Landlords group urges landlord permission, safety rules for plug‑in solar devices under S202

Angela Zaykowski, director of the Vermont Landlords Association, told a committee considering bill S202 that tenants should be required to obtain landlord permission before installing or using plug‑in portable solar devices in rental housing.

"Tenants may go out to, you know, Google or Amazon and they're gonna purchase whatever," Zaykowski said, warning that consumer purchases that do not meet safety standards could create hazards. "It's not going to meet these requirements and it's not going to meet these standards...and something happens, someone gets shocked, the building burns down." She said landlords’ primary concern is protecting both building systems and residents.

Why it matters: Zaykowski and committee members focused on how the UL 3700 certification interacts with typical rental properties. UL 3700‑listed units, she said, carry installation parameters — including requirements for dedicated circuits, a unique receptacle and bidirectional ground‑fault circuit interrupters — that often mean licensed electrical work, permits and inspections. Those elements can raise costs and require landlord involvement.

A participant in the hearing confirmed the technical point. "As far as we understand, UL 3700 requires a dedicated circuit, and they are also talking about a unique receptacle and a unique plug to protect tenants from shock hazard," the participant said, noting those features are intended to reduce risk.

Committee members raised a technical threshold in a Virginia law that the group reviewed: the statute describes devices with an output "not more than 391 watts" that may not require alterations to wiring. Members asked whether low‑power plug‑in units could safely be used on existing circuits without a dedicated circuit or special receptacle. Zaykowski said the committee needs detailed technical guidance before making that determination, and she encouraged language that would require landlord approval when installations would alter wiring or building systems.

Members also discussed who would pay to install new circuits or outlets. Zaykowski said that, in her experience, electrical upgrades to building systems are typically paid for by housing providers and can be reflected in rents over time; she cautioned that costs could fall unevenly on small landlords.

Insurance was another concern. Lawmakers asked whether an insurer would treat a UL‑listed product differently than uncertified devices purchased online; Zaykowski said she had not heard a definitive position from insurers and that uncertified consumer devices are a worst‑case scenario for landlords, insurers and other tenants.

The hearing also addressed where portable devices could be installed in Vermont housing. Zaykowski noted many rental units lack exclusive exterior spaces (private balconies or porches) for tenants, raising questions about attaching devices to shared building fabric versus tenant premises.

Next steps: Zaykowski agreed to submit brief written testimony and suggested statutory language addressing landlord permission and wiring alterations. The committee said it will receive further technical details about UL 3700 requirements next week and continue deliberations.

The meeting did not include a formal vote on S202; members requested additional information and language from stakeholders.