Your own charging station in the parking lot of an apartment building

First step: Notify the landlord or property manager

As a tenant, you cannot install a charging station without the permission of the landlord or homeowner association. The first step is to inform the landlord or property manager about your planned purchase in writing, by e-mail or by letter. Important points when discussing charging stations include electricity billing, what happens when you move out of the rental apartment, and cost sharing between tenants and landlords. In enclosed spaces, such as an underground car park, there may also be special requirements regarding ventilation.

Second step: Waiting for a decision

Rarely does one person alone decide on such a project, and usually a meeting of owners is convened to make a decision on the installation. It can be an advantage for you to be present also - to counter prejudices and to provide useful information. In addition, you must find out about potential licensing requirements from municipal authorities, charging station providers and grid operators, and comply with them.

Third step: Selecting an electrician and the appropriate charging station

Once your project has been approved by the property manager, you can start looking for the right charging station for your electric car and have it installed by a certified electrician. Since a charging station must be connected to a high voltage power supply (400 V three-phase alternating current), dedicated cabling is required.

In addition, an energy meter should be installed in order to account for the power used by the charging station independently of the domestic supply.
Before commissioning, the charging station often has to be inspected once more by the in-house electrician. Ideally, a VDE-certified test report should be issued.