Tenure by council
| Council | Owned | Social rent | Private rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackpool | 57.5% | 10.3% | 31.7% |
| Burnley | 59.8% | 15.6% | 24.3% |
| Hyndburn | 63.1% | 13.5% | 23.1% |
| Pendle | 65.0% | 11.8% | 23.0% |
| Preston | 58.3% | 18.4% | 22.4% |
| Lancaster | 67.1% | 10.3% | 21.7% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 60.5% | 18.8% | 20.2% |
| Fylde | 71.6% | 8.3% | 19.2% |
| Wyre | 73.4% | 7.6% | 18.2% |
| Rossendale | 67.9% | 14.8% | 17.0% |
| Ribble Valley | 75.5% | 8.0% | 15.0% |
| Chorley | 72.1% | 13.2% | 13.9% |
| West Lancashire | 70.7% | 14.3% | 13.9% |
| South Ribble | 76.0% | 10.4% | 12.8% |
| England and Wales | 61.6% | 17.1% | 20.3% |
Private renting is highest in the towns: Blackpool (31.7%), Burnley (24.3%) and Hyndburn (23.1%) lead. Social renting is highest in Blackburn with Darwen and Preston. Ownership peaks in South Ribble (76.0%) and Ribble Valley, where suburban and rural owner-occupation dominates.
Private landlords
A private landlord who owns the property can apply through an installer for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme on the same terms as an owner-occupier. The installer claims the grant and takes it off the price. For an oil- or LPG-heated rental with no mains gas, the higher £9,000 band applies to applications properly made by 31 March 2027.
Cosy Homes in Lancashire, the Warm Homes: Local Grant route for 13 of the 14 councils, also covers privately rented homes where the tenant's household meets the income conditions and the home is rated D to G. The landlord has to agree. Under the national guidance a landlord contributes nothing towards the first property and 50 per cent on later ones; CHiL's own page says landlords usually contribute 50 per cent, so check its terms when forms reopen. Its 2026/27 funding is fully committed; forms are planned for March 2027.
A landlord weighing a heat pump will look at the tenant's running costs, the property's energy rating, the disruption of the work and the effect on future lettings. A home that is warmer and cheaper to heat is easier to let, but the case depends on the house and the design.
Social housing
Homes let by councils and housing associations are excluded from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Social landlords have their own funding routes and their own programmes for heating and insulation. A social tenant who wants to know what is planned for their home should ask the landlord directly; it is not something a tenant can arrange.
Tenants
A tenant cannot apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, because the scheme needs the property owner. What a tenant can do is ask. A landlord may not know the grant exists, or that oil and LPG homes can get the higher band until 31 March 2027. If your household is on a lower income and your home is poorly rated, Cosy Homes in Lancashire may cover it when forms reopen, with your landlord's agreement.
- Ask about timing: work in an occupied home takes a few days; agree access and how hot water will be covered.
- Ask for the design: the heat-loss figures and radiator sizes show whether the home will be warm enough.
- Ask for a handover: heat pumps run best steadily, and the controls are different from a boiler's.
- Ask about costs: the installer's estimate of running costs, based on the design.
Houses in multiple occupation and flats
Purpose-built flats make up a larger share of homes in Preston (14.0%), Fylde (13.9%), Blackpool (13.5%) than elsewhere in the county, and converted flats and shared houses add to them. In a converted building, the owner of the building and each flat's owner may both need to agree, and the 0.6 cubic metre limit for a block of flats under Class G can apply. Air-to-air systems are sometimes considered for small flats, but they are not covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Where renting matters most
In councils where many households rent, the pace of change depends on landlords. That may be one reason the grants-paid figures are lower in some towns; the grants paid page sets the figures side by side.