--- title: "Buying a house with solar: checks before you sign" description: Buying a home with solar? The documents to ask for, how to check it's owned not rented, and when to get an audit before transfer. image: https://cleanvolts.co.za/hubfs/buying-a-house-with-solar-featured.png --- [Skip to content](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/buying-a-house-with-solar#main-content) [![CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/clean%20volts%20logo-2.png?width=1200&height=336&name=clean%20volts%20logo-2.png)Homepage](https://cleanvolts.co.za/) - Get Solar - [Home Solar Installation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/new-installations) - [Business & Commercial Solar](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-for-business) - [Farm Solar](https://cleanvolts.co.za/farm-solar) - [Solar vs Diesel](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-vs-diesel) - [FoxESS Installation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/foxess-installation) - [Free Quote Review](https://cleanvolts.co.za/quote-review) - [Get a Solar Quote](https://cleanvolts.co.za/get-a-quote) - Existing Solar - [Solar Health Check](https://cleanvolts.co.za/health-check) - [Full Solar System Audit](https://cleanvolts.co.za/audit) - [Solar Compliance (CoC & SSEG)](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-compliance) - [Remediation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/remediation) - [Service Plans & Monitoring](https://cleanvolts.co.za/service-plans) - [Solar Panel Cleaning](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-panel-cleaning) - [Tariff Re-Optimisation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/tariff-optimisation) - [Guides](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides) - [Checklist](https://cleanvolts.co.za/checklist) - About - [About CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/about) - [Areas We Serve](https://cleanvolts.co.za/areas) - [CleanVolts Approved](https://cleanvolts.co.za/cleanvolts-approved) - [FAQ](https://cleanvolts.co.za/faq) - Partners - [Estate Agents & Conveyancers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/estate-agents) - [Insurance Brokers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/insurance-brokers) - [Join Our Network](https://cleanvolts.co.za/join-our-network) [Get A Quote](https://cleanvolts.co.za/get-a-quote) - Get Solar - [Home Solar Installation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/new-installations) - [Business & Commercial Solar](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-for-business) - [Farm Solar](https://cleanvolts.co.za/farm-solar) - [Solar vs Diesel](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-vs-diesel) - [FoxESS Installation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/foxess-installation) - [Free Quote Review](https://cleanvolts.co.za/quote-review) - [Get a Solar Quote](https://cleanvolts.co.za/get-a-quote) - Existing Solar - [Solar Health Check](https://cleanvolts.co.za/health-check) - [Full Solar System Audit](https://cleanvolts.co.za/audit) - [Solar Compliance (CoC & SSEG)](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-compliance) - [Remediation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/remediation) - [Service Plans & Monitoring](https://cleanvolts.co.za/service-plans) - [Solar Panel Cleaning](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-panel-cleaning) - [Tariff Re-Optimisation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/tariff-optimisation) - [Guides](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides) - [Checklist](https://cleanvolts.co.za/checklist) - About - [About CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/about) - [Areas We Serve](https://cleanvolts.co.za/areas) - [CleanVolts Approved](https://cleanvolts.co.za/cleanvolts-approved) - [FAQ](https://cleanvolts.co.za/faq) - Partners - [Estate Agents & Conveyancers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/estate-agents) - [Insurance Brokers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/insurance-brokers) - [Join Our Network](https://cleanvolts.co.za/join-our-network) [Get A Quote](https://cleanvolts.co.za/get-a-quote) ![Couple looking at solar panels on the roof of a Johannesburg face-brick house they are viewing](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/buying-a-house-with-solar-featured.png?width=1200&height=630&name=buying-a-house-with-solar-featured.png) # Buying a house with solar: checks before you sign ![Tony Lopes](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/clean%20volts%20launch%20post.png?width=48&height=48&name=clean%20volts%20launch%20post.png) Tony Lopes November 6, 2026 **Short answer:** Before you sign, ask the seller for the Certificate of Compliance covering the solar, proof the system is registered with the municipality or Eskom, the equipment invoices and warranties, the battery's age, and access to the monitoring app. Confirm the system is owned, not rented. If anything is missing, get an independent audit before transfer and write the fix into the offer. *Last updated November 2026.