Ask Eartha: What should I know about charging my electric vehicle? (CO)

Dear Eartha, I recently got an electric vehicle. I love my new car, but charging has been a challenge because I live in a condo. I want to talk to my homeowners association about getting shared chargers, but I don’t know where to start. Can you help?   Read the Q&A………………………………..

Ask Eartha: What should I know about charging my electric vehicle? (CO)

Dear Eartha, I recently got an electric vehicle. I love my new car, but charging has been a challenge because I live in a condo. I want to talk to my homeowners association about getting shared chargers, but I don’t know where to start. Can you help?   Read the Q&A………………………………..

Australia: Guides to help strata buildings become EV ready

Australia’s National Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy is paving the way for a cleaner, more accessible, and affordable future in transport.  With 3 key objectives the strategy aims to reduce emissions, lower vehicle running costs, and expand EV options for Australians    Read the article…………………………….

Condo Boards Can’t Ban Charging Stations (MA)

When Boston and Cambridge enacted “right-to-charge” ordinances in 2019 and 2022, respectively, codifying the rights of electric vehicle owners to install charging stations in multi-family buildings, industry executives predicted that Massachusetts lawmakers would eventually follow suit. They were right.    Read the article…………………………….

Australia: A guide to installing EV chargers in strata buildings

Whether you’re a resident, manager, or owner of a multi-residence (strata) building, our guides to installing electric vehicle (EV) chargers in strata buildings will help make your property ‘EV ready’.  As EV popularity grows and more strata developments come online, so will the need for EV charging equipment.    Read the article…………………………….

D.C. Electric Vehicle Charging Station Law (“Right to Charge”)

On March 6, 2025, DC Act 25-625, “Comprehensive Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Access, Readiness, and Sustainability Amendment Act of 2024” goes into effect. The law amends several existing statutes, including the Green Building Act of 2006. The amendments to the Green Building Act create obligations for community associations and owners relative to the installation of EV […]

Who Pays for EV Charging Stations in Chicago Condos?

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption grows, more condominium associations in Chicago are grappling with the question of how to handle EV charging stations. The primary concerns are installation costs, ongoing electricity usage, and maintenance. Who bears financial responsibility? At HausFS, we are beginning to encounter this challenge with our clients.    Read the article…………………………….

Australia: Urgent Warning: Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Risk Soaring

NSW firefighters are battling a dramatic surge in lithium-ion battery fires, with more than one fire per day this month. This alarming trend has prompted fire officials to issue urgent warnings about potential fatalities and highlights the critical need for strict rules around lithium batteries, particularly within strata complexes.  Read the article…………………………….

Australia: The Journey to Electrical Self-Sufficiency within Strata

We were looking to downsize prior to retirement and moved into the SE QLD strata in 2019. The building was 18 months old then. Given most of the residents were as old as or a decade or two older than us saw me elected to the Strata Committee within nine months of moving in, the […]

Michigan Ignites EV Revolution: $5 Million for Charging Stations in Apartments and Condos

As Michigan surges ahead in the electric vehicle (EV) movement, a bold new initiative is set to transform urban landscapes. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has unveiled a remarkable $5 million program to install EV charging stations in multifamily residences, including apartments and condos.   Read the article…………………………….

Fire fear prompts EV moratorium at high-end Spa City condo complex (NY)

Fears of an electric vehicle fire have sparked the homeowners association at a luxury condominium complex to place a moratorium on any new EVs parking in the building’s underground garage.  Residents of the Park Place Condominiums voted in November to ban the vehicles from parking in their deeded spots out of concerns the vehicles’ high-voltage […]

Washington state condo tower makes ready to install 312 EV charging stations

Bellevue Towers, a residential condominium community in Bellevue, Washington, has completed the infrastructure to enable the installation of 312 additional EV chargers, addressing a significant demand from its residents.  The property has a significant waitlist of residents who wish to install individual chargers.   Read the article…………………………….

Reston neighborhood is first to get EV chargers under county program (VA)

More than a year after it launched, Fairfax County’s program to help neighborhoods introduce communal electric vehicle charging stations has resulted in its first installations.  County officials joined residents of the Harpers Square cluster in Reston on Dec. 18 for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the addition of two EV chargers, making it the first community […]

Australia: Strata owners are increasingly banning electric vehicles from charging in apartment carparks

Strata owners are increasingly banning electric vehicles (EVs) from charging in apartment basement carparks, citing a perceived risk of battery fires.  EV fire safety researchers say the risk is no greater than for petrol and diesel cars and such concerns are fed by misinformation, but state fire authorities urge caution.     Read the article…………………………….

