Renting and letting
Solar grants for private renters and landlords in Liverpool
More than half of Liverpool's households rent, so the rules for rented homes matter here more than in most places. Private lets can be covered by Warm Homes: Local Grant; council and housing association homes can't. The route in, and what the landlord pays, depends on the borough.
Where you stand
A privately rented home in the Liverpool City Council area can be considered if it's rated EPC D to G and the tenant household meets one of the three pathways. The landlord must agree and may need to contribute. Council and housing association tenants use their landlord's own programme instead.
Who decides: The council or Combined Authority, on the tenant's circumstances and the landlord's agreement.
Liverpool
A city where most people rent
| Tenure | Liverpool | England |
|---|---|---|
| Owned | 46.8% | 61.3% |
| Private rented | 26.1% | 20.5% |
| Social rented | 26.4% | 17.1% |
Over a quarter of Liverpool households rent privately. For them, any solar panels depend on a landlord's decision, whether the landlord pays or a grant does.
The national rules
What GOV.UK says about rented homes
GOV.UK's description of Warm Homes: Local Grant says the home must be privately owned, either by you or your landlord, and that if you have a landlord, they may need to pay for some of the improvements. So private tenants aren't shut out, but they can't go it alone: the landlord owns the roof, has to consent to the work, and may have a bill.
Liverpool City Council's page invites people who own or live in a property within the Liverpool boundary to apply, and its tests are the same for owners and tenants: EPC D to G and one of the three pathways. For a rented home, it's the tenant household's circumstances that count.
How to apply
The route in differs by borough
Liverpool. The council's page asks everyone to register interest through the GOV.UK referral portal. The Combined Authority's page, though, says private renters and landlords can't apply through the portal and should use their council's own contact route, and it points Liverpool residents to the council's page. Read Liverpool's page first and follow what it says for rented homes; if in doubt, ask the council how it wants a rental registered.
Sefton. Sefton Council says landlords should contact its retrofit team directly, having spoken to the tenant first, because eligibility rests on the tenant's circumstances.
Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and Wirral. The Combined Authority asks private renters and landlords to use the form on its own Warm Homes: Local Grant page.
What landlords pay
Contributions and limits
Sefton Council sets out the clearest rules. A landlord's first property treated under the scheme needs no contribution; each additional property needs a 50% contribution towards the cost of upgrades. Landlords must also declare that they haven't received subsidy over the Minimal Financial Assistance limit of £315,000, counting the grant and any assistance in the current and previous two financial years.
Liverpool City Council's page doesn't set out a landlord contribution, and GOV.UK only says a landlord may need to pay for some improvements. If you let a home in Liverpool, ask the council what it would expect from you before your tenant registers.
For tenants
Talking to your landlord
If you rent privately and think your household meets a pathway, the first conversation is with your landlord. Explain that the scheme can improve the home's energy rating at little or no cost to them for a first property in some boroughs, and that the council decides what's installed after a survey. Ask them to agree in writing to the council contacting them.
Your landlord can't be forced to take part, and a refusal doesn't affect your other rights as a tenant. If the home is cold, damp or has a poor energy rating, Liverpool City Council's landlord licensing pages, including its guide to being a good landlord, set out the standards landlords are expected to meet.
For landlords
Why it can be worth it
A better energy rating can matter for a rented home, both for the tenant's bills and for the standards that apply to lettings. A survey funded through the scheme will tell you what the home needs, whether or not solar is part of it. If you let in a ward covered by Liverpool's selective licensing scheme, keep the paperwork from any work with your licence records.
If you'd rather pay for panels yourself, the same VAT and loan rules apply as for any owner. See paying yourself.
Social housing
Council and housing association tenants
Over a quarter of Liverpool households rent from a council or housing association. Those homes aren't covered by Warm Homes: Local Grant: GOV.UK requires the home to be privately owned, and Sefton Council's page tells housing association tenants to contact their landlord, which may have access to the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund for similar work. See social housing tenants.
Who benefits
Panels on a rented roof
When panels are fitted to a rented home, the electricity they generate is used in the home first, which is where the tenant benefits. Who receives any export payments depends on whose electricity supply and meter the panels are connected to and on what the landlord and tenant agree. Settle that in writing before panels go up, whether they're grant-funded or paid for by the landlord.
Renting and letting questions
Can I apply as a private tenant?
Yes, in principle. GOV.UK says the home must be privately owned, by you or your landlord. Your landlord has to agree to the work and may need to contribute to some of it.
Can a landlord apply for several properties?
Sefton Council allows it, with the first eligible property needing no contribution and a 50% contribution for each additional property. Ask Liverpool City Council or the Combined Authority how they handle several homes.
Whose income counts for a rented home?
The tenant household’s. Sefton Council says eligibility for rented homes is based on the tenant’s circumstances, so landlords must speak to tenants before applying.
I rent from a housing association. Is there anything for me?
Not through this scheme. Ask your housing association whether your home is in its improvement programme; social landlords can bid for the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund.
Sources for this page
- GOV.UK › Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant to improve a home, read 3 November 2026
- Liverpool City Council › Apply for a Warm Homes Local Grant, read 3 November 2026
- Liverpool City Region Combined Authority › Warm Homes Local Grant, read 3 November 2026
- Sefton Council › Warm Homes Local Grant, read 3 November 2026
- Nomis › Census 2021 TS054, tenure, read 3 November 2026
- Liverpool City Council › Landlord licensing, read 3 November 2026
A question about solar funding in Liverpool?
Tell us what you're trying to find out. Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, which publishes this guide, and we answer by email. We don't run any grant scheme, decide eligibility or install panels, but we can point you to the scheme and the council that does.
What happens next
- Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, publisher of this guide.
- We answer by email, pointing to the scheme or council that applies.
- Any application is made to the council or scheme itself.