Landlords could soon be able to apply for a 75 per grant towards the cost of installing a car charging point in their rented properties.

The chargepoint grant will replace the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme and will provide landlords across the whole of the UK with up to £350, if they also own the areas where the cars are parked.

Before they can be grant eligible however, landlords must be either VAT registered or registered at Companies House.

Sales of electric vehicles increased by 186 per cent in 2020 and Propertymark, the UK’s leading compliance body for property professionals welcomes the new initiative from the UK Government.

“The announcement of chargepoint grants for landlords is welcomed,” said Timothy Douglas, head of Policy and Campaign at Propertymark. 

“Due to the size of the private rented sector and the substantial role it will play in a greener future, we hope that in time, the scope of eligible landlords can be widened to meet the changing needs of tenants and help towards our Net Zero targets.”

A related scheme enables tenants to apply for a similar grant on their own behalf. However, where landlords do not meet the registration requirements, tenants can apply themselves for a grant to have a charging point installed.

The UK Government previously announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. With the lack of charging infrastructure being one of the key things thought to be holding back sales of electric vehicles (EVs), landlords can now apply for grants to install EV charging points at their properties, both residential and commercial.

There are several conditions which must be met to be eligible for a grant which are being administered by DVLA on behalf of the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, and are claimed using a manual process initially, with a digital service expected in the Summer of 2022.