Apartment owners in New South Wales will gain a right to install an EV charging station on their own lot. The NSW Parliament passed the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill on October 15, 2026, and the government says owners can install charging “without fear of unreasonable objection” from their strata committee. According to the government’s guide to strata reforms, the EV charging right is planned to start in 2027.
How the New Process Works
The bill inserts new sections 132D and 132E into the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. The main steps are:
- The owner gives the strata committee an installation notice with the information set by regulation.
- The committee must reply within three months with a no-objection notice or a written objection with reasons.
- The committee must not unreasonably object, and the Tribunal can order a no-objection notice if an objection was unreasonable.
- If the committee does not reply in time, it is taken to have given a no-objection notice.
- By-laws have no effect to the extent they unreasonably prohibit a charger on an owner’s lot.
Costs and Details Still to Come
| Item | Rule in the bill |
|---|---|
| Installation cost | Paid by the lot owner |
| Maintenance and operation | Owner indemnifies the owners corporation for reasonable costs |
| Damage to common property | Owner covers reasonable costs of making good |
| Charger types covered | To be prescribed by regulation |
| Reasonable vs unreasonable objection | Can be defined by regulation |
The reforms affect the 1.2 million people the government says live in apartments and duplexes across the state. Regulations will fill in which chargers qualify and what counts as a reasonable objection.
What It Means
A legal right to charge removes one of the biggest barriers for apartment owners, but the building still has limited electrical capacity. Committees and installers will look for chargers with adjustable current, smart scheduling and load management so many owners can charge without costly upgrades. Our EV-ACT3204E 22 kW wallbox (RFID and app, CE) suits individual bays, and our EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station (two Type 2 connectors, OCPP 1.6J, RFID) suits shared bays. Australian installers and distributors can learn more through our distributor program.
Related Reading
- EV Charging News: New South Wales Offers A$16.5 Million for Kerbside and Fleet Chargers
- Apartment and Condo EV Charging: Solutions for Shared Parking
- How to Charge an EV When You Live in an Apartment
- What Is EV Charger Load Balancing? How Multi-Charger Sites Share Power
Key Takeaways
- NSW passed strata reforms on October 15, 2026, creating a right to install an EV charger on an owner’s lot.
- Strata committees must reply within three months and must not unreasonably object.
- Silence counts as no objection, and the Tribunal can override unreasonable objections.
- Owners pay installation costs; the EV charging right is planned to start in 2027.
