Every third prospective EV owner lives in an apartment building and hits the same question: how to charge when the garage belongs to everyone? Here is the legal framework, the technical options, load management and the procedure for the committee, as we solve it with buildings in practice.
Why charging in an apartment building is different
In a family house you decide alone and the connection is yours. In an apartment building you share the electricity supply, the garage is a common part of the building and any change to it is decided by the owners' association (in the Czech Republic the SVJ) or the housing cooperative. Three questions arise that a family house never has: who gives consent, how consumption is billed and how to prevent overloading the building's supply when ten cars charge at once.
The legal framework in the Czech Republic
- Consent of the owners' meeting. Installing a wallbox on common parts (garage, switchboard, risers) is a change to common parts and requires the consent of the owners' meeting under the Civil Code. In most cases a simple majority of those present is enough unless the statutes set a stricter quorum. We recommend approving general rules for all interested owners at once instead of voting on each wallbox separately.
- A parking space as a separate unit. If the space is a separate non-residential unit or in co-ownership, the co-owners of that space must agree. The cable still runs through common parts, so the association has to be involved.
- New buildings from 2025. New apartment buildings with more than 10 parking spaces must have cable ducts to every space and be prepared for charging points. This follows the EU EPBD directive and the new Czech Building Act. More in our article on EPBD and building obligations.
- Government methodology. The Czech ministries of regional development, industry and transport issued a methodology "Installing wallboxes in owners' associations" describing the approval procedure, technical options and billing. It is a good basis for the owners' meeting.
Three technical connection options
| Option | How it works | For whom | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Connection to the flat | Cable from the flat's meter to the garage, consumption billed to the flat | 1 or 2 interested owners, flat close to the garage | No billing, simple | Long cables, limited by the flat's breaker, hard to scale |
| B. Shared supply of the association with metering | New sub-distribution board from the building supply, each wallbox meters consumption, the association bills | 3 or more owners, garage with a shared board | Scalable, load management for the whole building, cheaper per point | Needs billing rules and an administrator |
| C. Separate grid connection | New utility meter only for charging, operation can be outsourced | Larger garages, developer projects, public access | Does not load the building supply, EV tariff possible | Fee for a new connection, longer lead time |
In practice option B works best: one shared supply into the garage, central load management and wallboxes with metering for each space. Adding another space is then a matter of one station, not a new project.
Load management: why the building does not overload
The main concern of building committees: "If ten cars charge, the whole building trips." The answer is dynamic load management. A control unit measures the building's current consumption and distributes the spare capacity among the stations. When cookers and washing machines run in the evening, the cars charge more slowly; at night they get full power. Ten stations on a 3× 63 A supply thus work without a bigger connection, because the cars sit in the garage for 10 or more hours and even 3 to 4 kW per space gives 30 to 40 kWh overnight.
Billing the consumption
Every IONT tech SMART and PREMIUM station meters consumption at the charging point. The data is available in the IONT.info app; the association's administrator exports a monthly overview and bills it with the service charges. For publicly accessible or rented spaces choose the e:car WALL PRO with a certified energy meter, RFID authorisation and OCPP, which can be connected to an external operator with card or QR payment.
Procedure for the committee in seven steps
- Survey interest. A short poll among owners: who charges today, who plans to within 3 years.
- Assess the connection. An electrician measures the spare capacity of the main fuse and the state of the switchboard and proposes option A, B or C.
- Study and quote. Budget for the infrastructure (common part) and for the stations (usually paid by the interested owners).
- Rules. Who pays what, how consumption is billed, who administers the system, how further owners connect.
- Owners' meeting. Vote on the change to common parts and on the rules. Attach the government methodology and the quote.
- Subsidy. In the Czech Republic New Green Savings offers CZK 25,000 (about EUR 1,000) per charging point for apartment buildings.
- Installation and inspection. Installation by a licensed firm, inspection report, handover to the administrator, user training.
What it costs
| Item | Indicative price excl. VAT | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-distribution board and control unit for 10 spaces | CZK 60,000 to 120,000 (EUR 2,400 to 4,800) | association (common part) |
| Cable routes in the garage | CZK 2,000 to 5,000 (EUR 80 to 200) per space | association or owners by the rules |
| e:car WALL SMART 11 kW wallbox with metering | from CZK 21,900 (about EUR 880) | space owner |
| e:car WALL PRO, 2 points, certified metering | from CZK 58,000 (about EUR 2,320) | association for rented spaces |
| Installation and inspection of one point | per project | space owner |
| New Green Savings subsidy | −CZK 25,000 per point |
What the owners' resolution should contain
- Consent to building shared charging infrastructure (board, routes, control unit) as a change to common parts.
- Who finances the infrastructure (repair fund, contributions of interested owners, a mix) and how later joiners contribute.
- Technical standard: station type with metering and load management, maximum power per space, obligation to connect through the shared control unit.
- Billing rules: price per kWh (purchase price plus overhead share), billing interval, advances.
- System administrator and app access, service and inspections, who pays for repairs.
- Procedure for new applicants: request to the committee, installation only by the approved supplier, inspection.
Common objections and how to answer them
- "Why should I pay for someone else's car?" The infrastructure is financed by the interested owners or treated as an investment raising the value of all units. Consumption is always paid only by whoever charges, thanks to metering at every point.
- "There is a fire risk." A certified wallbox with its own RCD and temperature sensor is safer than an extension cord from a socket, which some owners use today without the committee knowing. A managed and inspected installation reduces the risk.
- "Our electricity will fail." Central load management always gives priority to the households.
- "Nobody needs it today." New buildings have mandatory preparation since 2025 and the share of EVs in registrations is rising. Preparing routes during another garage renovation costs a fraction of a later intervention.
We prepare a solution for your building
Connection assessment, options, documents for the owners' meeting and the subsidy application. For associations, cooperatives and developers.
Summary in five points
- A wallbox in an apartment garage needs the owners' meeting's consent; approve framework rules for everyone at once.
- A shared supply into the garage with central load management and metering per space works best.
- Dynamic load management prevents overload; even ten stations manage without a bigger connection.
- Bill consumption from station metering; for rented spaces use certified metering and payment via an operator.
- In the Czech Republic the subsidy is CZK 25,000 per point and new buildings must be prepared since 2025.
Často kladené otázky
Do I need the owners' association's consent to install a wallbox in the garage?
Yes, if the wallbox or cable touches common parts of the building, which is almost always. The owners' meeting decides, usually by a simple majority of those present unless the statutes say otherwise. We recommend approving general rules for all interested owners.
Won't ten wallboxes overload the building's supply?
Not if the stations share dynamic load management. The control unit distributes the spare capacity among the cars and gives priority to the building's evening peak. Cars sit in the garage overnight; even 4 kW per space gives 40 kWh.
How is charging electricity billed?
Each SMART wallbox meters its point; the administrator exports the data from the IONT.info app and bills it. For rented spaces use the e:car WALL PRO with a certified meter and payment via an operator.
How much subsidy does an apartment building get in the Czech Republic?
Under New Green Savings CZK 25,000 per charging point, CZK 35,000 for buildings owned by municipalities and public bodies. Joint load management is required.
Must a new apartment building be prepared for charging?
In the Czech Republic, since 2025 new apartment buildings with more than 10 parking spaces must have cable ducts to every space and be ready for charging points.
Is a single-phase wallbox enough in an apartment building?
Often yes. A single-phase 3.7 kW or 7.4 kW wallbox delivers 30 to 60 kWh overnight, covering daily commuting. Three-phase 11 kW is useful where cars rotate during the day.