I Want an EV Charger in My Building: A Step-by-Step Guide for Apartment Residents

You've bought an EV, or you're about to. You live in an apartment. And now you need to figure out how to actually charge the thing.

If you've spent any time searching this online, you've probably found a mix of outdated information, generic advice that doesn't apply to NSW specifically, and horror stories about committees that took eighteen months to approve a simple request. The good news is that 2026 is a genuinely different environment from even two years ago. The law has moved in your favour. The process, done correctly, is faster and more predictable than it used to be.

Here's exactly how to go about it.

Step 1: Understand What You're Actually Asking For

Before contacting your strata committee, get clear on what you want installed. This matters because vague requests get vague and slow responses.

You have two broad options. The simplest is a basic power outlet — a 10A or 15A socket in your car space, which lets you charge slowly overnight using the cable that came with your car. Under the new NSW legislation, this is explicitly included as something you can install.

The more capable option is a dedicated Level 2 wall charger, typically 7kW, which charges significantly faster and is the standard choice for anyone planning to rely on home charging regularly. It costs more to install but transforms an overnight top-up into a genuinely fast and convenient charging experience.

Decide which one fits your situation before you approach the committee. A specific, well-defined request is easier to assess and harder to delay.

Step 2: Check Your Building's Existing By-Laws

Some newer strata schemes already have by-laws that address EV charging. Older schemes often do not. Your strata manager should be able to tell you whether your scheme has relevant by-laws and what they cover.

This is worth doing before you submit anything formally. If your building already has an EV charging by-law in place, it may specify the exact process, required documentation, and approved equipment types, which simplifies your request considerably. If it doesn't, you're working from the general legislative framework described below.

One important note: by-laws that attempt to block EV charger installations outright have no legal effect under the new law. If your building has an old by-law with a blanket prohibition, it's not enforceable against your request.

Step 3: Get the Electrical Picture Before You Submit Your Request

This is the step that determines whether your request sails through or gets stuck.

The new legislation cuts through historic red tape, but it sets a subtle structural trap for the unprepared. The deemed approval mechanism, where silence from the committee after three months equals consent — works in your favour procedurally. But it doesn't make the underlying electrical reality go away. If your building genuinely doesn't have spare capacity, a deemed approval doesn't create electricity that doesn't exist; it just means your installation needs to happen in a way that doesn't overload anything.

The single most useful thing you can do is arrange or ask your strata manager about: a basic assessment of whether your building's electrical infrastructure can support your installation without issue. If you can include this information with your written notice, you remove the most legitimate basis any committee could have for raising concerns.

Step 4: Submit Your Written Notice

The process works like this: the owner sends a written notice to the strata committee. The committee then has three months to respond. If it does not respond in time, it is taken to have approved the installation.

Your written notice should be clear, specific, and complete. Include:

• The exact charger or socket type you want to install, with its power rating

• The location — your car space number

• A description of how cabling will run from the switchboard to your space

• Confirmation that a licensed electrical contractor will carry out the work

• Any supporting information about your building's electrical capacity, if you have it

Once a formal installation application is submitted by a lot owner, a strict three-month countdown begins. Send your notice in writing — email is fine, but keep a clear record with a date and note the date in your own calendar. This date matters.

Step 5: Understand What Happens Next

From here, there are three possible outcomes.

The committee approves it. Straightforward — you proceed to installation.

The committee doesn't respond within three months. If the strata committee fails to issue a valid, written, and reasonable objection within that 90-day window, infrastructure approval is automatically granted. This is the deemed approval mechanism. Track the date carefully — it's your protection against indefinite delay.

The committee objects in writing. If the committee objects, it must do so in writing with reasons that are reasonable. A general concern about "setting a precedent" or vague electrical risk will not hold up. Objections must be substantiated.

If you receive an objection, read it carefully. Is it specific — citing an actual electrical capacity constraint or a structural issue with your proposed cable route? Or is it vague — generalised worry, aesthetic preference, or reluctance dressed up as a technical concern? If the owner considers the objection unreasonable, they can apply to NCAT, which can order the committee to issue a no-objection notice. The threshold for a valid objection has risen significantly under the new framework — committees can no longer simply say no and expect that to stand.

Step 6: Engage a Qualified Installer

Once you have approval, whether explicit or by the three-month deeming provision — engage a licensed electrical contractor to carry out the installation.

On costs: the owner pays for everything — installation, ongoing maintenance, and any damage caused to common property. The owners corporation is indemnified. This is the trade-off for the streamlined approval process: you get a faster, less bureaucratic path to installation, but the financial responsibility sits with you.

Choose an installer with specific experience in strata environments, not just residential EV charger installation generally. Strata buildings have shared electrical infrastructure, common property considerations, and specific compliance requirements that a residential-only installer may not be familiar with.

Things Worth Knowing Before You Start

Individual metering matters more than you might think. If you install a charger but the building has no way to measure your consumption separately, the cost gets shared across the whole building — a fairness and cost-recovery problem that sits entirely outside the new legislation. Make sure your installation includes proper metering so you're billed for what you actually use, not subsidised by your neighbours.

You're not the only one who's going to ask. Without Dynamic Load Management, a wave of requests in the same year creates a real infrastructure problem, even though the committee had no obligation under the law to plan for it. If you're the first resident in your building to request a charger, raising the question of whether the building has a broader EV charging strategy, rather than just approving individual requests piecemeal, is worth doing. It's better for you, and it's better for the residents who'll be asking the same question next year.

Insurance is not a legitimate objection. Australia's largest strata insurer, CHU, has confirmed that allowing EV charging in strata schemes, when installed by licensed contractors to code and by-law requirements — does not lead to rate or risk changes. If a committee raises insurance concerns as a reason for delay or refusal, this data is worth having on hand.

Some buildings have grant funding available. The NSW EV Ready Buildings program co-funds electrical assessments and infrastructure upgrades for eligible buildings — though the first major funding round was exhausted in late 2025, with future cycles and operator partnerships still developing. It's worth asking your strata manager whether your building has explored this.

The Bottom Line

The regulatory environment in NSW has shifted decisively in favour of apartment residents who want to charge their EVs at home. The deemed approval mechanism removes the ability of a committee to simply ignore your request indefinitely. The aesthetic objection has been taken off the table. And the technology to support shared charging infrastructure, when buildings choose to go that route, is mature and well-proven.

The process still requires you to do your part properly — a clear, well-documented request gets a faster, smoother response than a vague one. But the structural barriers that made this process frustrating for years have largely been dismantled.

Thinking about installing an EV charger in your apartment building? Contact VeCharge — we work directly with individual residents and owners corporations across Sydney, and can advise on exactly what's involved for your specific building.