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Renters guide

Plug-in Solar for UK Renters and Tenants: A Step-by-Step Guide

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A practical step-by-step guide for UK renters who want to use plug-in solar, covering savings, suitable locations, landlord consent, compliant kits, installation, network notification and a copy-and-edit permission email template.

In this article

Plug-in solar could be one of the most renter-friendly ways to generate electricity at home and cut daytime electricity bills. The kits are smaller and much more affordable than rooftop solar, can often be used without permanent changes to the property or wiring, and can be removed and taken with you if you move.

This guide is based on the UK government's latest plug-in solar rules and takes you through the main steps and checks to consider before installing a compliant plug-in solar kit in a rented home, from estimating savings and choosing a suitable location to requesting permission, installing safely and completing the network notification. It also includes a landlord consent email template you can copy and adapt.

Key points for renters

  • Get written consent before buying or installing. This is the safest route for private renters, council tenants, housing-association tenants and people living in flats.
  • Choose a removable, low-impact setup. Free-standing frames and suitable no-drill balcony mounts are more likely to be approved than setups that require drilling.
  • Check the location is allowed. Some balcony, cladding, boundary-wall, fire-safety and circuit arrangements are prohibited by the official plug-in solar rules.
  • Identify a compliant kit before asking. The landlord needs to know the product, panel size, mounting method, socket, cable route and installation instructions.
  • Purchase and install only after permission is granted. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, keep the paperwork and complete the network notification.

The Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification requires product documentation to tell users to obtain any necessary permission before installation. In a rented home, that normally means landlord consent. In flats, leasehold buildings and managed developments, the freeholder, managing agent or housing provider may also need to agree.

Six steps for renters considering plug-in solar

If you rent, it helps to do the checks before buying anything. A good plug-in solar proposal starts with the basics: will it save money, is there a suitable location, and is there a compliant kit that can be used there safely?

Once those checks look good, you can ask for written permission with a clear plan instead of a vague idea. The steps below show that route:

  1. Estimate generation, savings and payback.
  2. Check whether your proposed location is allowed.
  3. Choose a compliant kit that suits that location.
  4. Request written permission from your landlord or housing provider.
  5. Buy and install the approved kit only after permission is granted.
  6. Complete the network notification supplied with the product.

Now, let's go through each step in more detail.

Step 1

Check whether plug-in solar is worth it for your home

Before choosing a kit, check whether the likely savings justify the cost. Because the kit can move with you, the investment is not tied to one property, but a sunny, well-positioned setup will usually start paying back sooner.

The main things to check are panel direction, angle, shading, kit cost and how much electricity your home uses during daylight hours. South-facing positions usually perform best, east and west can still work well, and north-facing positions are often harder to justify.

Use the Plug-in Solar Calculator to estimate generation, annual savings and payback for your postcode and planned panel position. Our generation guide can help you choose the best panel position, while our savings guide explains realistic annual savings and the factors that determine how much you could save.

Step 2

Check whether your chosen location is allowed

Before asking for permission, check that the proposed location is both useful and allowed. The official plug-in solar rules prohibit some types of installation, and the manufacturer's instructions may limit where and how a kit can be mounted. A landlord should not be asked to approve a setup that falls outside those rules.

Locations that may be suitable

These still require any necessary consent and must be covered by the product instructions.

  • You have a private garden or patio with room for an approved free-standing frame.
  • You have a suitable non-timber balcony, and the manufacturer-approved bracket is designed for that type of railing.
  • You have an outbuilding, shed, wall or fence, and the product instructions clearly allow that type of mounting.
  • The panels can be placed securely, without creating a trip hazard, blocking access or putting people at risk.
  • The kit can reach a suitable socket using the manufacturer-supplied cable, with a tidy route that does not cross shared paths or escape routes.
  • The socket is on a modern, clearly labelled socket circuit, protected by circuit breakers and RCD/RCBO safety devices.

Prohibited locations and setups

The official plug-in solar rules expressly prohibit these types of installation.

  • Timber balconies
  • ACM, MCM, high-pressure laminate or timber cladding systems
  • Buildings undergoing relevant external-wall or building-safety remediation
  • Walls or other building parts forming a property boundary between dwellings
  • Locations that block escape or rescue routes, or increase the risk of fire spreading to neighbouring homes
  • Sockets on lighting circuits or circuits supplying fixed equipment such as a cooker or boiler
  • Setups that use an extension lead, adaptor or third-party cable not approved by the manufacturer

The product instructions must state the permitted mounting types, fixing or ballast requirements, height limits and cable-routing method. If the proposed installation is not covered, choose another location or another compliant product.

If the fuse box is old, unclear or not protected by modern RCD/RCBO safety devices, the official rules say a qualified electrician should assess the installation before it goes ahead.

For renters, the easiest installations to get approved are usually the most reversible ones. A free-standing frame in a private garden or patio, or a manufacturer-approved balcony clamp, may not need drilling or permanent fixings. A well-designed balcony mount can clamp or bolt to a suitable railing, so the kit can be removed later without lasting damage.

Step 3

Choose a compliant kit that suits your location

Do not buy the kit yet. At this stage, the job is to identify a specific product that the landlord can assess.

A compliant plug-in solar product should be a complete manufacturer-specified kit, not a loose mix of parts chosen by the buyer. The current UK route is for plug-in solar without batteries. The inverter output is capped at 800VA, and the total solar panel capacity must stay within the permitted 2,000W limit. Only products that comply with the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification can use the new legal route. Our guide to the UK plug-in solar rules explains what compliant kits need to include.

Read the manufacturer's installation and mounting instructions before asking for permission. Check that the kit can be used in your proposed location, with the proposed mounting method, socket and cable route. If the instructions do not clearly support your setup, choose a different kit or location.

