EV Charger Installation in a Rented Home - Complete UK Guide
Source: Shutterstock
Installing an EV charger in a rented home is now far more achievable than it was a few years ago, but it still involves navigating consent, compliance and, in some cases, planning rules. This guide gives UK tenants clear, practical steps to follow, so you can secure a safe, compliant installation (or choose a smart alternative) without falling foul of your tenancy or local regulations.
Any home charger you install must be “smart” in order to be compliant with regulations – this means that the device is capable of scheduling off-peak charging, applying a brief randomised delay to protect the grid, providing usage data, and meeting minimum cyber-security standards. These regulations apply across Great Britain and have been in force since 30 June 2022, so they set the baseline for what you’re allowed to buy and install.
Planning permission is usually not required for a wall-mounted charger at a house with off-street parking, provided the unit meets size and siting limits under permitted development rights. Recent updates in 2025 further broadened and clarified those rights for off-street EV charge points – though flats/maisonettes, listed buildings and certain designated areas can still require express consent. Always check your property type and location before booking an installer.
Salary sacrifice dramatically lowers the monthly cost of driving an electric car, but your charging plan determines your running costs day-to-day. Securing compliant home charging typically delivers the lowest pence-per-mile; where that isn’t possible, there are credible alternatives – workplace, public networks and portable options – that we’ll compare later, alongside step-by-step templates to help you obtain landlord consent and unlock grant support.
Understanding Your Legal Rights as a Tenant
As a tenant, you cannot fix a charge point to the property without your landlord’s written consent. Many tenancy and lease agreements contain a qualified alterations clause – meaning the landlord may not unreasonably withhold permission for genuine improvements. While residential tenancy law doesn't guarantee approval rights, many modern ASTs include clauses stating that consent for reasonable improvements will not be unreasonably withheld. However, if your agreement has an absolute prohibition on alterations, the landlord can refuse outright.
The practical takeaway: make a clear, well-evidenced written request and give your landlord confidence on safety, reinstatement and cost.
Getting Landlord Consent
To maximise your chances of a quick, positive “yes”, approach your landlord professionally with a clear, evidenced plan: start by reading your tenancy to see if alterations require consent and whether it’s a qualified clause (“not to be unreasonably withheld”) or an absolute prohibition, then map decision-makers (agent, freeholder, managing agent) and confirm your parking rights (allocated bay, demised space or shared area).
Choose a compliant smart charger and summarise costs with any grant eligibility, and familiarise yourself with the details so that you can anticipate any concerns up front, demonstrating your credibility to mitigate fears of risk.
Once consent is granted, confirm in writing the approved model and installer, ownership/maintenance terms, reinstatement obligations and the installation date. If permission is refused, don’t stop there – strong alternatives exist (workplace and public networks, or portable solutions) and you can still manage costs through The Electric Car Scheme; see our guide to charging without a driveway.
Give your landlord reasonable time to respond (typically 2-4 weeks) and follow up politely if you don't hear back.
Special Considerations for Flats and Shared Properties
In flats and other shared buildings, you’ll usually need your own landlord’s approval and the freeholder/building management company’s sign-off, because cable runs often cross common parts. Expect checks on shared electrics: capacity on landlord boards, dynamic load management, sub-metering so you pay for your usage, and DNO notification where required, plus supervised access to risers or meter rooms.
Residents’ associations sometimes have EV policies; ask early and align your proposal. If private chargers aren’t feasible, offer a building-friendly alternative such as a landlord-owned pedestal with individual metering so you still get reliable, fairly billed charging.
Installation Costs
For a house with a driveway and a short cable run to the consumer unit, a standard 7kW smart charger typically comes in around £800–£1,200 fully installed, depending on brand and installer bundle. Independent guides quote similar ballparks (for example, around £1,249 for a straightforward package), which aligns with our own 2025 cost analysis.
By contrast, flats with an allocated bay often face extra distance, containment through common parts, or metering requirements; plan for standard pricing plus £200-£600+ for complexity, with higher figures where groundworks or sub-metering are needed. Our detailed breakdown of extras (longer cable runs, trenching, consumer-unit upgrades) explains how these increments stack.
What pushes the price up?
Three things dominate: electrical work, distance, and complexity. Electrical upgrades (e.g., adding RCBOs or replacing an ageing consumer unit), long cable routes from the fuse box to the parking space, and obstacles like paving or outbuildings all add labour and materials. Typical examples include trenching under hardstanding, fire-stopping penetrations in blocks, or installing a small distribution/sub-meter to ensure you – rather than the block – pay for the energy. Our 2025 analysis sets out common extras: groundworks £200–£500, consumer-unit upgrades £300–£600, and per-metre cabling/containment where runs are long.
Cost-sharing with your landlord is negotiable. Common approaches are: tenant-funded (you cover the net cost after the grant), shared (landlord pays fixed upgrades; you cover the charger and basic labour), or landlord-owned asset (they fund and keep the unit as an improvement). Spell out the total cost, grant contribution, and who pays what; if you’re in a flat, consider asking the landlord to fund infrastructure while you cover the socket, so future residents benefit too. Keep it simple and put the split in writing alongside reinstatement terms.
Finally, the long-term savings from home charging can be substantial. "At current electricity rates (typically 24-27p/kWh depending on tariff and region), many EVs achieving ~3.5 miles/kWh cost roughly 7–8p per mile at home. Public rapid/ultra-rapid networks averaged ~76p/kWh in July 2025, or about 22p per mile – a difference of ~14p per mile. At 8,000 miles/year, that’s roughly £1,150 saved versus paying public-rapid rates for every charge (and smart off-peak EV tariffs can improve this further).
