Landlord Consent for Commercial Solar PV: Complete Guide

Why landlord consent matters

Around 65% of UK commercial property is held under a tenancy rather than owner-occupied. To install solar PV on a tenanted building, the tenant needs the landlord's written consent — typically because the solar install constitutes "alterations" under the lease. Without consent, the install may breach the lease terms, void insurance, and result in lease forfeiture in extreme cases.

What landlord consent typically covers

1. Permission to install the solar PV system on the demised roof or building
2. Ownership clarity — typically the tenant owns the system; some landlords want a buy-out option at lease end
3. Reversibility — what happens at lease expiry: remove the system, transfer to landlord, or buy-out
4. Insurance — confirmation the tenant insures the system and indemnifies the landlord for installation works
5. Structural impact — independent structural engineer report confirming the roof can bear the additional load
6. Lease assignment — if the tenant assigns the lease, the solar system either transfers, is removed, or is bought out by the new tenant
7. Notification of works — typical 14-28 days written notice of the install schedule

The KMM model landlord-consent letter

KMM provides a template landlord-consent letter as part of every tenanted-property commercial solar proposal. It has been used successfully with REIT landlords (Segro, Tritax, Prologis), property funds, and SME landlord-managed estates. We tailor the template per project; your solicitor reviews before signing.

Common landlord objections and how we handle them

• "It might damage the roof" — independent structural engineer report (£400-£900 typical cost) covers this. KMM commissions and pays for the report as part of the project.
• "What happens at lease end?" — we offer three options in the consent letter: tenant removes system at own cost (most common), tenant transfers system to landlord at agreed buy-out, or landlord buys out at end of lease at depreciated value.
• "It might void our building insurance" — KMM provides documentation pack for the landlord's insurer. In practice, properly-installed solar PV does not affect commercial building insurance premiums.
• "We're refurbishing the building in 5 years" — we offer reversible install methods (ballasted east-west on flat roofs, no roof penetrations) where possible, plus removal/reinstall clauses in the consent.
• "We want a cut of the SEG income" — this is rare but happens. We model the after-share economics in the proposal; some deals still work, others don't.

Multi-tenant buildings

For multi-tenant commercial buildings (business parks, office blocks, retail parks), the structure is usually: landlord owns the solar system and recovers the cost via service charge to tenants pro-rata by floor area. Tenants benefit from below-grid energy pricing on the solar generation; landlord recovers the capex over 7-10 years from the service charge. KMM has delivered four multi-tenant projects on this model in 2025-2026.

How to get started

Talk to your landlord (or property manager) before you start the formal quote process. A 15-minute call to establish whether they are likely to consent saves time on both sides. KMM can join the call if it helps.

FAQs