Tenure by borough
| Borough | Owned | Social rent | Private rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sefton | 66.6% | 14.4% | 18.2% |
| Wirral | 65.0% | 15.4% | 18.9% |
| St Helens | 64.2% | 19.7% | 15.1% |
| Halton | 60.5% | 24.3% | 14.3% |
| Knowsley | 59.5% | 25.3% | 14.3% |
| Liverpool (comparison) | 46.8% | 26.4% | 26.1% |
| England and Wales | 61.6% | 17.1% | 20.3% |
Owner-occupation is highest in Sefton (66.6%) and lowest in Knowsley (59.5%). Social renting runs the other way, from 14.4% in Sefton to 25.3% in Knowsley, against 17.1% across England and Wales. Private renting is highest in Wirral and Sefton and lowest in Knowsley and Halton.
Social housing
Across the five boroughs, 86,099 households rented from a council or housing association in 2021. Their heating is the landlord's to change. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not cover social housing at all, and the Warm Homes: Local Grant allows it only in limited cases. Social landlords have their own programmes and their own funding for heating and insulation, so a tenant who wants to know what is planned should ask the landlord directly.
This matters for the borough figures. In Knowsley, where a quarter of homes are socially rented, a quarter of homes cannot appear in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics however many heat pumps the landlords fit. That is one reason a low grants-paid figure does not necessarily mean few heat pumps.
Private landlords
A private landlord who owns the property can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme on the same terms as an owner-occupier: an MCS certified installer applies and takes £7,500 off the price. The Warm Homes: Local Grant also covers privately rented homes where the household qualifies and the home is rated EPC D to G. Under the national guidance a landlord contributes nothing towards the first property and 50 per cent on later ones, and the landlord has to agree to the work. In Sefton the council's Retrofit Team handles it; in the other four boroughs, the combined authority.
Private tenants
A tenant cannot apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, because it needs the owner. A tenant can, though, raise it. A landlord may not know that the Warm Homes: Local Grant pays for heat pumps in qualifying rented homes, or that the tenant's household income, benefits or postcode might be what qualifies the home. A short, factual message with a link to the borough's route is the best start.
- Before the work: agree access dates and how hot water will be covered while the system is changed.
- The design: ask to see the heat-loss figures, so you know the home will be warm enough.
- The handover: ask for instructions; heat pumps run best steadily, not in short bursts like a boiler.
- Running costs: ask for the installer's estimate, since you will usually pay the bills.
Landlords with several homes
Private renting accounts for 18.9% of households in Wirral and 18.2% in Sefton. A landlord with several older homes in either borough could check each one's EPC rating and its tenants' likely eligibility before the Warm Homes: Local Grant routes next take applications; the national rule on landlord contributions makes the first property the cheapest to do.
Flats and leaseholds
In a block of flats, the freeholder or management company usually controls the outside walls and roof, so an owner of a leasehold flat, and that owner's tenant, both need the freeholder's agreement for an outdoor unit. Class G also limits a unit on a block of flats to 0.6 cubic metres. The house types page covers flats in more detail.