EV Charger in an Apartment or Strata Carpark

What does EV charger installation cost in a strata building?

Your fastest path may already be in your car space

Is there already a power outlet in your car space? Then you might be able to start charging today. A portable EV charger on a 10A outlet charges at about 2.4 kW. A 15A outlet gets you up to about 3.6 kW. Neither one needs a vote, building work, or access to common property. 2electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source

So the portable EV charger is the fastest, cheapest option in strata. It's a big help for renters too. They have no legal right to put in a fixed EV charger in any Australian state. 2electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source

It works for lot owners too. You can start charging now while you wait for the vote.

One check matters most. The outlet has to be wired to your lot's own meter. An outlet on shared power runs on the body corporate's bill. Use it without a yes and you'll face disputed bills and a likely complaint from your strata manager. So before you plug in, ask your strata manager or building manager which meter your car-space outlet is on. 2electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source 3publications.qld.gov.auView source

Getting a dedicated wallbox approved in your own space

A dedicated wallbox charges at 7 kW or more. For most lot owners, it's the right long-term pick. Here's the catch. The cable from the main switchboard to your car space almost always runs through shared parts of the building. So you'll need your owners corporation to say yes before a licensed electrician can start any work. 3publications.qld.gov.auView source

Start with your strata manager, not an electrician. They can tell you what your by-laws say. They know whether similar installs have gone through. And they know what paperwork you need to put to a vote. Get it right the first time. You'll save months.

What that yes looks like depends on your state. The section below covers the rules for NSW, VIC, and QLD right now. For other states, ask your strata manager and check with a strata lawyer. No verified EV-specific rule exists for SA, WA, or the ACT from available research. 3publications.qld.gov.auView source

State-by-state rules for strata EV charger approval

The path for a strata EV charger changes a lot from state to state. The same job could need a yes vote from 75% of owners in one case. In another, just a simple majority. It comes down to three things: your state, the year, and what your by-laws say.

Below is where things stand right now for NSW, VIC, and QLD. For SA, WA, and the ACT, the research turned up no verified EV-specific strata rule. So those states get their own section at the end.

New South Wales: lower bar since 1 July 2025

NSW made the biggest change of any state. Here's the gist. From 1 July 2025, EV chargers count as sustainability infrastructure under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW). 1pbl.legalView source 4nsw.gov.auView source

In plain terms, your owners corporation vote now needs only a simple majority to say yes to an EV charger. Before this change, the same vote needed a 75% special resolution. One in four lot owners could block it. Not anymore. Now a simple majority wins. 1pbl.legalView source 4nsw.gov.auView source

By-laws that ban EV chargers on looks alone don't hold up either, not since 1 July 2025. The exception is heritage-listed buildings and buildings in heritage conservation areas. In a heritage building? Ask your strata manager if the exemption applies. 1pbl.legalView source 4nsw.gov.auView source

Knocked back before July 2025 under the old rule? The law has changed. You can put it back to a vote under the new lower bar.

Say your owners corporation refuses without good reason after 1 July 2025. You may be able to fight that at NCAT (the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal). A strata lawyer can tell you if your case qualifies. SureQuote cannot make that call for you. 1pbl.legalView source

Three questions to ask your strata manager in NSW. Is our building heritage-listed? Has the owners corporation updated its sustainability by-law since July 2025? Can we put a sustainability infrastructure motion to the next general meeting?

Victoria: new buildings already wired, existing buildings need a vote

Victoria took a different route from NSW. It didn't make it easier to vote a charger through in a building that already stands. It went the other way. VIC made sure new buildings skip the fight from the start.

From 1 May 2024, all new apartment buildings in Victoria must be EV-ready under the National Construction Code 2022. 5ncc.abcb.gov.auView source 6energy.vic.gov.auView source That means the wiring, the board, and the power for a 7 kW charger per car space are all in from day one. You still buy the charger yourself. You still need owners corporation approval for the wallbox. But the cabling is already there. That cuts the cost and hassle by a lot.

Older buildings are a different story. For buildings put up before 1 May 2024, there's no duty to add EV-ready wiring. Getting a charger approved there follows the standard Owners Corporations Act 2006 (VIC) process.

Does the cost of your install fall below your owners corporation's committee spending threshold? Then the committee may say yes. No full meeting needed. 7strataquote.com.auView source Above that line, you need an ordinary resolution at a general meeting. Ask your strata manager what your committee's threshold is. Don't guess. Your owners corporation sets it, and the figures that float around online forums haven't been checked against the Act.

Three questions to ask your strata manager in VIC. Was our building built or heavily renovated after May 2024? Is our EV charger job within the committee's spending limit? What resolution type does our owners corporation need for common property works?