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (CA)

Effective January 1,2012, any restriction that prohibits or restricts the installation or use of an electric vehicle (EV) charging station in a common interest development is void and unenforceable except for those conditions set forth below.  If a homeowner wants to install an EV charging station in a common area or an exclusive use common […]

Navigating the Tensions Between HOAs and Homeowners Amid the Rise of Electric Vehicles (CA)

As electric vehicles (EVs) surge in popularity, many homeowners in California are finding themselves at the intersection of technological advancement and traditional homeowners association (HOA) regulations. While EVs represent a shift toward sustainable and eco-friendly living, the infrastructure needed to support these vehicles, particularly home charging stations, has become a contentious issue in communities governed […]

How one condo complex installed EV charging for just $405 per parking spot

A condo complex in Northern California has installed charging for all of its 90 housing unit with an after-incentive cost of around $405 per unit – solving one of the only real problems with EV charging.  One of the main benefits of an electric vehicle is in the convenience of owning and charging the car. […]

Is it possible to own an electric car if you live in a condo or apartment?

While we still don’t have flying cars, we do have vehicles that can operate without gasoline. Tesla EVs look and sound futuristic, and even if they can’t fly, they are working on self-driving capabilities.  It’s not just Tesla that is delivering cool resource-conscious vehicles to the public. Big car companies like Ford and Volkswagen are […]

Australia: The Battle for Strata Title Charging Rights — How to Get Chargers In

You would think that, as more Australians move into strata title residences like apartment blocks and gated communities, all the issues around charging an electric vehicle in such situations would have been resolved. But it seems like whack a mole — for every story of success, there are others that defy belief. Recently, a Facebook […]

B.C. Condo Developer Pledges All-Electric Parking Garage

British Columbia’s condominium scene has the potential to become a whole lot greener with the recent unveiling of a new condo building’s all-unit EV-ready parking garage and the launch of a strata energy adviser program to help such buildings achieve zero emissions.    Read the article…………………………….

Australia: Charging danger: Every Strata Building Needs an EV By-law

Enclosed spaces like underground car parks increase the risk of deadly fires. Heat and toxic fumes become trapped, making fires more intense. As more electric vehicles fill these spaces, the risk of fire grows, especially with the addition of more and more charging stations.   Read the article…………………………….

The Reality of EV Charging Stations for Communities

So how popular are electric vehicles these days, really? According to Kelley Blue Book estimates, about 7.6 percent of new cars sold in the United States in 2023 were electric, and some sources predict that that number will rise to 10 percent for 2024. While that might not sound like a lot, the growth curve […]

Charge Up Fairfax: Helping Communities Install EV Charging Stations (VA)

Charge Up Fairfax is a program to help residents of community associations gain access to electric vehicle charging,” explains Julie Gurnee, program manager at Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination. “We found that these residents face unique challenges to at-home EV charging, so Charge Up Fairfax aims to help these communities overcome some […]

New Rules for Strata Owners Requeststo Install Electric Vehicle Chargers (BC)

As noted in a previous article, Bill 22 made several amendments to the Strata Property Act, which are intended to increase electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in condominiums.  The new sections 90.1 to 90.3 of the Strata Property Act will make it harder for strata corporations to ignore, delay or refuse requests by owners to […]

Tribunal orders B.C. strata to scrap fixed EV-charging fee

A strata complex in White Rock, B.C., has been ordered to stop asking residents to pay to charge their electric vehicles.  The order comes after a resident applied to the Civil Resolution Tribunal claiming the strata corporation governing the Miramar Village complex at 1425 Johnston Rd. was overcharging him for the use of an EV […]

BC strata told its EV charging fee is unreasonable in legal case

A BC homeowner felt his strata overcharged him for using the property’s EV charger, so he pursued legal action.  In the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal dispute, John Curtis asked the tribunal to order the strata to reduce his charging fee.  The strata’s defence was that the user fee it charged was permitted by its bylaws […]

Paving the Way for Electric Vehicles: How HOAs Can Support Sustainable Transportation

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) represents a pivotal shift in our approach to transportation, underscoring a collective movement toward sustainability and environmental responsibility. However, for many residents living in communities governed by Homeowners Associations (HOAs), the shift also presents the practical challenge of setting up accessible EV charging infrastructure.   Read the article…………………………….

