The Cheaper Home Batteries Program has no income test and no ownership test in the sense of “owner-occupiers only”, but the practicalities push renters out. A battery is permanently installed, wired into the switchboard and must be left in place for years. A tenant does not control the property.
Can tenants install a home battery in a rental
Only with the landlord’s written permission, and often property manager sign-off too. Lease terms generally forbid alterations to the electrical system without consent. Without it, the installer cannot responsibly proceed, and the installer’s own insurance and electrical-safety obligations still apply.
Who gets the STCs
STCs are created in respect of the system, and the person entitled is the owner at the time of installation, usually the person who paid for it and holds the property rights. If a landlord pays, the landlord is the owner and signs the assignment form; see the STC assignment form. If a tenant pays and the landlord agrees the tenant owns the battery, the lease or a side agreement must say so, and the installer needs the ownership recorded correctly.
The lock-in problem
At the time of writing the regulator expects a battery to remain installed at the premises until after 2030 or the end of its warranty, whichever is later. A tenant who moves out in 12 months cannot take the battery with them without putting that at risk. That is a strong reason for the landlord, not the tenant, to be the claimant. Check the CER battery page for the current wording.
What a tenant can do
- Ask the landlord whether they would install a battery, using the battery STC calculator to show the discount.
- If the property has no solar, remember the program works with new or existing solar, so a combined install may be an option.
- Offer something in return: a lease extension, or a shared saving on bills.
What this means for installers
Do not accept a tenant’s word that they are the owner. Ask for evidence: landlord consent, ownership documents or a signed assignment from the correct party. Include that in the file before you lodge. The battery submission guide explains the documents, and who gets battery STCs explains ownership.
What this means for renters
Your best route is a landlord who sees value: an added feature for the property, lower outgoings if the lease allows, and a discount that is the same whether or not they live there. Landlords can read claiming the rebate on a rental property.
For the program overview see battery STCs. Installers can see rates on pricing or start trading.