* Solar can make a house more attractive, and estate agents increasingly list it as a selling point. But a solar system is also an electrical installation, a set of warranties, sometimes a rental contract, and occasionally a problem the seller would rather not mention. Once you've taken transfer, most of those problems become yours. This guide lists what to ask for, what to check on the day of the viewing, and when a [pre-purchase solar audit](https://cleanvolts.co.za/audit) is worth the money. ## **What should I check when buying a house with solar?** Ask the seller or agent for these documents before you sign the offer to purchase, or make them a condition of the sale: | Document | Why it matters | | --- | --- | | **Electrical Certificate of Compliance that covers the solar** | Shows a registered person installed or checked the system. Many older CoCs predate the solar and don't cover it. | | **Municipal or Eskom registration (SSEG approval)** | A grid-connected system must be registered. An unregistered one can be disconnected or fined, and fixing it falls on the owner. | | **Invoices naming each component** | Shows the make, model and size of the inverter, battery and panels, and when they were bought. | | **Warranties and the installer's details** | Check whether the warranties transfer to a new owner and whether the installer is still trading. | | **Rental or finance agreement, if any** | Tells you whether the seller actually owns the system, or whether a contract or debt comes with it. | | **Monitoring app access** | A year of production and battery data shows whether the system works as it should. | Our guide for sellers, [selling a house with solar](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/selling-house-with-solar), covers the same paperwork from the other side, which is useful if you want to know what a well-prepared seller should hand over. ## **Is the system owned or rented?** This is the first question to settle, because it changes everything else. Many Joburg homes went solar through rental companies during the load shedding years. Under a rental, the provider owns the equipment and the homeowner pays a monthly fee. - **If it's rented,** ask how the contract handles a sale. Usually the buyer takes over the rental, the seller settles it, or the provider removes the system. Get the provider's written answer before you sign, along with the monthly fee and the months remaining. - **If it's financed,** check whether the loan is secured against the equipment and that it will be settled before transfer. - **If it's owned outright,** the system should be listed as part of the sale, so it can't be removed before you move in. Our guide to [renting, financing or buying solar](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/rent-finance-or-buy-solar) explains how each model works. ## **What can you check yourself at a viewing?** 1. **Look at the inverter and battery area.** It should be tidy, dry, ventilated and labelled, with no loose or scorched cables. 2. **Look for DC isolators and labels** near the inverter and the distribution board, including an emergency shutdown label. 3. **Check the inverter screen or app** for error codes and today's production. 4. **Look at the panels from the ground.** Note cracks, shade from trees, heavy dirt or pigeons nesting underneath. 5. **Ask about the battery's age and type.** An old lead-acid battery, or a lithium battery nearing ten years, may need replacing soon. 6. **Ask how the system was used.** A seller who says it "trips sometimes" is telling you something. Look, don't touch. Our guide [was your solar installed properly?](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/was-my-solar-installed-properly) explains ten safe checks and what each finding means. ## **When should you get an audit before transfer?** Get an independent solar audit when: - There's no CoC that covers the solar, or no proof of registration. - The installer has closed or can't be traced. - The battery is old, or the system shows errors. - The solar is a big part of the asking price. An audit tells you what you're buying, what's wrong and roughly what it costs to fix. You can then ask the seller to fix it before transfer, reduce the price, or hold back money until it's done. ## **How do you protect yourself in the offer to purchase?** Speak to your conveyancer or agent about adding conditions such as: - The seller provides a CoC that covers the solar installation before transfer. - The seller provides proof of SSEG registration, or pays to register the system. - The solar system, by make and model, is included in the sale and not removed. - Any rental or finance agreement is settled or formally transferred, in writing. - Warranty documents and monitoring logins are handed over on transfer. **Safety First** - **Don't open the inverter, battery or isolators.