Tenants and leaseholders in England could gain a clearer route to request an electric-vehicle charge point at their home, under proposals opened for consultation on 21 October. The Department for Transport is asking whether landlords and freeholders should be expected to decide requests promptly and avoid unreasonable refusals.
The proposals are not a new right. Permission rules have not changed through this consultation, and any binding approach would need further legislation. The consultation closes at 11.59pm on 16 December 2026.
Two possible routes
The government is weighing non-statutory guidance against legislation. Guidance could explain what information a resident should provide, how property owners should handle an application and what reasons might justify saying no. It would be voluntary: landlords and freeholders would not be obliged to follow a set process or explain a refusal.
The legislative option would require a timely decision and prohibit an unreasonable refusal. The consultation gives 28 calendar days as an example of a possible response period, not a settled deadline. It also asks whether a refusal should have to include written reasons and whether disagreements need an escalation route.
For either approach, a resident might submit a written request to the landlord. In a privately rented home, an intermediate landlord who is itself a leaseholder could pass the application to the superior landlord or freeholder. Leaseholders and shared owners would apply to their landlord, while social tenants would apply to their social landlord.
What might count as a reasonable refusal?
The consultation lists possible grounds for refusing an installation. They include a conflict with a lease term or another legal obligation, a need for local electricity-network upgrades, and an installation that does not meet the relevant electrical safety standard. Lack of off-street parking or insufficient space could also matter. In a block where the owner is already pursuing a building-wide charging scheme, that approach might be another reason to decline an individual request.
These are options for discussion, not a final list or a new legal test. The government is asking whether such grounds should be set out in guidance or made part of legislation, and whether other circumstances should be included. Different buildings and parking arrangements could affect how a request works in practice.
The proposals focus on residents with off-street parking, including spaces attached to a home, separate allocated bays and some communal parking. The consultation suggests covering as many types as possible, but asks for views on communal spaces. It expects the approach to include private and social tenants, leaseholders, shared owners, mixed-tenure estates and mixed-use developments. Housing is devolved, so this consultation concerns England; it does not itself set policy for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Costs and building arrangements remain open
Under the legislative option, the resident would be expected to arrange and pay the initial charge-point and installation costs, including any applicable permission fee. The consultation leaves maintenance, electricity use and eventual removal costs open for discussion. It also asks whether a formal licence should be required for structural work and what conditions might reasonably apply.
That distinction matters in blocks of flats, where a charging point may involve shared parking, wiring routes or changes to common parts. A granted request could require an agreement between the resident and property owner covering the works, costs, maintenance and decommissioning. The consultation seeks views on how a clear process could balance a resident’s ability to charge with building-specific constraints and the owner’s responsibilities.
The consultation sits alongside a separate government change taking effect on 21 October that removes the need for planning permission for qualifying cross-pavement chargers, and another consultation on charging provision in covered car parks and building regulations. Those measures address different obstacles: planning for a cable across a pavement, future requirements for some buildings, and permission from a landlord or freeholder. None should be mistaken for an enacted general right for renters to install a charger.
Responses to the England consultation are due by 11.59pm on 16 December. The government says responses will inform decisions on the mechanism and support needed; it has not yet selected between voluntary guidance and legislation.
