Balcony solar in a leasehold flat
Owning a leasehold flat often means the outside of the building belongs to the freeholder, and the lease sets the rules. So most leaseholders need written consent first. Here's how to check, and how to ask.
Checking your lease
Look for clauses about alterations, additions, the exterior, the structure or the balcony. Typical wording says you mustn't make alterations, or fix anything to the outside of the building, without the landlord's consent.
In a lease, "the landlord" means the freeholder: the person or company that owns the building.
Some leases say consent "won't be unreasonably withheld". If yours does, mention it politely in your request.
Can't find your lease? You can buy a copy of a registered lease from HM Land Registry for a small fee.
Asking the freeholder or managing agent
Day to day, a managing agent usually handles requests like this. Send yours to them, and ask them to get the freeholder's answer in writing.
They may ask for the kit's details and fixing instructions, a formal licence for alterations, a fee, or for the fixings to be checked. That's normal, and it's better to know before you buy.
If your building has a residents' association or a right-to-manage company, let them know too. A building that has said yes once finds it easier to say yes again.
Template letter
Our freeholder letter asks for consent under your lease, asks whether a formal application or fee is needed, and asks them to confirm the building's cladding.
Building rules
Many blocks have house rules about balconies, in the lease or in a separate set of rules from the managing agent. You might see things like nothing on balcony fronts, nothing visible from the street, or nothing fixed to railings.
Ask whether there's an approved way to do it before you take a rule as a no.
Separately from your lease, plug-in solar is never allowed on a building with timber, ACM, MCM or HPL cladding, or one having external wall remediation. Where plug-in solar can't go.
Do I need consent for a kit that just clamps on?
Usually, yes. Even without drilling, a kit on the railing changes the outside of the building, which most leases control. Ask in writing.
What if the freeholder doesn't reply?
Follow up in writing and keep copies. Don't put the kit up without an answer.
I'm a shared owner. Who do I ask?
Shared owners are leaseholders, so ask the housing association or the freeholder named in your lease, in writing.