selling

Selling a house with solar panels: ownership, Feed-in Tariff, leases and paperwork

Selling a house with solar panels: who owns them, how the Feed-in Tariff passes to a buyer, what to do if they are leased, and the paperwork to gather.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 8

Start with who owns the panels

General information, not advice. How you handle a sale depends on the arrangement. The table below sets out the three common ones. Details are from Ofgem and the MCS Certified consumer site, which we read on 4 November 2026. Your contract with the buyer decides what is included, so check the wording with your conveyancer.

Arrangement	Who owns the panels	What transfers on sale	Documents to gather
Owned, registered for the Feed-in Tariff (FIT)	You (the FIT generator)	The new owner takes over as generator by contacting the FIT licensee; for some installations Ofgem must also be told	Licensee details, FIT paperwork, meter readings, proof of ownership
Owned, no FIT	You	The panels normally stay with the house as part of the property	Installation certificates and any warranty you hold, plus any SEG contract
Third-party owned ("rent-a-roof" or leased)	A company, under a signed agreement such as a lease	Depends on the agreement; Ofgem says such installations can be sold between companies	The full agreement, payment terms, and contact details of the owner

Part 2 of 8

Feed-in Tariff: what happens when you sell

The Feed-in Tariff scheme closed to new applicants from 1 April 2019. Ofgem says generators receive support for 10 to 25 years, depending on the technology, capacity and commissioning date, so an existing installation may still be paid. If you sell a home with a FIT installation, Ofgem describes the buyer's steps:

MCS-FIT installations: the new owner contacts the FIT licensee the installation is registered with, and the licensee updates the generator details on the Central FIT Register.
ROO-FIT installations: the new owner emails Ofgem to update the installation's entry on the Renewable Electricity Register, returns a transfer request form with supporting documents, and then tells the FIT licensee.

Ofgem says unresolved change of ownership requests can be referred to the Energy Ombudsman after eight weeks. Because the buyer must be able to show ownership, gather your licensee's name, your account details and the installation paperwork before you list.

Part 3 of 8

The Smart Export scheme (SEG)

The Smart Export scheme (SEG) launched on 1 January 2020. Ofgem says it requires some electricity suppliers, called SEG licensees, to pay small-scale generators for low-carbon electricity they export to the grid. The licensee sets the rate, contract length and other terms, and the rate must be above zero. Ofgem's SEG page says nothing about moving house, so check your supplier's own terms for what happens when you leave. Tell them the date you sell.

Part 4 of 8

If the panels are leased or owned by a company

Ofgem says solar installations are often owned by a company under a "rent-a-roof" arrangement, usually backed by a signed agreement such as a lease. It also says these installations may be sold between companies and the change of ownership may not be communicated to the homeowner. That makes the paperwork important. A buyer's conveyancer is likely to ask to see the agreement, so find it, and ask your conveyancer to read it early. Do not assume that you can end it or hand it over without the owner's consent. We have not seen a source that sets a standard rule, so rely on what your own agreement says.

Part 5 of 8

What buyers usually ask for

We have no data on how often each item is asked for, but these are sensible to have ready:

Who owns the panels, with the agreement if they are leased.
The installation date and installer details.
Any certificates you hold. MCS says MCS certification is a requirement for accessing many UK government incentives, so if your installation was certified, keep that certificate.
Warranty paperwork for the panels and inverter, if any.
Your FIT or SEG supplier and contract.
Recent meter readings and generation records.

List the panels on the fittings paperwork. Our fixtures, fittings and contents guide explains how to record what stays.

Part 6 of 8

Does solar change the EPC?

An energy performance certificate (EPC) is a snapshot on the day of the assessment, and GOV.UK says an EPC is valid for 10 years. If you added panels after your last assessment, the certificate may not show them. We have not read a source on how panels change a rating, so we make no claim. See our guide to finding an EPC and our EPC finder.

Part 7 of 8

Do panels add value?

We make no claim about value. We found no named study to cite, and the effect on price depends on the home, the system and the buyer. A sold-price comparison for similar homes nearby is a better guide, using our free house value check.

Part 8 of 8

If you are selling under pressure

If you are selling because of money difficulty, speak to free advice first, such as Citizens Advice on mortgage problems, before choosing any commercial route.

This page is general information, not advice.

Our take

Settle who owns the panels before you list

The first question is ownership. Panels you own normally stay with the house, but leased or third-party panels depend on the agreement, so read it early. Feed-in Tariff details must be updated when the house changes hands. We think having the paperwork ready saves delay.

Then price the house on evidence. Our free house valuation gives an honest value range from real HM Land Registry sold prices in your postcode, with the comparable sales and the working shown, and our EPC finder helps you check the certificate a buyer will see.

Check my value

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

Do solar panels stay with the house when you sell?

Panels you own normally stay with the property, and your contract with the buyer decides what is included. Leased or third-party owned panels depend on the agreement, so read it with your conveyancer before you list.

What if the panels are leased?

Ofgem says rent-a-roof installations are typically backed by a signed agreement such as a lease and can be sold between companies. The agreement decides what a buyer takes on, so read it early and ask your conveyancer.

What paperwork do buyers ask for?

Proof of ownership or the lease, installation date, any certificates, warranty paperwork, your FIT or SEG supplier details and generation records. MCS says MCS certification is a requirement for accessing many government incentives.

What happens to the Feed-in Tariff when I sell?

Ofgem says that for MCS-FIT installations the new owner contacts the FIT licensee, who updates the Central FIT Register. For ROO-FIT installations the new owner emails Ofgem and returns a transfer form, then tells the licensee.

Do panels change the EPC?

An EPC is valid for 10 years and records the home on the day of assessment, so panels added later may not appear. We have not read a source on how panels change a rating, so we make no claim.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.