Queensland: the body corporate process and what renters need to know

Queensland uses a different word. It says body corporate, not owners corporation. Same idea. The law covering it is the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (QLD). 3publications.qld.gov.auView source

EV chargers in Queensland count as fixtures. Does your charger link up to shared infrastructure? Then the body corporate has to say yes. 3publications.qld.gov.auView source 2electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source The path depends on how big the job is and what it costs. Small jobs may get a yes from the committee. No full meeting needed. Bigger or pricier jobs need an ordinary resolution at a general meeting. Ask your body corporate manager which one fits your job.

Renters have one extra rule to know. Want to fit any fixture to a rental, an EV charger included? You must give your landlord a Form 23 (Request for Approval to Attach Fixtures) first, before any work starts. 3publications.qld.gov.auView source That landlord yes is its own thing. It's separate from the body corporate yes. You need both.

QLD buildings also have to think about DNSP compliance. Queensland's network providers are Energex and Ergon. They set rules for circuits above 20A. A licensed electrician has to confirm your job meets those rules first. For the full picture, see the guide on DNSP network approval.

Three questions to ask your body corporate manager in QLD. Is this install within the committee approval threshold? Does it touch common property or shared electrical infrastructure? What paperwork do I need for a Form 23 if I'm renting?

South Australia, Western Australia, and ACT: confirm with your strata manager

No verified EV-specific strata rule was found for SA, WA, or the ACT from available research. 8legislation.sa.gov.auView source 9legislation.wa.gov.auView source

South Australia has a Statutes Amendment (Community and Strata Titles) Bill 2024 in progress. Does it cover EV chargers? Not yet. We can't confirm it. So for now, the general body corporate process applies. That's the path for common property works under the Strata Titles Act 1988 (SA). 8legislation.sa.gov.auView source

Western Australia falls under the Strata Titles Act 1985 (WA) and the Community Titles Act 2018 (WA). No EV rule was found. The ACT uses the Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011. None there either. 9legislation.wa.gov.auView source

In SA, WA, or the ACT? Call your strata manager first. Ask what resolution type your body corporate needs for works that run cable through common property. Ask too if your building has approved any EV chargers before. A strata lawyer in your state can confirm where the law stands.

Strata EV charger rules by state at a glance

This table summarises the current position for NSW, VIC, and QLD based on verified sources. SA, WA, and ACT are not included because no verified EV-specific rule was found for those states. Read the full sections above before acting. 1pbl.legalView source 5ncc.abcb.gov.auView source 3publications.qld.gov.auView source

New buildings have a head start, older ones have more work ahead

The National Construction Code 2022 changed what every new apartment building in Australia must have from the day it's built. Under Clause J9D4, every car space in a new Class 2 apartment building must be EV-ready. 5ncc.abcb.gov.auView source That means a dedicated electrical distribution board sized for a 7 kW (32A) Type 2 charger per space, at least 36 mm of DIN rail per outgoing circuit for future sub-metering, and enough power to deliver at least 12 kWh overnight per space (from 11 pm to 7 am).

EV-ready doesn't mean a charger is in. It means the wiring is there. So fitting a wallbox is easy, not a big building job. In a new NCC 2022-compliant building, you still need owners corporation approval for the wallbox hardware. But a licensed electrician won't have to run conduit through concrete floors or size up the distribution board from scratch. Less mess. Lower cost. 5ncc.abcb.gov.auView source

Older buildings are harder. For buildings put up before NCC 2022 took effect in your state, none of this applies. They have no duty to add EV-ready wiring. Many have switchboards and cable routes that were never built for EV chargers. An older strata building may need fresh conduit runs from the main switchboard to the basement carpark, fire-sealing through concrete floors, and a dedicated EV distribution board. That makes the job pricier and the strata application harder. 5ncc.abcb.gov.auView source

Live in an older building? A licensed electrician can check what your wiring can handle. That check is a normal first step in any strata EV job.

If the whole building upgrades together, everyone benefits

The cheapest long-term win for any strata building is a shared EV charging system on common property. Each lot owner doesn't run their own cable. Instead, the body corporate puts in a bank of smart chargers in the carpark. They're wired to one shared board. Load management software then spreads usage across all the chargers.

This keeps each owner's install cost lower because the infrastructure is shared. It also dodges a mess. Picture 30 lot owners each running their own cable, all drawing power at once, all pulling against a switchboard that was never sized for that load. That can quickly push past the building's total electrical capacity. 5ncc.abcb.gov.auView source

A shared system needs the owners corporation to kick off the project. So that means a general meeting vote and a buying process. More work up front. But it pays off. For buildings with lots of EV owners, it's worth raising at the next annual general meeting.

Going this way? Get a licensed electrician who knows strata in from the design stage. Load management isn't optional. It's what stops the building's main fuse tripping at 6 pm when everyone gets home and plugs in.