You can reduce your upfront cost even further by applying for an interest-free loan to match the rebate amount.
Check if you are eligible
Rebate eligibility
As a Victorian rental provider, you could receive a rebate for your rental property if:
- your renters have a combined household taxable income of less than $210,000 per year
- you have not received more than two rebates for a rental property during the current financial year
- value of the property is under $3 million
- property address has not previously received a solar panel (PV) rebate or a solar battery rebate under the Solar Homes Program
- a Solar Homes Program Agreement has been signed by you and your renter(s)
- you received a hot water rebate as an owner-occupier and have rented the same property to a tenant, you can apply for the solar PV rental rebate as a rental provider (2 per financial year still applies)
- you received a solar battery loan as an owner-occupier and have become a rental provider of the same property. You can get a solar PV rental rebate as a rental provider if your solar PV system is older than 10 years.
*If you are participating in the Premium Feed-in Tariff scheme you should consider whether you will be better off if you replace your existing system before the scheme ends on 1 November 2024.
You must use an authorised solar retailer and use only eligible products.
Loan eligibility
To be eligible for an interest-free loan, you will need to provide a satisfactory credit report (dated within the past 12 months).
Process for rental property solar panel (PV) installations
If you think you are eligible, follow the step-by-step process:
- Do some research – read our Solar Panel Buyers Guide
- Talk with an authorised solar retailer
- Select a system using products on our list to meet your energy needs
- Ask for a written quote (your retailer will upload it into the Solar Victoria portal)
- Wait for our email confirming the quote has been uploaded
- Get pre-approval to connect and export to the grid
- Prove you are eligible – upload your paperwork into the portal
- Wait for us to confirm your eligibility and send your QR code
- Install the solar system (within 120 days, or 240 days for home being built)
- Pay the difference to the retailer – the total cost minus the rebate
- Start repaying the interest-free loan, if you opted for one.
Understand rebate requirements
Understand interest-free loans
You can apply for an interest-free loan to meet the cost of installing solar on an investment property. It must be repaid over four years. As the rental provider you are held responsible for the repayments.
There are two options for loan repayments:
- rental provider makes the full monthly loan repayment of $29.16; or
- co-contributions - your renter agrees to contribute up to 50 per cent of the monthly repayment (up to $14.58 each month).
The amount of the repayment must:
- be agreed upfront and noted in the your agreement with your renter
- be paid directly to the rental provider
- continue for the four-year life of the loan or until the renter vacates the property, whichever is earlier.
The renter’s amount cannot be changed after the loan has been established.
You can’t recoup the system installation costs by increasing rent payments or taking funds from a renter’s bond when they vacate the property. New renters also can’t be added to the repayment agreement.
Based on an interest-free loan of $1,400, the percentage of repayments can be requested based on the figures in this table:
| Percentage % | Repayment $ per month | Percentage % | Repayment $ per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | $1.46 | 30% | $8.75 |
| 10% | $2.92 | 35% | $10.21 |
| 15% | $4.38 | 40% | $11.67 |
| 20% | $5.83 | 45% | $13.13 |
| 25% | $7.29 | 50% | $14.58 |
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