The new plug-in solar rules are scheduled to come into force on 27 August 2026. We will list compliant kits once suitable products reach the UK market. Be cautious with any site offering to ship a "compliant" plug-in solar kit before that date.

Step 4

Request written permission from your landlord

A landlord is more likely to approve a plug-in solar request if they can quickly understand what the product is, where it will go, how it connects, whether it changes the property and who is responsible for it.

If you rent privately, send the request to your landlord or letting agent. If you rent from a council or housing association, use the landlord's alterations or home-improvements process and ask for the correct form or housing-officer contact if needed.

If your proposal uses a no-drill mounting method, make that clear. Landlords are more likely to consider a setup that is temporary, removable and does not alter the building. If you plan to attach anything to a wall, fence, roof frame or other fixed structure, be clear about any drilling or fixings needed, because that is more likely to require specific approval.

Before sending the request, gather:

  • the product name and link;
  • the number, size and weight of the panels;
  • the proposed panel location;
  • the mounting method and whether any drilling or alteration is needed;
  • the socket and cable route;
  • the manufacturer's installation instructions and compliance information;
  • your plan for maintenance, insurance checks and removal.

Once you have gathered those details, use the landlord consent email template below as a starting point for your request.

Step 5

Buy and install the kit only after permission is granted

Once written permission is granted, buy and install only the kit, location and mounting method that were approved. If the product, number of panels, mounting system, socket or cable route changes, ask whether the consent needs to be updated before going ahead.

Install the kit exactly as the manufacturer instructs. Use only supplied or manufacturer-approved components, cables and mounting equipment. Keep the landlord's written consent, product documents, installation instructions, warranty information and photos of the finished setup.

Insurance is not automatically a problem, but it should not be ignored. The tenant may need to check contents insurance, while the landlord, freeholder or managing agent may need to check building insurance if the setup affects the property or wider building.

Step 6

Complete the network notification

Compliant plug-in solar kits should include instructions for notifying the local distribution network operator. In simple terms, this is a short notification that tells the electricity network a small generator has been installed at the property.

It is not the same as asking the landlord for permission, and it is not a request to export electricity for payment. It is part of the connection process for small generation equipment. Follow the process supplied with the product and keep the confirmation with your installation records.

Northern Ireland uses G98/NI rather than the Great Britain G98 process, and the official specification says its application there remains subject to further consideration.

Plug-in solar landlord consent email template

You can use and adapt the template below when asking your landlord for permission to install a plug-in solar kit. It is designed to give the landlord the details they need to make a decision: what plug-in solar is, which product you want to use, where it would go, how it would be mounted, how it would connect, and how you plan to keep the setup safe, removable and compliant.

  • Replace the bracketed sections with your own details before sending it.
  • Send the request before buying the kit.
  • Include a link to the product page and any installation instructions the landlord may need to review.
  • Delete any lines that do not apply to your setup.
Plug-in solar permission request template

Depending on your tenancy and location, this template may not count as a formal statutory request under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) Regulations.

What if the landlord says no?

Do not install the kit without permission. Ask the landlord to explain the reason in writing, because the next step depends on the concern.

  1. If the concern is damage, suggest a free-standing or no-drill mounting option, or choose a different location.
  2. If the concern is safety, send the manufacturer's instructions and the official plug-in solar rules.
  3. If the concern is the building, ask whether a freeholder, managing agent, insurer or housing provider needs to approve it.
  4. If the concern is location, propose a different safe, compliant position.
  5. If the refusal is unclear, ask what information would be needed for the request to be reconsidered.

Private renters in England and Wales can also check whether the formal tenant energy-efficiency improvement process is relevant to their situation. That process has specific rules and may not cover every removable plug-in solar kit, but it can give some tenants a structured way to make or challenge an energy-efficiency request.

Council and housing-association tenants should ask for the landlord's alterations or home-improvements process and any appeal or review route. If you are still unsure, Citizens Advice, Shelter or your local council's private-rented housing team may be able to help you understand your options.

Moving home with a plug-in solar kit

A plug-in solar kit is designed to be removable, but moving it still needs to be handled properly.

  1. Follow the manufacturer's shutdown and decommissioning instructions.
  2. Notify or deregister the device from the distribution network operator as required.
  3. Remove the panels, inverter, cables and mounting equipment safely.
  4. Restore the property as agreed with the landlord.
  5. Keep photographs showing the condition after removal.
  6. Get permission before installing the kit at the next property.
  7. Confirm that the product and mounting system are approved for the new location.

A kit approved for a ground frame at one property cannot automatically be attached to a balcony or wall at another. The new installation must follow the manufacturer's approved configuration and the network-registration requirements for the new address.

The sensible route for renters

For renters, plug-in solar works best when it is treated as a removable, permission-based home-energy upgrade: check the savings, choose a safe and compliant location, identify the right kit, get written consent before buying, then install and notify the network in line with the instructions. Done in that order, it can be a practical way to cut daytime electricity bills without owning the roof.

Estimate plug-in solar savings for your rented home

Use your postcode, panel position, household use and kit assumptions to estimate whether a plug-in solar setup could be worthwhile before asking for permission.

Try the Plug-in Solar Calculator

Sources and methodology

This guide is based primarily on current UK government documents and official national renting guidance.

It is general consumer information, not legal advice. Renting law differs across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the answer may depend on your tenancy type, contract, property and proposed installation. We will update this guide when further renter-specific plug-in solar guidance is published.

It distinguishes between:

  • the confirmed plug-in solar product and installation requirements;
  • practical written landlord consent;
  • practical options if permission is refused.

The guide does not assume that the older statutory reference to photovoltaics automatically covers every product introduced under the 2026 plug-in solar framework.

Official plug-in solar sources

Official renting and tenant-rights sources