5 Tips to Get Your Landlord to Install a Solar Panel System

In a world where environmentalism and sustainability are becoming increasingly important, landlords all over the world are looking for ways to upgrade their rentals in a green manner. If you’re looking to go solar as a renter, there’s not much you can do on your own – you need the approval and support of your landlord. That said, if your landlord has no intention of switching to solar in the near future, don’t worry, there’s plenty you can do to turn them around.

Sure, you could get a portable solar system to supplement your energy use and mitigate some of the costs, but that’s not exactly a comprehensive solution. To make the rental truly green, you need to do more than introduce a few houseplants and a partial solar system – you need to go solar across the board.

To achieve this and get the landlord on your side, use the following tips and tricks.

Start with your own research

First things first, you can’t go into this conversation unprepared. Keep in mind that this is not a simple request, nor is it something that you can just ask your landlord to do – because you will immediately hit a wall. People don’t want to invest into their rentals if they don’t have to, and just like in business, they are far more concerned about what they stand to lose than what they stand to gain in the long term.

So, your landlord is not going to want to do this without some convincing, and the first thing you need to do is to arm yourself with the right information. Educate yourself about solar energy, products and prices, the benefits of going solar and the long-term potential, and more. Go into the details to get as much information as you can, so that you can prepare for any counterargument or question your landlord might have.

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Approach the problem from the landlord’s perspective

If you want to successfully negotiate any business deal, which this essentially is, you have to approach it from the perspective of the other person. Realize one simple truth: no matter how much the landlord likes you and no matter how friendly your relationship is, at the end of the day, they only care about their rental and their profits.

That’s okay, it’s human nature, and you can’t expect them to put your needs ahead of their own. That’s why you need to convince your landlord that you share the same needs. To do this, you have to approach this conversation from their standpoint.

Before you move into stating your case, make sure to acknowledge what a great landlord they are and how you admire their dedication to keeping the rental as functional for the modern tenant as possible. Emphasize how you want the rental to do good in the modern market, and move into the importance of progress and change.

Tell them how the world is changing and how solar might be the way to secure the success of their rental in the years to come. Don’t, under any circumstance, talk about what you want or need. This is about them and their rental.

Lay the solutions out for them

This kind of proposal can be so overwhelming that your landlord will be tempted to shoot it down almost immediately. If you don’t have a set of viable options prepared to counter any attempt to refuse your proposal, well, you’re going to strike out.

The landlord needs to see that they have solutions ready right then and there to even consider the offer. That’s why it’s important to compile options and products. They also need to have payment options so that they know that they can take on such an investment.

You can get them to listen to you by showing them how to find good deals and shop iinergy & pay later with Humm to find the best solar systems and work out a payment plan that works for their budget. Look for these types of platforms which offer sensible deals that won’t deter your landlord, but actually make them think that this is a worthwhile investment.

Remind them of what they stand to lose

Speaking of worthwhile investments, don’t underestimate the power of negative persuasion. Remember, people hate to lose much more than they love to gain, so you need to scare your landlord just a little bit to make them see reason.

Saving money and having the ability to negotiate the rent with future tenants is great and all, but preventing financial loss and stifling rental depreciation is even better. Make them see what they stand to lose by not investing in solar now that it’s affordable and efficient.

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Emphasize the immediate and long-term benefits

Leave the best for last. Refrain from laying out all the benefits in front of them right away, instead, go through the steps we outlined above, and seal the deal with the prospect of a better, more affluent future for your landlord.

Now’s the time to start talking about how much money they’ll be able to save, how they can use solar to cut costs, and how one day, when you’re gone, they’ll be able to raise the value of the property. Of course, you won’t have to worry because your lease agreement will protect you from unexpected rent increases.

Wrapping up

Notice how we didn’t say that you should talk with your landlord about the melting polar ice caps, preservation, or conservation. These might matter to you, but to a person who is trying to feed their family and maximize their financial gains, these are secondary issues.

If you want to get your landlord to install a home solar system in your rental, be sure to focus on the tips we outlined today, and approach this problem like you were trying to broker a business deal. Because in the end, you and your landlord are in business together.