Renting
Free loft insulation for tenants and landlords
For private tenants living in a cold home, and for landlords who want to know what their tenants can apply for. Renting changes three things: the EPC bands that qualify, whose permission is needed, and whose circumstances count.
Which route fits your home? A one-minute check
Five questions, no contact details. The result shows the routes your answers point to; the scheme, council or supplier makes the real decision.
Your indicative result
Indicative only, based on the published rules we read on 29 September 2026. Nothing is sent anywhere. Check your EPC band on the GOV.UK register before you apply.
What changes when you rent
| Owner-occupier | Private tenant | Social tenant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECO4 EPC bands | D, E, F or G | E, F or G | E, F or G |
| Who applies | You | You, with the owner’s permission | The landlord or housing association |
| Whose benefit or income counts | Your household’s | Your household’s | Landlord-led programme |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant (England) | EPC D to G | EPC D to G, landlord rules apply | Not the route |
The EPC point catches people out. A privately rented home rated band D is inside ECO4 for an owner, but outside it for a tenant. Look the property up on GOV.UK’s energy certificate register before you ask anyone for anything. Let homes normally have a certificate, so start there.
For tenants: how to go about it
1. Check the home. Find the EPC band on the GOV.UK register. For ECO4 you need E, F or G. Then look in the loft if you can: a bare loft or a thin layer of 100mm or less is what the schemes are built for.
2. Check yourself. For the ECO4 benefits route, someone in your household needs a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit, Child Benefit, Housing Benefit or Pension Credit. If you are not on benefits, your council may refer you through LA Flex, for example if household income is under £31,000.
3. Ask the landlord in writing. Explain what the scheme is, that the work is funded through it if you qualify, that an assessor will need access, and that you need their written permission. Offer to send the installer’s details and this page. Most landlords have every reason to agree: the property is improved and the EPC may rise.
4. Let the installer or council take it from there. An assessor visits, the scheme decides what it will fund, and before any ECO4 loft work the installer and the occupier or landlord sign a pre-existing loft declaration.
For landlords: what is in it for you
A tenant-funded loft is one of the few improvements to a rental property that can cost you nothing. The tenant’s circumstances qualify the home; you give consent and access. You end up with a warmer property that is easier to let and, in many cases, a better energy rating, because loft insulation is one of the measures an EPC assessment recognises.
Be clear about what you are agreeing to. ECO4 is fabric-first and whole-house, so an assessor may recommend more than the loft. You can consent to some measures and not others. Ofgem notes that some ECO4 households are asked to contribute, so agree in writing who pays for anything the scheme does not.
Not a real tenancy. A family rents a 1930s semi rated EPC E. One parent claims Child Benefit and the loft has about 50mm of old insulation. They meet ECO4’s benefit, EPC and loft gates as tenants. The landlord signs a one-page consent, the assessor visits, and the loft is insulated to about 270mm. On Energy Saving Trust figures, the household keeps a saving of about £190 a year; the landlord pays nothing and has a better-insulated house.
Landlords paying themselves
If your tenants do not qualify, the job is still cheap relative to most property work. The Energy Saving Trust puts a bare semi-detached loft at about £750 in Great Britain, and installed insulation carries 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Loft insulation is usually the first improvement an assessor looks at on a poorly rated home. See the cost guide for every house type and our note on choosing an installer.
Common problems in rented homes
- Stored belongings in the loft. Agree before the visit who clears it: the landlord’s items are the landlord’s to move.
- Damp. If there is a leak or damp in the loft, it must be fixed first, and that is the landlord’s responsibility. Insulation over damp makes things worse.
- Blocked ventilation. A colder loft needs air at the eaves. Our ventilation guide explains what a good job leaves behind.
Before you decide
My landlord will not reply. Can I go ahead anyway?
No. GOV.UK says private tenants must have the owner's permission to do the work. Put the request in writing, explain it costs the landlord nothing if you qualify, and point them to this page. If they still refuse, your council's private housing team can advise on your options.
Will my rent go up because the property has been improved?
The schemes do not set rents. Any rent change follows your tenancy agreement and the normal rules. It is fair to raise this with the landlord before agreeing to the work.
As a landlord, can I use the schemes for all my properties?
ECO4 eligibility follows the tenant's benefit or income and each property's EPC band, so it is property by property. The Warm Homes: Local Grant has its own landlord rules; ask the council delivering it.
Questions people ask
Can private tenants get free loft insulation?
Yes. Under ECO4 a private tenant on a qualifying benefit, or referred through LA Flex, can get loft insulation if the home is rated EPC E, F or G and the landlord gives permission.
Can council tenants get free loft insulation?
Council and housing association tenants do not apply for ECO4 loft insulation themselves. ECO4 can fund social homes rated E, F or G, but the landlord decides and arranges it, so ask them.
Do landlords have to pay anything?
If the tenant qualifies, the work is funded through the scheme. Ofgem notes that ECO4 households are sometimes asked to contribute, so any contribution should be agreed in writing before work starts.
Which EPC rating does a rented home need?
E, F or G for ECO4. England's Warm Homes: Local Grant covers privately owned homes rated D to G, including privately rented homes, where the council takes part.
Sources we checked
- GOV.UK, Help from your energy supplier: the Energy Company Obligation — read 29 September 2026
- Ofgem, ECO: homeowners and tenants — read 29 September 2026
- Ofgem, ECO4 and GBIS Flex Local Authority Guidance v3.0 (27 March 2026) — read 29 September 2026
- GOV.UK, Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant to improve a home — read 29 September 2026
- DESNZ, Warm Homes: Local Grant policy guidance (June 2026 update) — read 28 September 2026
- Energy Saving Trust, Roof and loft insulation (last updated 8 May 2026) — read 29 September 2026
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