It depends on whose decision it is. For a tenant, the fit is a plug-in portable on an existing, suitable outlet — nothing is installed, and the charger leaves when you do. For a landlord, the fit is a wallbox installed as a fixed amenity that stays with the property. Both answers start from the same step: tenant and landlord agree the arrangement in writing before anything is bought or fitted.
Key Takeaways
- Tenants fit a rental with a plug-in portable: nothing installed, and it leaves at move-out.
- Landlords fit a rental with a wallbox: installed once, staying as a property amenity.
- Agree the arrangement in writing — what, who pays, who owns, how it ends — before anything is bought.
- No charger here is a billing meter; session records are evidence of use, not rent invoices.
The Tenant’s Answer: A Portable That Leaves With You
| Portable | Your car’s connector | Power | Why it suits a tenancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| EV-ACS4005T | NACS | 9.6 kW, adjustable 16–40 A | The current can be set down to what the circuit allows |
| EV-AC04001U | J1772 | 9.6 kW, fixed | The simple plug-in: nothing to configure |
| EV-ACS3210T | NACS | About 7.7 kW, six steps from 10 to 32 A | Steps down for smaller circuits |
All three plug into a NEMA 14-50 outlet. The precondition is the outlet itself: existing, suitable, and in good condition for hours of continuous load. If there is any doubt about its circuit, have an electrician verify it before the first session — our guide to what a NEMA 14-50 outlet is covers what to look for. How to raise the subject with a landlord, and what a fair agreement covers, is a conversation of its own; our guide to having a charger at home works through houses, rentals and condos.
The Landlord’s Answer: A Wallbox That Stays
A landlord fitting charging for the property — rather than for one tenancy — is buying a fixed amenity. In North America that is the EV-ACT5006T: up to 48 A, hardwired or on a NEMA 14-50P plug, 11.5 kW, with no app or card system, so sessions are simply open — a good match for a single-household property. On a European three-phase supply it is the EV-ACT3204PE: 22 kW, Type 2, with RFID and app access, which suits a property where who charges needs controlling. Either way, the unit is installed once, stays when tenancies change, and can be named in the property’s listing as a feature. What we will not do is put a figure on what that feature is worth in rent: no such figure exists in our sources, and any premium belongs to the local market, not to a specification sheet.
The Agreement Comes First
One page, agreed before money moves, prevents most disputes this topic produces:
- What will be used or installed, and exactly where.
- Who pays for any electrician’s work, and who owns what afterwards.
- How the arrangement ends — the portable leaves; an installed unit stays, or is made good, as agreed.
Paying for the Electricity, Honestly
No charger in this article is a billing meter, and none should be treated as one. Where the property has its own meter, the energy question mostly answers itself: the tenant charges from the tenant’s supply. Where supplies are shared, the parties need their own arrangement — a fixed contribution, or readings they both agree to trust. The EV-ACT3204E’s RFID sessions can attribute use to a card, which helps that conversation. But a session record is evidence of use, not a utility invoice, and it does not settle a bill on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tenant take a wallbox with them when they leave?
Only if the written agreement says so. A hardwired unit becomes part of the property’s wiring once fitted. A portable avoids the question entirely, which is why it is the tenant’s default answer.
Will a charger raise the rent a landlord can charge?
We make no such claim. A working charger is an amenity some tenants actively look for; what it is worth, if anything, is set by the local market, not by the charger’s specification.
Who pays for the electricity a tenant uses?
Whoever the agreement says. On a separately metered property it is normally the tenant’s own supply. On shared supplies, agree the method in writing before the first session — not after the first bill.
Related Reading
- Can I Have an Electric Car Charger at Home? Houses, Rentals and Condos
- How to Charge an EV When You Live in an Apartment
- Apartment and Condo EV Charging: Solutions for Shared Parking
- What Is a NEMA 14-50 Outlet? A Guide for EV Owners