If you’re taking your car via salary sacrifice, those running-cost savings stack on top of your monthly lease/tax savings – see what is an electric car salary sacrifice scheme for the full picture.
Government Grants and Financial Support
The EV Chargepoint Grant can trim the bill. The EV Chargepoint Grant (£350, covering 75% of costs) remains available for certain property types and circumstances - check current OZEV eligibility criteria as these change regularly. There is also a route for on-street homes installing a compliant cross-pavement solution (e.g., a charging gully). You apply online, provide property and vehicle details, and typically use an OZEV-authorised installer who supplies the compliant evidence.
Landlords can separately access an EV infrastructure grant to subsidise building-wide enabling works (wiring, posts), covering 75% up to £30,000 per building – useful leverage when you’re negotiating consent in flats.
Why Landlords Should Embrace EV Charging
Adding private or block-managed EV charging is a straightforward way to make a rental more desirable today and more resilient tomorrow. On value, estimates vary by area, but mainstream portals report that installing a home charge point can improve saleability and, in some cases it may increase property appeal and value, with some industry reports suggesting improvements of several thousand pounds, though this varies significantly by location and property type– typically more than covering a standard install.
Tenant appeal is rising fast: a 2024 survey found 86% of freehold landlords would install a charger if asked, with many motivated by making homes more attractive and retaining happy tenants – clear signals of demand from renters who own, or plan to own, an EV.
The market is also starting to reward listings that advertise charging: Zoopla has introduced filters so buyers and renters can find homes with home or nearby charging more easily, giving equipped properties a competitive edge in search.
Future-proofing matters, too. New dwellings already require EV charge points under Part S of the Building Regulations; retrofitting chargers in existing stock helps landlords keep pace with this baseline and avoid falling behind newer schemes. There are substantial schemes and grants to help support landlords with implementing these EV charge points.
Alternative Solutions When Installation Isn't Possible
If a fixed home charger isn’t viable, you still have reliable, affordable ways to keep an EV on the road. Public charging works best when you plan around routine rather than emergencies: map regular AC posts near home, gym or supermarket for top-ups, and reserve rapid/ultra-rapid hubs for long trips. Create accounts with a couple of major operators or an aggregator app so you can start a charge quickly, and keep a Type 2 cable in the boot. Our guides to fast charging at home and charging without a driveway explain how to minimise costs and time.
Workplace charging can cover most weekday miles. Ask your employer about installing or expanding chargers; many can access government support for workplace infrastructure, and bays can be load-managed to suit the site’s capacity. If you’re taking your car via salary sacrifice, pair workplace charging with occasional public top-ups to keep total running costs low – see our explainer on electric car salary sacrifice.
With The Charge Scheme, renters using salary sacrifice get a joined-up path to charging – from assessing options to practical set-ups that work without a driveway. Start with our overview: The Charge Scheme launches.
Integration with Electric Car Salary Sacrifice
Salary sacrifice with The Electric Car Scheme cuts the headline cost of the car by packaging lease, insurance, servicing and tyres into a single gross-salary deduction, delivering 20–50% savings versus personal lease. This also extends to charging with The Charge Scheme, which helps EV drivers to save the same 20-50% on their charging through salary sacrifice and has the biggest public charging network in the UK.
With a card and an app, The Charge Scheme seamlessly introduces salary sacrifice for charging, helping you to save thousands of pounds every year.
UK tenants can request EV charger installation, where consent is often required but should not be unreasonably withheld in many leases. Smart chargers are mandatory, grants can reduce costs, and there are strong alternatives in flats or where drilling isn’t viable. Salary sacrifice delivers the biggest monthly saving, with home/workplace/community charging keeping running costs low.
Are you an employer?
BOOK A DEMOAre you an employee?
SEE AVAILABLE CARSECS GUIDES AND ADVICE
Ready to Go Electric? Your Guides and Tools to a Smooth Switch
-
How the Scheme WorksFind out how salary sacrifice can work for you or your business.
-
The Charge SchemeSave 20-50% on all charging costs through salary sacrifice - at home, the office, or in public..
-
Complete Employer ProtectionAll employers and drivers are protected from day 1.
-
Used Electric CarsDiscover the most affordable way to drive electric. Cars delivered in 14 days.
You might also like…
Last updated: 18/08/2025
Our pricing is based on data collected from The Electric Car Scheme quote tool. All final pricing is inclusive of VAT. All prices above are based on the following lease terms; 10,000 miles pa, 36 months, and are inclusive of Maintenance and Breakdown Cover. The Electric Car Scheme’s terms and conditions apply. All deals are subject to credit approval and availability. All deals are subject to excess mileage and damage charges. Prices are calculated based on the following tax saving assumptions; England & Wales, 40% tax rate. The above prices were calculated using a flat payment profile. The Electric Car Scheme Limited provides services for the administration of your salary sacrifice employee benefits. The Electric Car Scheme Holdings Limited is a member of the BVRLA (10608), is authorised and regulated by the FCA under FRN 968270, is an Appointed Representative of Marshall Management Services Ltd under FRN 667174, and is a credit broker and not a lender or insurance provider.
Copyright and Image Usage: All images used on this website are either licensed for commercial use or used with express permission from the copyright holders, in compliance with UK and EU copyright law. We are committed to respecting intellectual property rights and maintaining full compliance with applicable regulations. If you have any questions or concerns regarding image usage or copyright matters, please contact us at marketing@electriccarscheme.com and we will address them promptly.
