The Renters' Rights Act 2025 and Balcony Solar

What Is the Renters' Rights Act 2025?

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in February 2025 after passing through Parliament during the 2024–25 session. It is the most comprehensive reform of the private rental sector in England since the Housing Act 1988, which established the assured shorthold tenancy (AST) framework that has governed private renting for over 35 years.

The Act was introduced by the Labour government following its 2024 general election manifesto commitment to "put an end to the chaos of the private rental market" and make the sector fairer for tenants. It draws substantially on the earlier Renters' Reform Bill introduced by the previous Conservative government, which did not complete its Parliamentary passage before the 2024 election.

Key provisions include the abolition of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions, the introduction of a Decent Homes Standard for private rented homes, the creation of a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, and new protections around landlord consent for improvements.

The Abolition of Section 21: Why This Matters for Solar

Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 gave landlords the power to evict tenants without giving a reason — the so-called "no-fault" eviction. Renters who complained about conditions, requested improvements, or asserted their rights were at risk of a Section 21 notice in response — a practice known as "retaliatory eviction."

The practical effect was a chilling one: tenants who wanted to install something like balcony solar faced not only the possibility of refusal, but the risk that even asking might provoke the landlord to end the tenancy. This is now gone.

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, landlords can only regain possession through the Section 8 "fault" grounds — rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, and so on. Simply not wanting a tenant who has asked about balcony solar is not a ground for possession.

The practical consequence for balcony solar: renters can request permission without fear that the act of asking will end their tenancy. This is a significant psychological barrier removed.

The Right to Request Improvements

The Act includes provisions governing tenants' ability to request improvements to their rental property. While the specific provisions are primarily framed around decency standards and essential repairs, the broader framework of the Act — combined with existing common law principles — strengthens tenants' position when requesting reasonable improvements.

The Act confirms that landlords cannot unreasonably withhold consent for reasonable improvements requested by tenants. What constitutes "unreasonable" will ultimately be determined by the courts and the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman on a case-by-case basis, but the following factors strongly favour a finding that refusal to permit portable balcony solar is unreasonable:

• •The installation involves no structural changes or permanent fixings
• •The system is entirely portable and removable at the end of the tenancy
• •Solar generation improves the energy efficiency of the property
• •No damage to the property results and no lasting alteration occurs
• •The installation is consistent with the government's own energy policy objectives
• •Germany and other EU countries have established legal frameworks demonstrating the safety and legitimacy of these systems

What Does "Unreasonable Refusal" Actually Mean?

The Act does not define "unreasonable" — this is a question of fact and degree in each case. However, drawing on established landlord and tenant law principles and analogous cases from leasehold law, refusal is more likely to be considered unreasonable when:

Even where a landlord has a legitimate concern, they may be obliged to explore reasonable accommodations (such as approving a lighter-weight system or a freestanding rather than railing-mounted option) rather than simply refusing outright.

Deposit Implications

Portable balcony solar panels are personal property, not fixtures. In law, a fixture is something that has become attached to the property in a way that means it passes with the property on sale or at the end of a lease — like built-in cupboards or plumbing. A portable solar panel on a freestanding mount or railing clip is not a fixture.

This has two important deposit implications:

• •Your landlord cannot retain your deposit on the grounds that you 'left the solar panels behind' — they're your property, not the property's fixtures.
• •If you remove the system cleanly at the end of the tenancy (as you would with any personal property), there is no basis for deposit deductions relating to it.
• •If you accidentally leave the system behind, it remains your property and the landlord should return it rather than claim it as abandoned property — though in practice, take it with you.

The one scenario where deposits could be affected: if your installation (perhaps using adhesive pads, improper fixings, or a poorly executed railing mount) leaves marks or damage on the balcony surfaces. Use proper no-damage mounting hardware and this is not an issue.

The Private Rented Sector Ombudsman

The Act creates a mandatory Private Rented Sector Ombudsman scheme. All private landlords in England are required to register with the scheme. The Ombudsman can investigate complaints from tenants, make redress awards, and issue compliance notices to landlords.

If a landlord unreasonably refuses permission for balcony solar, this could potentially be a matter for the Ombudsman — though balcony solar is unlikely to be a high-priority area in the Ombudsman's early caseload. The more immediate practical tool is the ability to apply to the county court for a declaration that refusal is unreasonable, or to use the cost threat of litigation as negotiating leverage.

As the regulatory framework for balcony solar becomes clearer in 2026, the Ombudsman's approach to refusals will become more settled. For now, the clearest path forward remains persuasion, a well-written request letter, and proposing the most portable and non-structural system available.