Proposed amendments to British Columbia’s Strata Property Act will ease rules for installing electric vehicle charging equipment. If adopted, strata corporations will need fewer votes to authorize capital spending and/or building alterations to accommodate EV charging stations, and they’ll be expected to accept reasonable proposals from owners to install charging equipment at their own expense.

Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s Minister of Housing, suggests the proposed amendments would “make it easier for strata corporations to greenlight charging stations,” and help build prospective EV purchasers’ confidence in the availability of charging infrastructure. Additionally, strata corporations would be required to engage qualified professionals to assess their buildings’ electrical capacity and related needs for EV charging installations.

The amendments would lower the threshold for approving expenditures on EV charging equipment to just 50 per cent endorsement from voters of an annual or special general meeting — a reduction from the 75 per cent approval required for other kinds of non-critical capital upgrades. While stipulating that a strata corporation “must not unreasonably refuse to approve an owner’s request” to install an EV charger in a common area at his or her own expense, the amendments would also allow strata corporations to impose conditions on how the work is conducted and retain the option for future modifications.

“These amendments are a practical solution that reduce barriers for communities and owners converting to electric vehicles in stratas,” says Tony Gioventu, executive director, Condominium Home Owners Association of BC. “They strike a good balance between enabling the adoption of more EVs, electrification of parking garages, and providing strata corporations with the flexibility necessary to appropriately manage their properties and protect the interests of all the owners.”