Landlords and freeholders would be expected to consider tenants’ requests to install an EV charge point within a certain timeframe and not to unreasonably refuse them under new government proposals.

It says tenants and leaseholders often face hurdles getting approval for chargers and that permission can sometimes be rejected without a clear reason.

The government suggests that following a request, the freeholder and/or landlord should provide an acknowledgement and then provide a written formal response within 28 calendar days, and where a request is refused, they must explain the reasons.

A reasonable refusal could be if the request breaches an existing term of a lease or any other statutory obligations or if there is no off-street parking available to the tenant.

It follows an announcement that drivers in England will no longer need planning permission to install cross-pavement chargers which run under pavements from people’s homes to their cars, saving up to £300 on installation.

Consultation

This new consultation wants freeholders and landlords to explain the challenges they face in decision making and how the government can support greater home charging roll-out.

This will help it decide whether to introduce either non-statutory guidance or to pass new legislation. Under voluntary guidance, landlords and freeholders would be under no obligation to agree to charge point installations but they would be encouraged to explain and provide evidence about why a request would not be reasonable.

Timely

However, under legislation, freeholders and landlords would have to provide timely decisions if a leaseholder or tenant wanted to install an EV charge point along with a requirement not to unreasonably refuse the request. The leaseholder or tenant would be responsible for arranging and paying for the up-front cost of the charge point, including installation works and any fees for permission for alteration.

Whichever route is taken, the government says this would help applicants understand whether a request is likely to be successful, likely timescales for decision making and the responsibilities and costs likely to fall on each party.

Earlier this year the government announced that landlords, along with renters, flat owners, homeowners without driveways and businesses, would be able to save up to £500 when installing chargers using a government grant.

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