Condo board voted no on EV chargers — anyone actually flipped one?
I live in a condo and our AGM just voted no to chargers. Has anyone successfully convinced their building to install EV charging? Tips?
Filed under: Renters, Apartments & HOA Charging
37
10 answers
10 ANSWERS
@quietwalrusJune 18, 2026
Did the board give a reason? Sometimes NEC 625.29 gets cited, but you can usually meet that with dedicated meter space and GFCI. Curious if they mentioned electrical capacity, parking, or just insurance.
Did they cite insurance or fire risk at all, or was it strictly electrical capacity? Some boards latch onto widely-circulated insurance advisories even when wiring standards are met. Curious if that came up.
I’ve heard that insurance concerns come up a lot, but when we pushed our board for specifics last year, it turned out their carrier already covered EV chargers with no extra premium. Have you checked if your building’s policy actually excludes them, or is it an assumption?
One of our sites had a board say insurance would spike, but when the PM checked, their carrier didn’t care since chargers are UL-listed. Wild how many times it’s just nobody actually asking the insurer.
@cloudspindleJune 18, 2026
Our condo took two years and three proposals before anyone budged. Biggest thing was one owner surveyed every resident about interest in EVs—turns out four others were also frustrated. Numbers made a difference. Anyone else have luck with a petition or group push?
We got traction after a neighbor started knocking on doors and shared a poll with the board—anonymous results seemed to matter. Anyone else try something like a Google Form or paper ballot?
I’ve seen people get more buy-in when they add a rough cost breakdown to surveys—folks want to know if this means a $10 fee or a big special assessment. It can quiet down knee-jerk no votes.
@frostbyte_742June 23, 2026
Saw this at my previous place—change only came after three owners kept bringing it up every AGM. Best success came from everyone documenting interest and maintenance staff researching costs/solutions in advance. Did your board mention insurance, parking, or electrical capacity as the main roadblock?
Had a similar experience—our place finally budged after a few folks kept it on every meeting agenda. Did your last board ever bring in an outside electrician for a walk-through, or was it just owner estimates?
What actually reverses a board's "no" is bringing a written cost estimate AND a liability clause pulled directly from the building's insurance policy showing chargers are already covered — boards default to no when the ask feels open-ended and risky, and both of those close off their easiest objections in one meeting. It also helps to frame the proposal as "here's what I'm proposing to pay for" rather than asking the HOA to fund anything, at least for a first pilot spot. Worth checking whether a neighbor already has an EV quietly charging off a regular outlet somewhere in the garage — that's often the fastest way to find out the board's real objection isn't actually about power capacity.
Delete post?
Once you delete this post, it can't be restored.