and may need to consider the building's fire risk assessment, and you should speak to your building manager if the building has combustible cladding, timber balconies or remediation work. The specification bars installation on certain cladding types and on buildings undergoing external wall remediation.
Renting or in a flat? Ask SolarBot what to check in your situation and how to word your request.
Ask SolarBotOfficial sources
- Energy Saving Trust: Plug-in solar panels, checks to make before you buy
- DESNZ: Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification, version 2.0 (PDF)
- Citizens Advice: six things to know before plug-in solar panels hit the shelves
- Planning Portal (England): solar equipment mounted on a house, block of flats or building
How we check these pages · Recent changes · All solar FAQs · Glossary
Rewritten 2 October 2026 (first published 20 September 2026). General information, not legal, electrical or financial advice. Confirm current rules before you buy or connect anything.