** Panels produce dangerous DC voltage in daylight even when the inverter is off. - **Scorch marks, burning smells or a hot battery** are reasons to have the system checked before transfer, not after. - **This isn't legal advice.** Your conveyancer can confirm what the offer to purchase should say. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **Is rented solar transferred with the house?** Not automatically. The rental contract decides: the buyer may take it over, the seller may settle it, or the provider may remove the system. Get the provider's written confirmation before you sign the offer. ### **Who pays for a missing CoC?** The seller is normally responsible for providing an electrical CoC on transfer, but whether it covers the solar, and who pays to fix faults, is something to agree in the offer. Make it a written condition so it doesn't become your cost after transfer. ### **Does solar add value to a house?** A well-installed, owned, registered system with its paperwork can make a house more attractive and save you money from day one. A system with no CoC, an old battery or a rental contract can be worth far less than the seller thinks. ## **Where We Fit In** CleanVolts arranges independent pre-purchase solar audits through vetted, registered [CleanVolts Approved](https://cleanvolts.co.za/cleanvolts-approved) installers where we have a partner in your area. You get a written report on what's installed, whether it's compliant, and what any fixes would cost, in time to use it in your offer. Any electrical work is done by a registered contractor you contract directly. [**Book a Full Audit**](https://cleanvolts.co.za/audit) · [For estate agents](https://cleanvolts.co.za/estate-agents) ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fcleanvolts.co.za%2Fguides%2Fbuying-a-house-with-solar](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fcleanvolts.co.za%2Fguides%2Fbuying-a-house-with-solar) ## Keep reading ### [![Fruit farm packhouse and cold store with solar panels on its roof and stacked fruit crates at the loading dock](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/solar-cold-rooms-packhouses-featured.png?width=1200&height=630&name=solar-cold-rooms-packhouses-featured.png) Solar for cold rooms, packhouses and dairies](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/solar-cold-rooms-packhouses) ### [![Commercial battery cabinets and an inverter on a factory plant room wall](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/solar-peak-demand-charges-featured.png?width=1200&height=630&name=solar-peak-demand-charges-featured.png) How solar cuts peak demand charges for businesses](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides/solar-peak-demand-charges) [![CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/clean%20volts%20logo-2.png?width=1200&height=336&name=clean%20volts%20logo-2.png "CleanVolts")](https://cleanvolts.co.za/) - Get Solar - [Home Solar Installation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/new-installations) - [Business & Commercial Solar](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-for-business) - [Farm Solar](https://cleanvolts.co.za/farm-solar) - [Solar vs Diesel](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-vs-diesel) - [FoxESS Installation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/foxess-installation) - [Free Quote Review](https://cleanvolts.co.za/quote-review) - [Get a Solar Quote](https://cleanvolts.co.za/get-a-quote) - Existing Solar - [Solar Health Check](https://cleanvolts.co.za/health-check) - [Full Solar System Audit](https://cleanvolts.co.za/audit) - [Solar Compliance (CoC & SSEG)](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-compliance) - [Remediation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/remediation) - [Service Plans & Monitoring](https://cleanvolts.co.za/service-plans) - [Solar Panel Cleaning](https://cleanvolts.co.za/solar-panel-cleaning) - [Tariff Re-Optimisation](https://cleanvolts.co.za/tariff-optimisation) - [Guides](https://cleanvolts.co.za/guides) - [Checklist](https://cleanvolts.co.za/checklist) - About - [About CleanVolts](https://cleanvolts.co.za/about) - [Areas We Serve](https://cleanvolts.co.za/areas) - [CleanVolts Approved](https://cleanvolts.co.za/cleanvolts-approved) - [FAQ](https://cleanvolts.co.za/faq) - Partners - [Estate Agents & Conveyancers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/estate-agents) - [Insurance Brokers](https://cleanvolts.co.za/insurance-brokers) - [Join Our Network](https://cleanvolts.co.za/join-our-network) --- [Privacy Policy](https://cleanvolts.co.za/privacy-policy/) · [Terms of Service](https://cleanvolts.co.za/terms) © 2026 CleanVolts. 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