How do you get landlord consent for EV chargers at your business?

Check your commercial lease and get the required written consents before authorising charger installation. Workplace Charging Scheme applicants must own the property or have landlord consent at each proposed site [S2]. Review 3 separate issues: property rights, planning and electricity connection. Ask your solicitor to confirm who can approve the works and the operating agreement. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 17 October 2026

Do you need landlord permission for an EV charger?

Read your commercial lease before placing an installation order. GOV.UK explains that most business tenancy responsibilities depend on the lease [S1]. Ask your solicitor to examine alteration rights, use of the parking area and permission for an outside operator. This page cannot determine consent rights for your particular lease.

Begin with a marked plan of the premises you occupy. Show the proposed bays, equipment position and cable route. Include any shared service area crossed by the installation. Ask your adviser to identify who must approve each part, rather than sending a general request to someone who may lack authority.

Keep the approval tied to a specific design. A landlord’s willingness to discuss charging is useful progress, but ask your solicitor what document is needed before works begin. Request confirmation that the agreed scope covers operation and maintenance access as well as the installation itself.

What should an EV charger scope of works contain?

Prepare a consent pack that lets the landlord assess the physical change and the proposed activity. The following is a suggested document schedule for discussion, rather than a statutory application form:

Ask your installer to prepare the technical scope and your solicitor to review the rights it needs. Keep revisions labelled so the landlord can see what changed. If the equipment location moves after a survey, have the consent checked against the new drawing before accepting the change.

Explain the practical impact on your neighbours in the building. Include how you propose to manage deliveries, access through shared areas and disruption during installation. Record any operating restrictions in the proposal so bidders can price and design for them.

Do EV chargers need planning permission as well as consent?

Property consent and planning are separate checks. In England, government guidance identifies permitted development rights for off-street charging under Classes D and E, subject to conditions and limitations [S3]. Do not assume that this covers every charger, associated structure or protected building.

Give your planning adviser the actual proposal, including equipment enclosures and any signs. Ask for a written record of the route being used and any remaining applications. Check the relevant system for sites elsewhere in the UK. Have your solicitor review how planning responsibilities are allocated in the operating agreement.

When preparing the parking layout, include accessible charging and circulation in the design discussion. Ask the landlord to review the drawing rather than approving only the number of spaces. Agree how changes requested during planning will be returned for property approval.

Which electricity connection checks belong in the consent request?

A distribution network operator, or DNO, operates the local electricity distribution network. Government’s business charging connection guide describes the connection process and contacting the DNO [S4]. Ask your installer to identify the relevant operator and who will make any required application.

For the landlord pack, explain whether your proposal uses an existing supply or requests a separate connection. Identify whose meter and bill will be involved. Ask the electrical designer to describe the required capacity using kilowatts, or kW, for power. Use kilowatt hours, or kWh, for energy consumption when discussing bills [S4].

Ask for a supply assessment before choosing the layout. Request clarity on cable ownership, access for repairs and the permissions needed along the route. Keep the proposed connection costs separate in your charger cost comparison.

How should funding and lease exit terms fit together?

Compare the contract you would sign under fully funded, part funded and self funded proposals. Ask each bidder to identify who owns the equipment, who occupies the bays and who needs access. Treat these as proposed commercial terms until they are documented.

Give your solicitor the proposed operating agreement alongside your property lease. Ask what happens if your tenancy ends, the building is sold, the parking area is redeveloped or the operator cannot continue. Request an explicit allocation for removal and ground reinstatement. Do not assume that the party paying for the installation has agreed to fund its removal.

GOV.UK notes that moving out can involve repair or reinstatement obligations under a commercial lease [S1]. Ask your adviser how those obligations interact with equipment left behind. Include access to the final drawings and maintenance records in your handover discussion.

Which EV charger grants should a tenant check?

The Workplace Charging Scheme applicant guidance explicitly requires property ownership or landlord consent at the sites in an application [S2]. Use that page for the consent condition; its older grant amount should not be used for a current budget. The current OZEV overview lists the workplace grant at up to £500 per socket [S5].

Read the workplace grant guide and confirm detailed eligibility before ordering. Ask your accountant to review who incurs the expenditure and claims any relief. This guide does not establish entitlement to a residential landlord grant for a commercial letting.

What should you do next?

Gather your lease plan, proposed bays and a preliminary works description. Then get matched with an installer that covers your area and have your solicitor review the consent pack.

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