The report “Installing EV charging infrastructure in multi-family residential buildings,” produced with the participation of F5A, offers answers to the most pressing questions and provides a detailed description of the formalities that must be fulfilled to utilize a non-public charging point.

According to a survey conducted by EV Club Poland, the majority of EV drivers (over 80%) prefer to charge their cars at home. This option is by far the most cost-effective and comfortable. The relatively slow charging time can be expedited by acquiring a private charger. While installing such a device in a single-family house poses no significant issues, in previous years, it has been a considerable challenge for many EV owners residing in multi-family buildings to install a basic wallbox.

With the amendment to the Act on Electromobility and Alternative Fuels, a dedicated procedure for the installation of private chargers in cooperatives and tenants’ associations has been introduced into Polish law. In response to the needs of EV users, F5A has prepared a guide that comprehensively addresses the most important aspects and stages related to the installation of non-public charging stations in multi-family residential buildings, with a special focus on the aforementioned procedure.

The dedicated consent procedure for the installation of a charger in large tenants’ associations and housing cooperatives has been divided into two stages:

Stage 1 – Submission of an application for permission to install and operate a charging point by a person with a legal title to an apartment in a building and a parking space for exclusive use. The application is addressed to the management of a tenants’ association or cooperative or the person in charge of a given property. The application is accompanied by a package of required attachments, including a statement covering the cost of the purchase and installation of the charger by the applicant.

Stage 2 – Within 30 days from the date of submitting the application, the addressee orders the preparation of an expert opinion on the feasibility of installing charging points. The applicant is responsible for covering the costs of preparing the expert opinion. An expert report is not required for buildings where the electrical system for supplying power to charging points has been designed and installed.

The application is processed within 30 days from the date of submission or, where an expert report is required, from the date of its submission. Approval to install and use a charging point with a power rating of less than 11 kW falls under the responsibility of the management. The possibility of refusing consent has been limited to a closed catalog of reasons, and where an expert report is not required, the ineffective expiration of the deadline and the fulfillment of the conditions provided for in the Act entitle the applicant to proceed with the installation of the charger. If a building is listed, the installation of a charging point requires the consent of the provincial conservation officer. If the expert opinion indicates that the installation of a charging point covered by the application is possible only after changing the contract for connection of the building to the power grid or after the construction of a new electrical installation or expansion of the existing one, consent may be granted only if the applicant agrees to cover all costs associated with these activities.

Approval for the installation and operation of a charger can only be refused in the four situations outlined in the Act, specifically: when the expert report indicates that installing a charging point as per the application is not feasible, the applicant lacks legal title to the premises within the building and the parking space for exclusive use, the applicant has not obtained the owner’s consent for the installation of the charging point – if they are not the owner themselves, or the applicant has not committed to covering all expenses related to the installation and connection to the electricity grid of the charging point specified in the application.

–