EV Charging in Strata Parking: The 2024 Rules

Three years ago, most BC strata councils could simply refuse EV charging requests with a vague reference to "electrical capacity" and that was the end of it. That era is over. The 2024 reforms to the Strata Property Act fundamentally changed council's obligations, and the ev charging strata bc landscape is now one of approve-by-default with narrow technical exceptions. If you're an owner planning to buy an EV or already driving one, this is the guide to how the new process works. If you're on council, this is the new reality you need to plan around, because the requests are coming whether your building is ready or not.

What changed in 2024

The provincial government enacted amendments to the Strata Property Act and regulations that did three things:

1. Restricted council's grounds for refusal. Refusal must now be based on documented technical, safety, or insurance grounds, not preference or inconvenience.
2. Required reasonable consideration of every request. Council must evaluate each application on its merits and respond in a defined timeframe.
3. Created a framework for cost allocation. Owner pays for their own installation; the strata pays for building-wide infrastructure that benefits all owners.

The reforms followed years of CRT decisions trending toward owner-friendly outcomes and growing frustration from EV buyers who couldn't charge at home. The pressure was strongest in Vancouver and the Sea to Sky, where EV adoption rates have outpaced almost every other Canadian region.

For the broader parking context (common property vs limited common property, what bylaws can and can't do) start with our strata parking rules pillar.

The new approval process

A typical EV installation request now follows this path:

1. Owner submits a written request to council. The request should identify the stall, the proposed charger type (Level 1, Level 2, or higher), the contractor, and any preliminary electrical considerations.

2. Council reviews against the building's electrical capacity. If a building-wide assessment has been done, council can usually answer quickly. If not, council typically commissions one before responding.

3. Council issues a decision within a reasonable time. Best practice is 60 to 90 days. Longer delays expose council to a CRT complaint for unreasonable refusal.

4. The owner and strata sign a written agreement covering installation, indemnity, sub-metering or cost recovery, ongoing maintenance, insurance, and end-of-ownership transfer.

5. Installation proceeds with a qualified electrician, permits as required, and inspection.

6. The charger is added to the strata's records so future councils and buyers can see it.

The electrical capacity assessment

This is the single highest-leverage thing a BC strata can do in 2026. A qualified electrical engineer studies your building's existing service, current peak load, and the impact of growing EV adoption. The deliverable is a report that answers three questions:

• How many EV chargers can the building support today without infrastructure upgrades?
• What load-management technology (smart charging, panel sub-meters) extends that number?
• What major upgrades (panel replacement, service upgrade) would be required for full EV adoption?

Most BC stratas of 30+ units we work with have commissioned one already. The cost is typically pulled from the CRF under s. 96 of the Strata Property Act as a building-wide capital planning expense, no special levy needed.

Cost allocation: who pays for what

The 2024 framework splits costs cleanly:

Owner pays:

• The charger itself (Level 2 chargers $500-$2,000)
• Installation labour ($1,500-$5,000)
• Dedicated wiring from the panel to the stall
• Sub-meter if required
• All electricity consumed
• Ongoing maintenance of the charger
• Removal at end of ownership (if assigned to new owner, the agreement transfers)

Strata pays:

• Building-wide electrical assessment
• Any infrastructure upgrades that benefit all owners (panel upgrades, service expansion)
• Common property modifications required to support charging (e.g., new conduit runs)

Optional cost recovery model. Some buildings adopt a bylaw where future EV installations pay a buy-in fee that contributes back to the original infrastructure spending. This is fair when early adopters paid out of pocket and later owners benefit from the same capacity.

For larger infrastructure expenditures, a special levy under s. 99 is often the cleanest funding mechanism. Our special levy guide walks through that process.

When council can legitimately refuse

The refusal grounds are narrow but real:

• Documented capacity exhaustion. The electrical assessment confirms the building cannot support another charger without major upgrades, and the strata is not yet prepared to do those upgrades. Even here, council should propose a path forward, not a flat no.
• Genuine safety concerns. Proposed installation creates fire risk, blocks egress, or violates electrical code.
• Insurance issues. The strata's insurer has explicitly excluded coverage for EV charging or imposed conditions that the request doesn't satisfy.
• Inappropriate stall location. General common property stall the owner doesn't have exclusive use of.

What is no longer acceptable as a refusal: "we don't allow that," "wait until we have a policy," "the council voted against it," or "it's expensive."

CRT decisions from the post-reform era have set out council's obligations clearly: documented technical reasons or nothing.

Installing on common property

Sometimes the better answer is shared chargers on common property, usually visitor parking or designated EV stalls. This requires:

1. A 3/4 vote to use common property for the dedicated purpose
2. Approved funding (CRF spend or special levy)
3. A use policy: who can charge, when, billing model, time limits

The advantage is lower per-charger cost and shared access for owners who don't have assigned stalls. The disadvantage is queuing and the inevitable "someone left their car plugged in overnight" complaints.

For the alteration-of-common-property process generally, see strata renovation approval and our note on common property alterations.

The written agreement: what to include

Every EV installation should have a written agreement between the strata and the owner. The agreement should cover:

• Description of the stall and the equipment being installed
• Installation specifications and required permits
• Owner's indemnification of the strata for any damage caused by the equipment
• Insurance requirements (owner must add coverage; some strata insurers require notice)
• Electricity billing. How consumption is measured and paid
• Ongoing maintenance. Who fixes the charger if it fails
• End of ownership. Does the charger transfer to the new owner, get removed, or stay with the stall

We've seen owners install chargers without any written agreement and then have the next council try to remove the equipment. Don't do that. Get the paperwork right at install.

What to do if your strata is refusing

If you've submitted a reasonable request and council is stalling or refusing, the path forward is:

1. Put your request in writing if you haven't (email is fine)
2. Ask for council's written reasons for refusal
3. Request a hearing under s. 173
4. If still refused without legitimate technical grounds, file a CRT complaint

The CRT has been consistently sympathetic to owner EV requests since the 2024 reforms. A well-documented request that was refused without basis is highly likely to succeed.

Looking forward

BC's EV adoption is rising steadily and is expected to continue growing through the end of the decade. The buildings that will be best positioned are the ones that did the electrical assessment early, adopted a clear EV policy, and built capital planning around incremental EV infrastructure. The buildings still saying "we'll deal with it later" in 2026 are going to spend more later for worse outcomes. We help councils across the Sea to Sky build EV strategies. Get in touch via our contact page if your building is ready to plan ahead.