Electric vehicle charging in strata corporations

Strata corporations can now more easily install electric vehicle (EV) charging. There is a process for owners and strata corporations to follow when an owner's request for EV charging is considered.

To plan for increased electrical demand, including EV charging and heat pumps, strata corporations, with five or more strata lots, are required to obtain an electrical planning report by December 31, 2026, or December 31, 2028, depending on where the strata corporation is located in British Columbia.

Learn more on this page:

• Supporting electric vehicle charging in strata corporations
• An owner's request for EV charging and strata council consideration
• Exclusive use of a parking stall
• Purpose of electrical planning reports
• Timelines to obtain electrical planning reports
• Professions who can complete electrical planning reports

Supporting electric vehicle charging in strata corporations

Now it is easier for strata corporations and strata owners to install electric vehicle (EV) charging. Some changes become effective on May 11, 2023, and other changes became effective on December 6, 2023.

Lower voting thresholds to approve EV charging

Strata corporations can now approve some EV charging decisions by a majority vote instead of by a ¾ vote. Lower voting thresholds make it easier for strata corporations to approve and install electric vehicle charging as a strata corporation expense.

Please note: a ¾ vote continues to be required for all special levies, including special levies for EV charging infrastructure.

• Section 96 of the Strata Property Act now allows a majority vote of approval for spending from the contingency reserve fund, if the expense is:
  • related to the installation of EV charging infrastructure or the management of electricity used by EV charging infrastructure.
  • necessary to obtain a report respecting the installation or operation of EV charging infrastructure or the management of electricity used by EV charging infrastructure—this could include an EV ready report or an electrical planning report.
• Section 71 of the Strata Property Act now allows a majority vote of approval for a significant change in use or appearance of common property if the change is related to the installation of EV charging infrastructure or the management of electricity used by EV charging infrastructure.
• Section 82 of the Strata Property Act now allows a majority vote of approval for the strata corporation to acquire or dispose of personal property related to the installation, operation, maintenance or repair of EV charging infrastructure, or the management of electricity used by EV charging. (An example of personal property would be an EV charging station owned by the strata corporation).

An owner's request for EV charging and strata council consideration

The regulations now specify the process and details that must be included in an owner’s request to install a charger, or other EV charging infrastructure, and the conditions and criteria that a strata council may consider when reviewing an owner’s request as per the Strata Property Act, sections 90.1, 90.2 and 90.3.

The strata corporation may consider the capacity of, and current and anticipated demands on, the strata corporation's electrical system. If the conditions are met the strata corporation cannot unreasonably refuse the request. The strata corporation may require the owner to agree, in writing, to certain conditions.

• The process to approve EV charging comes into effect when a strata corporation with five or more lots has either obtained an electrical planning report or when the deadline to obtain an electrical planning report has passed (this is December 31, 2026 or December 31, 2028 depending on what area of the province the strata corporation is located). If a strata corporation is not required to obtain an electrical planning report (for example strata corporations with fewer than five strata lots), the process to approve EV charging is required as of December 31, 2026.
• Once the process is in effect, the strata corporation cannot unreasonably refuse to approve an owner's request, if the owner's request was properly made as per the process in the Strata Property Act section 90.1.
• The strata council must decide whether to approve an owner's request within 3 months of receiving the request.
• The Strata Property Act section 90.2 sets out the conditions and criteria that a strata council may consider w hen reviewing an owner's request. There can be situations when a request is denied.
• If a request is approved, the strata council may require the owner to agree, in writing to reasonable conditions including paying the costs of the installation.
• Owner requests must include: owner contact information and strata lot number; a description of the proposed EV charging infrastructure; the location at which the EV charging infrastructure would be used; the name and contact information of a qualified contractor; a description prepared by a qualified contractor of the work required to make the proposed alternations; and an estimate prepared by the contractor of the cost and time necessary to complete the proposed alterations.
• Examples of conditions that a strata corporation may require when agreeing to the installation of EV charging include: the strata corporation’s approval of infrastructure, contractors, materials and/or a requirement to modify or replace the alteration in the event that the strata corporation installs other EV charging infrastructure for the benefit of additional owners (section 90.2).
• If the owner’s request is approved, the strata council can allow the owner to make the alteration, or the strata corporation may make the alteration and require the owner to pay for it in advance (section 90.3).

Exclusive use of a parking stall

To support EV charging, strata corporations can grant permission to exclusively use a parking stall that is common property. This use can be granted for a period of up to 5 years, if EV charging has been installed in the parking stall and the installation was paid for by the owner.

Purpose of electrical planning reports

An electrical planning report helps strata corporations to understand their current electrical capacity and their ability to meet new demands for electricity including electric vehicle charging and other needs such as installing heat pumps (section 94.1).

An electrical planning report will provide information about:

• the current capacity of the strata corporation's electrical system
• a list of existing demands on the electrical system
• an estimate of peak electrical demand and spare electrical capacity
• an estimate of the electrical capacity needed to support future demands, such as EV charging and heat pumps and
• recommendations for demand management

Timelines to obtain an electrical planning report

Strata corporations with five or more strata lots are required to obtain an electrical planning report by the following dates:

• By December 31, 2026, for strata corporations located in:
  • the Metro Vancouver Regional District (excluding islands which are only accessible by air or boat such as Bowen Island),
  • the Fraser Valley Regional District and
  • the Capital Regional District, CRD (excluding islands which are only accessible by air or boat such as the Southern Gulf Islands)
• By December 31, 2028, for strata corporations located in other areas of British Columbia (including the Southern Gulf Islands and Bowen Island) 
• New strata corporations will have five years from the deposit of the strata plan to obtain an electrical planning report.
• Phased strata corporations have some specific timelines set out in the regulations.

Professions which can complete an electrical planning report

Strata Property Regulation 5.10 specifies the B.C. professionals who can complete an electrical planning report:

• For a Part 9 building, the qualified professional must be one of the following: an electrical engineer, an applied science technologist or a licensed electrician (specifically the electrician must be a journey person, as that term is defined in the Skilled Trades BC Act, in the construction electrician or industrial electrician trades)
• For a Part 3 building, the qualified professional must either be an electrical engineer or an applied science technologist

Strata corporations can pay for an electrical planning report from either the operating fund or the contingency reserve fund (section 92 and 96 of the Strata Property Act).

Part 9 and Part 3 buildings

The type of professional who can complete an electrical planning report depends on whether the strata corporations is a Part 9 or a Part 3 building under the B.C. Building Code.

• The B.C. Building Code contains specific design criteria for housing and small buildings in Part 9 of the Code. Part 9 buildings are not more 3 storeys and not larger than 600 m2 in their foot print. Part 9 buildings can include, for example, single-family homes and small buildings.
• The design criteria for larger, complex buildings are found in Part 3 of the B.C. Building Code. Part 3 buildings can be any height or footprint and may include for example, condo towers and mid-rise apartment blocks.

Strata corporations can check with their local government if they are unsure whether their building is a Part 9 or a Part 3 building.

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