Funding an improvement to a rented home starts with identifying the right scheme for the property and its occupants. A grant available to one household is not automatically available to every landlord or every home in a portfolio.
This guide updates an older archive article using official information checked on 8 November 2026. It focuses on two energy-improvement routes, rather than carrying forward a list of schemes and conditions from 2023.
Warm Homes: Local Grant in England
The government’s application page says this scheme can support privately owned homes, including rented homes, with an Energy Performance Certificate rating from D to G. Household income is usually £36,000 a year or less, although particular postcode areas or benefits can provide another route to eligibility.
Support depends on the local council having funding. The council arranges a survey and agrees appropriate work, potentially including insulation, heating controls, heat pumps or solar panels. The resident does not pay for agreed improvements under the scheme, but a landlord may need to contribute.
Landlords should therefore discuss the process with their tenant and council before assuming an installation will be wholly funded. A headline description of free improvements does not settle the owner’s contribution or the measures suitable for a particular building.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales
Owners of rented properties can qualify for this separate scheme, subject to its property and heating-system requirements. Current government guidance lists £7,500 towards an air-source or ground-source heat pump, £5,000 towards a biomass boiler and £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump. Biomass installations have additional restrictions, including rural and off-gas-grid conditions.
The current guidance also lists an additional £1,500, available until March 2027, for qualifying air-source or ground-source installations where the existing heating is oil or LPG and the property has no mains gas connection. Check those conditions with the installer rather than assuming every off-grid home qualifies.
An MCS-certified installer checks eligibility, provides a quote and applies on the owner’s behalf. The grant is deducted from the installation price. Most new builds and social housing are excluded, and previous public support for a heat pump or biomass boiler can affect eligibility.
Make the funding decision before committing
Ask for the proposed work, grant contribution and remaining cost in writing. Discuss installation access and disruption with the resident. Keep the eligibility confirmation alongside the quotation, and check whether any other funding affects the application.
These schemes have different geographical coverage and are not a universal UK grant offer. Use the official links below for the current rules and application routes.
Sources checked 8 November 2026: https://www.gov.uk/apply-warm-homes-local-grant https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme/what-you-can-get https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme/check-if-youre-eligible https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme/how-to-apply