Install charging stations in condominiums and make the transition to ecomobility

The " droit à la prise " scheme enables anyone living in a condominium to install a recharging solution on their parking space, at their own expense. As a tenant or owner, you have the right to charge your electric vehicle at home.

• New housing: since January 1, 2012, newly-built condominiums have been required to equip their parking lots with charging stations. Charging stations can be individual or collective. In each building, at least 10% of parking spaces must be equipped with electric charging stations.

• Collective housing already built: since January 1, 2015, residents of collective housing already built can request the installation of electric charging stations.

Find out more: 

• Guide: charging stations in condominiums
• Charging stations in condominiums: what's new?

Published in the Journal Officiel on November 1, 2014, Decree No. 2014-1302, therefore authorizes under certain reservations to install its own terminal :

• for the installation of a conventional charging station.
• in condominiums with an enclosed or covered parking area.
• as soon as it is possible to have an individual metering and billing system for electricity consumption.

In other words, if the bill for your charging station does not affect the other residents of your building, and you own a parking lot, your condominium does not have the right to refuse you the installation of your individual charging station. There's no reason to refuse the installation of the charging station, as the consumption and installation will cost the other owners nothing.

The law is on the occupant's side, as long as he or she meets the three conditions explained above.

"The owner, or where applicable, the syndicate of co-owners represented by the managing agent, who intends to object to work allowing the normal recharging of electric or rechargeable hybrid vehicles with a measurement system allowing individual billing of consumption must, on pain of foreclosure, refer the matter to the court of first instance for the location of the building within six months of receipt of the request.

If the general meeting refuses, the syndicate must take the matter to the Tribunal d'Instance.

Government assistance includes :

• MaPrimeRénov' (replaces the CITE): individuals are eligible for this bonus, with a ceiling of €20,000 over a 5-year period, for work carried out on a dwelling. It is available to homeowners, regardless of income, whether they occupy or rent out their property. Read the MaPrimeRénov' article to find out more.
• ADVENIR program: private owners, individuals, social landlords and property managers can apply. Applicants can benefit from an aid rate of 50% and a maximum of €960 (for an individual solution), and for a shared solution, an aid rate of 50% and a maximum of €1,660 per recharging point. To find out more, here's the complete guide on the Advenir website.

The installation of charging stations in condominiums requires certain steps to be taken:

• Step 1: the occupant (tenant) submits a request to the co-owner with the description and drawings (and a copy for the managing agent).
• Step 2: The co-owner has one month to notify the syndic. Your request will then be placed on the agenda for the next general meeting. The latter reports on the project to all owners, but no vote is taken.
• Step 3: The condominium manager validates the request.
• Step 4: Either the occupant can start the installation project at his own expense, or the owner wishes to carry out the work. If, after 6 months, the work has not yet begun, the occupant can proceed with the work.