Renter EV charger grant 2026: £500 + free landlord letter

Yes, if you rent a residential property in the UK with off-street parking that is allocated to your tenancy (your own driveway, an allocated bay, or a designated space). You need written permission from your landlord before applying. The scheme covers any UK residential tenancy — Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), council, housing association, or Scottish/NI equivalents. Total time from quote to install is typically 4–8 weeks.

If your landlord refuses you have three realistic options: (1) offer to leave the charger as a permanent fixture when you move — many landlords accept once they understand it adds property value at no cost to them; (2) install a portable charger (such as the Ohme Home Pro) that can be uninstalled by an electrician and reinstalled at your next home; (3) if you have no off-street parking, check the On-Street Parking scheme which uses a cross-pavement gully instead of landlord consent. See our "If your landlord says no" inline section for the full talking-points playbook.

It depends on the written agreement you put in place with the landlord before installation. Three common arrangements: (a) charger stays as a permanent fixture — your landlord typically welcomes this since it adds property value at sale; (b) you arrange to uninstall and take it with you (cost: usually £200–£400 for re-install at your next home); (c) the landlord pays you a depreciated value if they want to keep it. Agree the arrangement in writing before install — it avoids disputes later.

Yes — you need a current Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) or equivalent (Assured Tenancy in Scotland, council tenancy, housing association tenancy). Council and housing association tenants qualify on the same terms as private renters, provided they have written permission from their landlord. Some councils have streamlined permission processes for their own tenants — check with your housing officer directly.

Customer-led application (since 1 April 2026): submit eligibility to gov.uk Find-a-Grant with landlord permission attached — decision usually within 2–4 weeks. Once approved, installer schedule normally adds another 1–2 weeks. Total realistic timeline: 4–8 weeks from sending the landlord letter to having a working charger. Most delays come from landlord response time, not the government portal.

Yes. The Ohme Home Pro has a built-in SIM card (no Wi-Fi dependence) and is designed to be removed and reinstalled by a qualified electrician — typically under an hour for the uninstall work itself. EVEC VEC03 is also portable. Re-installation at your next property usually costs £200–£400. The charger unit itself is yours; only the property-specific wiring stays behind. Always confirm portability with your installer in writing before signing the quote.

It depends on the parking type. ALLOCATED parking — where your tenancy assigns you a specific bay or space — is eligible. UNALLOCATED parking — where residents share spaces first-come-first-served — is NOT eligible under the individual Renter scheme. In the unallocated case, your building's RTM (Right to Manage) company, RMC (Resident Management Company), or freeholder can apply under the OZEV Landlord scheme to install communal infrastructure. See our communal charging guide for details on this route.

The Renter scheme covers off-street parking allocated to your tenancy (driveways, allocated bays). The On-Street Parking scheme is for households (renters or owner-occupiers) without any off-street parking who use a cross-pavement gully to run a charging cable across a public footway. Both schemes pay £500 per socket at 75% of install cost, but the on-street scheme adds £600–£1,200 in separate gully install costs plus a council Highways Licence (~£150–£250).