As electric vehicles increase in popularity, so will the demand for electric vehicle chargers in rental properties.
Whilst a quick search of the internet will tell you that a normal power point can be used in most instances to charge an EV, the process is very slow and not really convenient.
And then there are all the horror stories you hear about fires starting from lithium batteries being charged.
Which is why we anticipate we will start to see requests for specialised charging stations filter through from renters in the near future. Yep, just another area to navigate in the ever changing residential rental property space.
The good news is, these types of chargers are considered to be a fixture in a property which means that a tenant just can’t go ahead and get one hooked up – they must seek permission before installing a charging station.
And it goes without saying that these chargers must be compliant and installed by a qualified electrician.
If your renter does seek permission to have an electric vehicle charger installed, we recommend checking with your insurer to see if your policy will be impacted. Likewise, if your property is part of a body corporate, there may be some by-laws or rules that need to be taken into account.
From our point of view, it is likely these types of chargers in rental properties will become quite commonplace in the years to come.
So even though you are not obligated to say yes if you receive a request from your renter, it is worthwhile taking into account that a specialised electric vehicle charger installed in the garage may make your property just that little bit more appealing to renters in the future.
Kind of like how dishwashers used to be, way back when.
