Solar on a house rental

[Erwin Manlapaz]

Noob landlord in need of help.... Thinking about putting installing solar on a house I'm getting ready to rent in the San Diego area and was wondering, does it lower the vacancy time in-between tenants? Does it make the property more attractive to prospective renters and if so, how do I structure the lease agreement? Should I buy or lease the solar array? Any help would be provided

[Justin R.]

I don't have any solar panels on any of our rentals, but I'll say "No" to all your questions.  In the best case, it's one more thing to potentially go wrong that you'll have to deal with.  In the worst case, you end up needing to read submeters and bill your tenant(s) for use.

I've never had a vacancy where solar would make any difference whatsoever and I've never met a prospective tenant that has looked for or asked for it.  OTOH, I've met plenty of tenants who comment about the rent rate, paint, countertops, faucets, and lighting.