Renting house with solar panels

[Guest whitedja]

If you rent a house which has got solar panels installed. Who gets any profits from the electricity that the company buys back from you ?

 

Is it the tenant, because they're the ones using the electricity ?

Or is it the landlord since they're the ones that own the house and got the panels installed and presumably are looking to make money on them ?

 

​thanks

[noworriesmate]

If you rent a house which has got solar panels installed. Who gets any profits from the electricity that the company buys back from you ?

 

Is it the tenant, because they're the ones using the electricity ?

Or is it the landlord since they're the ones that own the house and got the panels installed and presumably are looking to make money on them ?

 

​thanks

 

I would think that would be something for negotiation rather than a standard clause of a lease.

 

NWM

[Northern Mick]

​This is an interesting one. I've got panels installed and have wondered what I would do if I rented my house out. I'm thinking that the fair thing to do would be to still charge the tenants for what power they use. Explain to them how solar works and charge them a certain rate during daylight hours and a different rate when the sun isn't out at night? This all depends what sort of feed in tariff you have etc. It would probably be fair to give them a reduction in price to what they would usually pay. This would all have to be discussed and negotiated.

In my opinion the owner should still benefit from a system that cost a lot of money to install and any tenants shouldn't just have free power. However, my friend has just moved out of a rental and I noticed the house had solar when I was helping him move out. I asked how that all worked as a tenant and he said he just had free power and never paid a cent.

[SWMBO]

I live in a house that the Landlord decided to install solar on. As the bill is in our name we are the ones who get the feed in off our bills.Our Landlord has three houses and all 3 had solar installed together.

[Northern Mick]

I live in a house that the Landlord decided to install solar on. As the bill is in our name we are the ones who get the feed in off our bills.Our Landlord has three houses and all 3 had solar installed together.

 

This is very good of the landlord. I wonder what their reasoning was to install solar on their properties if they aren't getting any benefit? Are they new builds?

[adelaidenow]

​This is an interesting one. I've got panels installed and have wondered what I would do if I rented my house out. I'm thinking that the fair thing to do would be to still charge the tenants for what power they use. Explain to them how solar works and charge them a certain rate during daylight hours and a different rate when the sun isn't out at night? This all depends what sort of feed in tariff you have etc. It would probably be fair to give them a reduction in price to what they would usually pay. This would all have to be discussed and negotiated.

In my opinion the owner should still benefit from a system that cost a lot of money to install and any tenants shouldn't just have free power. However, my friend has just moved out of a rental and I noticed the house had solar when I was helping him move out. I asked how that all worked as a tenant and he said he just had free power and never paid a cent.

 

​Rumour has it, if Nicky Tanner rented off you, you would let him have free electricity.

[Northern Mick]

I'd charge Nicky Tanner double the going rate

[noworriesmate]

Surely the Landlord would be able to get his substantial outlay back by charging a higher rent?? I know I would be prepared to pay more in rent if I knew the electricity came included.

 

​NWM

[Northern Mick]

Surely the Landlord would be able to get his substantial outlay back by charging a higher rent?? I know I would be prepared to pay more in rent if I knew the electricity came included.

 

​NWM

 

This could be the answer. The tenants are paying for electricity up front and the landlord re-coups their money that way. I'm pretty sure landlords will be able to claim some costs back anyway so the initial outlay for solar would be minimal.

[SWMBO]

Surely the Landlord would be able to get his substantial outlay back by charging a higher rent?? I know I would be prepared to pay more in rent if I knew the electricity came included.

 

​NWM

 

Well our rent is the same as before the solar .But it is a $550 per week and a 5 year old house .We have just signed a new lease and the rent has not gone up.

[star123]

we rented a house with solar panels, paid 450 a week inc ALL electricity costs, lived there for 6 months and never paid a bean for any electric used :-) was rather lovely not having the stress of a huge bill every quarter :-)

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

A lot will depend upon the size of the solar installation. I have three 1.5 kw systems installed and they are too small to ever get anything back.

Whatever the size of the solar installation you will always have the advantage that the panels feed and supply your house during daylight hours and you get the advantage of running your home during daylight (depending upon usage) for free. You won't see this on any bill but it's a substantial saving.

 

Tamara

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Surely the landlord gets thnefit in that they have a more attractive property so a) they can charge more rent b) they are more likely to be able to rent out the property with less unoccupied time c) they have a better house for either when they decide to occupy or sell

 

As someone currently looking at renting the few with solar have been very attractive indeed, and have been a case that they pass on the electric saving to the tennant, makes me more inclined to pay more in rent as i know up what my costs are a little more (if that makes sense). I would also rather have a perceived 'nice' landlord, and would probably treat the home that touch more nicely than one belonging to a grabby landlord