Since December 2023, BC stratas cannot unreasonably refuse a properly made EV charger request. Here is how the process works, who pays, and what to check if you are buying.
“• Under the Strata Property Act, a strata “cannot unreasonably refuse” an owner’s EV charger request if it was properly made under section 90.1. The rules took effect December 6, 2023.
• Council has 3 months from receiving the request to decide. The owner can be required to pay the costs, including in advance.
• A strata can still say no for a real reason. The BC Government’s own example is not having enough electrical capacity.
• The process kicks in once a strata has its Electrical Planning Report (EPR) or the EPR deadline has passed. For stratas in Metro Vancouver, that deadline is December 31, 2026.
• If you drive an EV, or expect to, ask about charging before you remove subjects, not after.”
USUALLY YES, BUT THERE IS A PROCESS
Many North Shore condo buyers ask me whether they can plug in at home. For years the answer depended on a strata council's mood and a hard-to-reach vote. The BC Government changed that, and the current rules are written around one idea: an owner who follows the process gets a reasonable answer.
A strata "cannot unreasonably refuse" a properly made EV charger request, and council must decide within 3 months.
That is the BC Government's wording on its EV charging page for stratas. It does not mean every request is approved. It means a refusal needs a genuine reason, and the request has to be made the right way.
WHAT A PROPER REQUEST INCLUDES
The BC Government lists what an owner's written request should contain:
your name, contact details and strata lot number
a description of the charging equipment you want to install
the location
the name and contact details of a qualified contractor
the contractor's description of the work
the contractor's cost and time estimate
If that package is missing pieces, council can argue the request was not properly made. Having a contractor quote ready is the practical difference between a smooth request and a stalled one.
WHO PAYS, AND WHO DECIDES WHAT
The strata council can require the owner to pay the costs, and can attach reasonable conditions. The Province's page gives examples: approval of the equipment, contractors and materials, and paying for the installation in advance. Council may also require you to modify or replace your setup if the strata later installs shared charging infrastructure.
If the stall is common property and you paid for the installation, the strata can grant exclusive use of that stall for up to 5 years. If the strata wants to charge for electricity use, the BC Government says that needs a reasonable, consumption-based rate authorized in a bylaw or rule that owners approve by majority vote at a general meeting.
WHY TIMING MATTERS: THE ELECTRICAL PLANNING REPORT
The process is tied to a second requirement. Stratas with five or more lots must obtain an Electrical Planning Report, a professional assessment of the building's electrical capacity. The BC Government's EPR page (updated June 5, 2026) sets the deadline at December 31, 2026 for stratas in the Metro Vancouver Regional District, and December 31, 2028 for other areas. The page does not name the North Shore, but North Vancouver and West Vancouver are within Metro Vancouver, so I read the 2026 date as the one that applies here.
The EV request process applies once a strata has its EPR or the deadline has passed. For stratas with fewer than five lots, which have no EPR requirement, the Province says it applies from December 31, 2026. So in practice, this is about to become easier to use, just as the first EPRs land.
My posts on strata documents and on the difference between a home inspection and a strata document review explain where an EPR shows up in the paperwork. The Province says the EPR is a permanent record and must be disclosed on the Form B Information Certificate, which is the document a buyer receives.
| Question | What the BC Government says |
|---|---|
| Can the strata refuse? | Not unreasonably, if the request was properly made under section 90.1 of the Strata Property Act. Lack of electrical capacity is one valid reason. |
| How long does council have? | 3 months from receiving the request. |
| Who pays? | Council can require the owner to pay, including paying installation costs in advance. |
| What must the request include? | Contact details and lot number, equipment description, location, a qualified contractor, the contractor's work description, and a cost and time estimate. |
| Exclusive use of a common stall? | Can be granted for up to 5 years if the owner paid for the installation. |
| When does the process apply? | Once the strata has its Electrical Planning Report or the deadline has passed. Deadline: Dec 31, 2026 for Metro Vancouver, Dec 31, 2028 elsewhere in BC. |
Sources: BC Government, "Electric vehicle charging in strata corporations" and "Strata electrical planning report." General information only, not legal advice.
WHERE A STRATA CAN STILL SAY NO
The BC Government's page says a denial can still happen, for example if the strata "does not have sufficient electrical capacity" to support the request. That is the most realistic obstacle in older North Shore buildings, where a parkade may have been wired long before anyone owned an EV. A high-capacity request in a building with limited spare capacity is where council is most likely to push back, or ask the owner to wait for the EPR.
I could not find a dispute route for EV requests on the Province's pages, so I would not assume one. If a request is refused and you think the reason is not reasonable, that is a question for a BC strata lawyer.
What This Means for You
If you are buying a condo or townhome and you drive an electric vehicle, treat charging as something to confirm, not assume. Ask your realtor to check the strata minutes for earlier charger requests, any EV or electrical wording, and whether an EPR has been done. Check which stall comes with the unit and whether it is common property or something you can get exclusive use of. My strata document review post is a good starting point, and the special levy post matters here too, since electrical upgrades can lead to one.
If you already own and want a charger, get a qualified contractor to quote the job first, then submit a complete written request and keep a copy. If you are selling, a clear answer to "can I charge here?" is a useful thing to have ready. A buyer who has to guess will usually assume the worst.
I am not a lawyer, and I could not read the Strata Property Regulation text directly, so I have relied on the BC Government's summaries. For a real dispute, a BC strata lawyer should read the actual documents.
Thinking about an EV in a North Shore condo?
If you are weighing a building and charging matters to you, send me a message and I will help you work out what to check in the documents. No pressure and no timeline: get in touch with me here.
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Matt@RossettiRealty.ca
About Matt Council
Matt Council is a North Vancouver Realtor and West Van specialist with a background in finance, focused on a data-driven, pressure-free approach to buying and selling on the North Shore.