Can I Install an EV Charger If I Live in a Flat in the UK?

3 min read
Tenant RightsGrant Funded
Two Nexblue Point 2 7kW chargers beside a white electric car in the underground car park at The Avenue, Kilburn.

TL;DR

Yes, you can install an EV charger if you live in a flat. You need approval from your freeholder or management company first. Most buildings are now receptive to these requests because OZEV grants cover a large portion of the cost. Leaseholders and tenants both qualify for grant funding. The most common approach is working with your building to install shared or dedicated charging infrastructure.

Get in touch with one of our experts and see how much you could save with the grants available.

RELATED: What grants are available for apartment EV charging in the UK?

Your Options as a Flat Resident

You have several routes depending on your parking situation.

Shared Charging Points: This is the most common solution for flats with communal parking. The building installs chargers that multiple residents use. You access them via an app or RFID card and pay per kWh. This works well when parking spaces are not allocated to specific flats.

Dedicated Socket: If you have an allocated parking bay, you may get a dedicated charger linked to your flat. The charger can connect to the communal supply with per kWh billing. Or it can wire directly to your flat meter. This is called demised power. It means you pay your own energy supplier, just like charging at home.

Building Wide Infrastructure: Many flat owners approach their Residents Management Company or freeholder to install infrastructure for the entire building. This unlocks the full OZEV grants and makes individual connections cheaper. It is often the most cost effective route.

RELATED: How does EV charging billing work in apartment buildings?

Who Needs to Approve the Installation

You need approval from the freeholder, management company, or Residents Management Company. In some buildings, a residents vote may be required.

Presenting the grant funding available often helps secure approval. Buildings can claim £500 per socket through the Residential Landlord Chargepoint Grant, and individual residents can claim £500 through the Flats and Renters Grant. We can provide documentation to support your case to building management.

Grant Funding for Flat Owners and Tenants

Two OZEV grants now apply to apartment EV charging. The Residential Landlord Chargepoint Grant pays £500 per socket to the building owner or management company, with a 200 socket annual cap across portfolios. Individual residents can separately claim the Flats and Renters Grant at £500 per socket for their own dedicated parking bay.

Both grants are open to new applications until 31 March 2027. The previous Residential Landlord Infrastructure Grant, which capped funding at £30,000 per building, closed on 31 March 2026.

What If You Do Not Have Parking

If your flat does not have access to off street parking, on site charging is not possible. Your options include public charging networks, workplace charging, or street side charging schemes run by some local councils.

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