Landlords looking at EV charging provision have a new set of dates and rules to work with from today. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles has changed its chargepoint grant schemes from 1 April 2026, and the update is more than a simple funding refresh. Grant rates have changed, some schemes have closed, and parts of the application process have moved to a new platform.
That makes this a practical admin story for landlords rather than a general green-transport headline. If a chargepoint project is already being planned for a rented block, a mixed site or a wider portfolio, the exact scheme and timing now matter more than they did a week ago.
What has changed from 1 April
According to the government’s updated guidance, the residential landlord chargepoint grant remains available until 31 March 2027 and the maximum grant rate has increased from £350 to £500 per socket. Eligible landlords can apply for up to 200 sockets across their sites.
The wider grants page also now shows that the landlord scheme sits within a simplified portfolio running through to March 2027. At the same time, three schemes closed to new customer applications on 31 March 2026: the staff and fleets grant, the commercial landlord chargepoint grant, and the residential landlord infrastructure grant.
That distinction matters. Some landlords will still have a live route for direct chargepoint support, but landlords or managers who were relying on one of the closing schemes should not assume the old structure is still in place.
Why the process change matters as much as the money
One of the more practical changes is that the flats and renters grant and the residential landlord chargepoint grant have moved to a new customer application platform. The previous portal closed to customer applications on 31 March 2026.
For landlords, that creates a few immediate process points. If you applied before 1 April for the residential landlord chargepoint grant but the chargepoint has not yet been installed, the new guidance says you can register on the new platform and re-apply for the higher £500 rate. The old application would then be cancelled and the new one assessed. If the installation has already happened, that higher-rate reapplication route is not available.
The transition also comes with deadlines for older cases. If a landlord keeps an older application rather than reapplying, installers can still claim on the current portal up to 26 May 2026, but after that the application expires. Installers who submitted claims on the current portal may have until 6 July 2026 to provide further evidence if asked.
Other details landlords may not want to miss
The updated guidance says installers must now include specific photographic evidence with claims for the flats and renters and landlord chargepoint grants. That includes close-up photos of the installed unit, a view showing the model and serial number, a photo of the associated parking space, and a wider view of the building or area where the chargepoint has been installed.
The accompanying OZEV terms and conditions also repeat a point that is easy to overlook: applicants must not install a chargepoint before applying for a grant or before they are notified that they are eligible. The installation must be carried out by an authorised installer, and the chargepoint model must be eligible under the scheme. Missing those basics can invalidate the grant.
There is also an operational change for installers. The new platform does not provide a portal where they can check claim status, so email notifications matter more. Landlords managing work across several properties may want to make sure responsibility for tracking those messages is clear rather than assuming the installer will simply “sort the grant side”.
What may be worth checking now
First, confirm which grant route actually fits the property and whether it is still open. Some landlords may have old notes or bookmarked pages referring to schemes that closed yesterday.
Second, check whether any in-flight application should be left alone or replaced with a new one. The higher grant rate may be attractive, but the official guidance is specific about when reapplication is possible and what happens to the old application.
Third, make sure timing is realistic. The government says assessments on the new platform may initially take up to 10 working days, and customers must not go ahead with installation until they have been told they are eligible. For landlords trying to line up works during a void or coordinate access at a tenanted property, that timing may matter.
Finally, it may be worth viewing this alongside wider property-upgrade planning. Our earlier piece on Warm Homes changes looked at the broader pressure around energy performance and improvements in rented homes. EV charging is a different issue, but it still sits within the wider question of what amenities, infrastructure and standards tenants may increasingly expect.
A practical takeaway
The 1 April changes do not mean every landlord suddenly needs an EV chargepoint project. But for landlords already considering one, this is a real rules-and-deadlines update, not background noise. The headline increase to £500 per socket is useful, but the bigger practical point is to check the right scheme, the new application route, the closure of older schemes, and the evidence and timing rules before work starts.
This article is informational only and does not amount to legal, tax, financial or investment advice. Landlords should check the official scheme guidance and terms for their own circumstances, and take professional advice where needed.
