Your Committee wants EV charging. A resident has put a motion on the agenda. But before anyone votes, there’s a harder question: can your building actually support it?
For many owners corporations across Melbourne, the answer isn’t straightforward. Retrofitting older apartment buildings for electric vehicle charging can be expensive, technically complex, and full of decisions that aren’t obvious upfront.
At Strata Management Consultants, we’re fielding these questions more frequently. The gap between what residents expect and what buildings can deliver is where most Committees get stuck.
Key Takeaways:
- Retrofitting EV charging into existing owners corporations in Victoria can cost more than $190,000 before individual connection fees are added.
- Older apartment buildings often face limitations with switchboards, power supply capacity, and insurance requirements.
- Owners corporations may need special resolutions, electrical assessments, and insurance reviews before approving EV charging infrastructure.
- Proactive Owners Corporation Managers and Committees can reduce future costs by planning early and engaging the right consultants.
Developers and owners corporations in Victoria
The easiest time to install EV charging infrastructure is during the construction phase. Newer buildings have a greater chance of accommodating future electrical demand because developers can plan for additional power capacity, appropriately sized switchboards, and conduit pathways to car parking areas from the start.
However, many apartment buildings across Melbourne were constructed well before EV charging became a common consideration. That leaves owners corporations needing to investigate retrofit solutions that can involve electrical capacity upgrades, new metering arrangements, and civil works to common property car parks.
Under the Owners Corporations Act 2006, owners corporations are responsible for managing and maintaining common property and related services. This includes decisions about shared electrical systems and infrastructure upgrades affecting common property. Depending on the scope of the works, Committees may need to pass an ordinary or special resolution to proceed.
The realities of retrofitting EV charging infrastructure
We recently spoke with the Chair of an owners corporation in Victoria that investigated EV charging installation after changing Owners Corporation Managers.
Even with a strong understanding of building infrastructure, the Chair found that the process became difficult quickly.
The financial barriers alone were significant. An initial electrical supply audit cost approximately $3,500, while estimated infrastructure upgrade costs exceeded $190,000, with additional connection fees of approximately $3,500 per owner.
Beyond cost, the building faced limited electrical supply capacity from the energy provider, outdated switchboard infrastructure, uncertainty around insurance requirements, and concerns about potential fire safety upgrades. Owners corporations should review their insurance policy wording before proceeding, as coverage for new electrical infrastructure on common property is not always guaranteed.
The Committee also explored allowing residents to use standard power points in the car park for slow charging. That option was ultimately rejected due to concerns about electrical load on shared circuits and the fire risk associated with prolonged charging through general-purpose outlets.
Insurance became a major obstacle
One of the biggest hurdles involved the building’s residential strata insurance.
The insurer was cautious about EV charging infrastructure, citing concerns about lithium battery fire behaviour in enclosed car parks and referencing previous EV charging fires interstate. At the time, the insurer would not provide clear premium guidance because pricing depended on the eventual number of EVs charging within the building.
That uncertainty created a compounding problem. Without confirmed insurance coverage and pricing, the owners corporation could not finalise a budget. And without a budget, there was no basis to proceed with additional fire engineering investigations.
Owners corporations are required to maintain adequate insurance under the Owners Corporations Act 2006. Proceeding with EV charging infrastructure without confirmed coverage could leave the OC exposed, which is why insurance should be one of the first conversations, not one of the last.
In the end, the project was paused. But Committees facing similar situations should not wait passively. Engaging early with your insurer, your strata manager, and a qualified electrical consultant can help clarify what is and isn’t feasible before significant costs are incurred.
Does an owners corporation need approval to install EV charging?
In many cases, yes.
Installing EV charging infrastructure often involves upgrades or alterations to common property. Under the Owners Corporations Act 2006, significant alterations to common property generally require a special resolution, which means approval by at least 75% of votes cast at a general meeting.
Depending on the scope of works, an owners corporation may also need to:
- engage electrical engineers or consultants
- obtain updated fire safety advice
- review insurance implications
- approve special levies or extraordinary fees
- consider how costs are allocated between benefiting lot owners
Where upgrades benefit only some lot owners, Victorian legislation allows costs to potentially be allocated differently depending on who benefits more from the works. This becomes particularly important where only a small number of owners currently own EVs, as Committees need to consider whether it is fair to levy all owners for infrastructure that initially benefits a few.
How your Owners Corporation Manager can help (or hinder) the process
Some Owners Corporation Managers view EV charging investigations as part of their broader role in helping buildings plan for future infrastructure needs. Others may see it as outside their core management responsibilities.
At Strata Management Consultants, we have seen proactive Owners Corporation Managers help Committees:
- engage embedded network providers before costs escalate
- coordinate electrical and fire safety investigations
- manage competing expectations between EV and non-EV owners
- identify funding options including staged rollouts and special levies
In one recent discussion with an Owners Corporation Manager, we learned they had successfully brought the embedded network provider into negotiations early. That approach helped reduce likely costs and avoided several administrative complications for the owners corporation.
If your current manager is reluctant to help navigate larger infrastructure projects or struggles to coordinate consultants and contractors, it may be worth reviewing whether your building has the right management support in place.
Why many Melbourne apartment buildings face challenges
Older apartment buildings across Melbourne were not designed for high-demand EV charging.
Common issues include:
Limited electrical capacity
Many older buildings already operate close to their available electrical load capacity. Adding multiple EV chargers can require:
- major switchboard upgrades
- additional transformers
- network upgrades from electricity distributors
- staged infrastructure installation
Shared infrastructure complications
Apartment buildings rely on shared services and common property infrastructure. That creates additional layers of approval and coordination compared to standalone homes. Committees may need to manage access to shared electrical risers, negotiate with embedded network providers, and coordinate works that affect multiple lot owners simultaneously.
Cost allocation disputes
Not all owners want to contribute toward EV charging infrastructure, particularly if they do not own an electric vehicle. As noted earlier, Committees need to consider whether it is fair to levy all owners for works that initially benefit a few. This can lead to disputes around:
- special levies
- user-pays models
- future access rights
- exclusive use arrangements
Insurance uncertainty
As discussed earlier in this article, insurance remains one of the more complex barriers. Insurers are still adapting to EV charging risks within strata environments and may require specific charging systems, fire protection upgrades, engineering certifications, or updated risk assessments before confirming coverage.
Is your building getting the right management support?
Projects like EV charging infrastructure don’t just test a building’s electrical capacity. They test whether your Owners Corporation Manager can coordinate complex investigations, manage competing owner expectations, and guide your Committee through difficult decisions.
If this article has raised questions about how your building would handle a project like this, our Consultants are happy to have a conversation about what good management support looks like. You can reach Strata Management Consultants here.