New Energy Technology: A Look at What’s Here, and What’s Coming

Perhaps the most pressing long-term issue for our society and the planet as a whole is the threat posed by climate change. While some may still deny the established facts, the reality remains that the world is warming at an unprecedented—and unsustainable—rate, with the blame for this resting squarely on human activity based around fossil […]

Australia: National Fire Prevention Month Event ‘E-bikes in Strata’

Spring is here, and the risk of e-bike and e-scooter fires could rise as owners take advantage of the warmer weather. As these temperatures warm-up, so too does the likelihood of these light electric vehicles being left unattended in common areas to charge overnight.   Read the article…………………………….

EV owners shocked by charging rate at Waterloo, Ont. condo

Electric vehicle users at a Waterloo, Ont. condo were shocked by a recent update to their building’s EV charging stations.  People living at 188 King Street South said the price to charge their EVs unexpectedly jumped from 25 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 75 cents per kWh.   Read the article…………………………….

HOA Homefront: Where can I put my EV charger? (CA)

With electric vehicles increasing in popularity, many HOA members wonder where they’ll charge their vehicles.  California at the end of 2023 had 1,178,948 electric passenger vehicles registered, per the US Department of Energy.  In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered that no fossil fuel vehicles shall be sold in the state starting in 2035. In 2017, […]

Can The HOA Ban E-Bikes? (NC)

Can an HOA ban e-bikes? Given the upward trend of electric bicycles today, HOAs face many such vehicles within their communities. However, there is a real risk of fire associated with e-bikes, sparking concerns among homeowners. However, whether or not an HOA can ban these bikes isn’t always so cut and dry.   Read the article…………………………….

Hurricane Preparedness and Electric Vehicles (FL)

It is mid-July and we have already experienced two (2) named storms this year. Where are you in your hurricane preparedness? In addition to general hurricane preparedness, local municipalities and programs throughout the state have been warning against the potential dangers of leaving electric vehicles, e-bikes, e-scooters, electric golf carts, etc. (“EV”) plugged-in during storms. […]

Hurricane Preparedness and Electric Vehicles (FL)

It is mid-July and we have already experienced two (2) named storms this year. Where are you in your hurricane preparedness? In addition to general hurricane preparedness, local municipalities and programs throughout the state have been warning against the potential dangers of leaving electric vehicles, e-bikes, e-scooters, electric golf carts, etc. (“EV”) plugged-in during storms. […]

Australia: Regulating the Use of E/V Chargers

Recently I was asked two questions about the EV charging of vehicles in schemes. EV charging is becoming a concern for our schemes due to the uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles. The questions were not about how to install an EV charging system but about regulating the use of common property power and whether […]

O&R Utilities program energizes hundreds of EV chargers at condo complex (NY)

Through Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R) PowerReady incentive program, the Harbors at Haverstraw condo complex has energized hundreds of Level 2 electric vehicle chargers across a dozen buildings in Rockland County.  The $2 million project, done in partnership with INF Associates, is the largest EV charging project in O&R’s service territory.     Read the article…………………………….

Fairfax County adds five HOAs to EV charging station grant program (VA)

Five more homeowners’ associations have been selected to receive grants for electric vehicle charging stations through Fairfax County’s Charge Up Fairfax program.  Spearheaded by the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC), the initiative originally launched in 2023 as a pilot program to encourage residential neighborhoods to invest in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure by reimbursing […]

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations and Community Associations (CT)

Legislation regarding the installation of electric vehicle(EV) charging stations at community associations, known as Connecticut General Statutes Section 47-261g, became effective on October 1, 2022. This legislation prevents associations from imposing unreasonable restrictions on the installation of EV charging stations.    Read the article…………………………….

Energy bill affecting HOA’s on Governor’s desk (MI)

A bill to invalidate certain provisions in homeowners’ association agreements that prohibit the replacement, maintenance, installation, or operation of certain energy-saving improvements or modifications or the installation of solar energy systems; to provide for the adoption of certain policy statements; to prescribe penalties and remedies; and to provide for the powers and duties of certain […]

765 ILCS 1085: What Community Associations need to know about the Illinois Electric Vehicle Charging Act

Requests to install electric vehicle charging stations have become commonplace in Illinois community associations. By 2040, experts project at least 35% of all new vehicles will be hybrids or fully electric vehicles. The increasing number of requests to install electric vehicle charging stations by those who live in condominiums or homeowners associations has resulted in […]