A Resident’s Perspective
Thinking About Installing an EV Charger at your Apartment? Here’s What You Really Need to Know
If you’re living in a flat or shared residential building and thinking about installing an EV charger, you’re not alone. Demand for home charging is rising fast — but if you’re hoping to plug in at your apartment, it’s important to be structured in your approach.
At Cosmic Charging, we often hear from residents who are keen to get their charger installed right now. We love the enthusiasm, but it’s worth stepping back and looking at the bigger picture first. Getting things right at the start will save time, money, and stress later on and is much more likely to lead to a positive outcome.
Don’t Go It Alone
Unlike a single driveway install, EV charging in multi-residential buildings is complex. It involves shared infrastructure, safety considerations, permissions from often a number of directions and a view as to how needs in the property will evolve in the future.
A single charger installation into your parking bay may be tempting but proceeding without the correct permissions may result in breaching your buildings’ insurance terms, clogging up power capacity required for other amenities and a failure for the costs of power to be recovered accurately.
Step 1: Understand the complexity. It’s More Than Just a Socket
In many buildings, a successful EV charging project isn’t as simple as fitting a single charger to a nearby wall. Here are some of the basics you’ll likely need to consider:
Power capacity: Is there enough capacity for multiple chargers now or in the future? If your fellow residents can’t be accommodated in the future then you’re unlikely to gain permission (or make friends) if you proceed on your own.
Shared infrastructure: Will you need cabling routes through shared areas like risers or car parks?
Metering and billing: How will electricity usage be measured and charged?
Permissions: Will the works require permission from a Freeholder and/or managing agent?
You can read our more detailed guide for residents for more information.
Step 2: Engage with everyone who needs to be involved
Properties are operated under a number of different ownership and management structures. Most commonly a Property Manager (or in Scotland a Factor) will be appointed to manage your property if it has complex compliance, regulatory or ongoing operational needs. Your Property Manager will be a qualified individual who will have experience with similar projects.
Sometimes you won’t have a property manager. Instead the building will be ‘self-managed’ by a nominated and elected group of your fellow residents. In this case then it is vital to gain the Resident Management Committee (RMC) engagement. It is possible, and actually quite likely, that you’ll have both an RMC and a Property Manager they have appointed.
You may also have a Freeholder. A Freeholder is typically an individual or business (maybe an investor, a pension fund, a developer or a social housing association). They own the land on which your property is situated and sit on the other side of your property Lease. Again there is complexity here and a number of scenarios. It’s possible that the resident group themselves own the land (you’ll hear the phrase ‘Enfranchised’ which refers to this). Whichever way the property is structured, the Landowner will very likely have rights and requirements to approve property improvements such as the installation of EV infrastructure. They therefore need to be involved from day dot.
You can read more about Freehold and Leasehold here.
You can also download our letter to your Property Manager. Use this to get your project on the agenda!
Step 3: Get advice from an EV charging expert
This goes without saying.
Instruct a survey to understand the scope of the infrastructure required, the cost and the proposed outcomes.
A good survey should take in;
What is physically possible at the property; layout, power capacity etc
What the residents, property manager and freeholder want (or are happy to approve)
What is legally allowed under the terms of the Lease
Other key context about the property. Other ongoing works (like resurfacing the car park), fire risk assessments, asbestos etc
Step 4: Review and proceed
You’ll need to review the EV infrastructure proposals. Be sure to evaluate the following;
Installation methodology and hardware to be used. You don’t want to be using kit that is closed protocol for example.
Ongoing maintenance, management, billing and driver support
Commercial approach; some projects will need to be client financed whilst others can be funded by Cosmic
Grant availability
We’re Here to Help You Navigate the Journey
At Cosmic Charging, we don’t just install chargers — we help residents navigate the whole process from first enquiry to final installation. We understand how to bring stakeholders together, build trust, and create smart, futureproof charging solutions for multi-unit homes.
If you’re ready to explore your options, or just want to know where to begin, get in touch with us. We’ll help you move your project forward — the right way.
