Boiler Upgrade Scheme for Landlords: 2026 Guide

The temporary £9,000 rate applies where the property has no mains gas connection and the heating being replaced is oil or LPG. It runs from 21 July 2026 until 31 March 2027 under the current rules.

Landlords with suitable rural or off-gas properties should therefore check eligibility and timing before starting work.

Can landlords get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?

Yes. The official GOV.UK eligibility guidance expressly states that an eligible owner can include someone who owns a property rented out to tenants.

The property must be in England or Wales. BUS does not operate in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The installation normally needs to replace qualifying existing heating. Ofgem’s rules cover fossil-fuel systems such as gas, oil and LPG, plus eligible electric heating other than an existing heat pump. A fossil-fuel boiler cannot normally be retained as part of a BUS-funded hybrid heat-pump system.

Landlords wanting the detailed property tests can also see the Boiler Upgrade Scheme requirements guide.

Which rental properties are excluded?

Social housing is excluded from BUS. Most new-build properties are also excluded, although limited self-build exceptions exist. Properties that have already received government support towards the same heat pump or biomass installation can also be ineligible.

This distinction matters. A privately rented house owned by an individual landlord can qualify, while a property classed as social housing does not qualify simply because it also has tenants.

Do landlords need an EPC for BUS in 2026?

Not necessarily. This is one area where older online information can now be misleading.

For applications properly made from 28 April 2026, a valid EPC is no longer a standing BUS eligibility requirement. If a property already has a valid EPC, the installer supplies its reference number. Without one, Ofgem allows alternative evidence, potentially including recent utility or fuel information, photographs of the existing heating system and an expired EPC where available.

This does not remove separate EPC responsibilities that apply to rented homes.

Private rented properties remain subject to separate Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. The government’s 2026 policy decision also sets a higher EPC C or equivalent standard for private rented homes from 1 October 2030, subject to the detailed implementation framework.

BUS eligibility and rental-sector EPC compliance are therefore separate questions.

Must landlords install insulation first?

There is no general BUS requirement to install loft or cavity-wall insulation before receiving the grant. Energy Saving Trust confirms that insulation is not a condition of BUS eligibility.

However, that does not mean insulation is irrelevant. Reducing heat loss can improve comfort and help a heat pump operate effectively. An installer may also recommend changes to radiators, controls or other parts of the heating system.

For landlords, the useful figure is therefore the complete installed cost after BUS, rather than the heat-pump price alone.

Can portfolio landlords claim more than one BUS grant?

GOV.UK states that there is one grant per property. The limit is framed per property rather than per property owner.

Consequently, a portfolio landlord may potentially obtain separate grants for separate qualifying rental properties. Each address needs its own installation, application and eligibility assessment.

That does not mean the same heating solution should be repeated across an entire portfolio. A small flat, Victorian terrace and rural detached property can have very different heat loss, space, hot-water and heating requirements.

Can limited-company landlords qualify?

Potentially, yes.

Ofgem’s 2026 guidance specifically covers properties owned by organisations, including companies, charities and trusts. An individual legally authorised to represent the organisation — such as a director or trustee — provides consent on its behalf.

Another important rule concerns ownership of the heating system. The property owner must become the legal owner of the installed heat pump or biomass boiler. Arrangements under which an installer or finance provider keeps legal ownership of the equipment are not currently eligible for BUS.

That point deserves checking before a company landlord signs a lease-style or third-party-ownership finance agreement.

What must landlords do about tenants?

Ofgem requires a landlord to confirm that the tenant has been informed about the installation.

That is important because moving from a boiler to a heat pump can affect heating controls, hot-water arrangements, radiator sizes and access while work takes place.

Landlords should explain what is changing, when the work will happen and how the completed heating system will operate. Any separate leasehold, planning or property permissions should also be checked where relevant.

How do Boiler Upgrade Scheme landlords apply?

BUS is deliberately installer-led rather than requiring the landlord to complete a government grant application themselves.

1. Find an MCS-certified installer. BUS installations must use an eligible MCS-certified installer. You can also use the MCS installer search.
2. Arrange a property survey and compare quotations. Ofgem encourages owners to obtain more than one quote.
3. Agree an itemised quotation showing the BUS deduction. The full grant must appear as an upfront discount.
4. Your installer applies to Ofgem. You provide accurate property and ownership information.
5. Confirm your consent. Ofgem contacts you directly. Online consent normally needs to be given within 14 days.
6. Complete the work within the voucher period. Current Ofgem guidance allows three months for air-to-water, air-to-air and biomass vouchers and six months for ground-source heat pumps.

For a deeper walkthrough, see the Boiler Upgrade Scheme application guide.

After commissioning, the installer redeems the voucher. Ofgem pays the installer rather than sending the grant money to the landlord. The owner receives the benefit through the discounted quotation and invoice.

Is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme worth it for landlords?

For a suitable rental property, BUS can materially reduce the capital cost of moving away from fossil-fuel heating.

Energy Saving Trust currently puts a typical air-source heat-pump installation at around £12,000 before grants, although property size, radiator changes, cylinders, electrics and installation complexity can alter the figure substantially.

A £7,500 grant can therefore transform the upfront calculation. Nevertheless, landlords should not assume that installing a heat pump automatically cuts a tenant’s bills.

Running costs depend on heat demand, system efficiency, controls and electricity tariffs. Energy Saving Trust notes that on standard electricity tariffs a heat pump can sometimes cost slightly more to operate than a new gas or oil boiler, while suitable time-of-use tariffs can improve the result considerably.

For more detail, compare an air source heat pump with a gas boiler and review current air source heat pump running-cost factors.

Could BUS also help with future landlord EPC requirements?

Potentially, but a heat pump should not be treated as an automatic route to compliance.

The government’s final 2026 policy position for future private-rented-sector standards uses a fabric-performance metric first, followed by either a heating-system or smart-readiness metric. A heat pump could therefore contribute towards the heating side of a landlord’s strategy, but the whole property still matters.

The policy also explicitly excludes Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding from the proposed £10,000 landlord cost-cap calculation. Landlords planning specifically around the 2030 rules should check the final legislation and guidance before committing expenditure.

How long will the Boiler Upgrade Scheme continue?

The government’s Warm Homes Plan allocates approximately £2.7 billion to BUS through 2029/30, with annual funding increasing over the period.

That gives landlords more planning certainty than the scheme originally provided. However, future funding does not guarantee that every current grant value or eligibility rule will remain unchanged.

The temporary £9,000 off-gas uplift is a good example: under current rules, that particular rate ends on 31 March 2027.