Three years ago a tenant called and asked if she could run an extension cord from her unit’s outdoor outlet to charge her new electric car overnight. I said no on the spot, then spent about six weeks putting together an actual written policy so I would never have to make that call under pressure again. Across my 9 properties I now have 4 dedicated EV charging spots installed, and every lease I sign includes an EV addendum, whether the tenant owns a car yet or not.
If you manage shared parking, this is coming for you too. At one of my 8-unit buildings, two tenants asked about EV charging within 14 months of each other, and I had nothing ready for the second request either. Waiting until someone shows up with a charging cable in hand is the worst time to design your rules.
Why You Need a Policy Before the First Request Arrives
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Shared parking lots were not built with 200V outlets in mind, and most tenants assume they can just plug in the way they would at home. Once one tenant is charging for free off a common-area outlet, every other tenant with an EV expects the same deal, and you end up subsidizing someone’s electricity at maybe 4,000 to 6,000 yen a month without ever agreeing to it. I learned this the hard way at a property where a tenant had been trickle-charging off a shared laundry-room outlet for about 5 months before I noticed the electric bill had jumped by roughly 18 percent.
Decide Who Pays for the Electricity
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There are really only two workable models. The first is a flat monthly EV parking fee added to rent, which I set at 3,000 yen per spot regardless of how much the tenant actually drives u2014 simple to administer, but it can feel unfair to a light user. The second is a submeter on each charging outlet billed at the actual utility rate, which in my area runs close to 27 yen per kWh. I switched three of my four EV spots to submetering after tenants complained the flat fee was too high for occasional charging, and it cut disputes to almost zero. Whichever model you pick, put the rate in the lease itself, not just a verbal agreement u2014 I review both rates every spring against the local utility’s published price, and I have adjusted the flat fee twice in the last 4 years as electricity costs shifted.
Budget for Installation and Decide Who Covers It
A basic 200V outlet installation for one parking spot runs 80,000 to 150,000 yen depending on how far the spot is from the electrical panel and whether you need a new circuit breaker. I split this cost with tenants who want a dedicated charger: they pay a one-time 30,000 yen installation deposit, and I cover the rest, treating it as a capital improvement that increases the unit’s rentable value. For a full charging station with a dedicated meter and weatherproof enclosure, expect closer to 250,000 yen per spot u2014 I only do this for buildings where I already have 2 or more EV owners on site.
Set Firm Safety Rules u2014 No Extension Cords, Ever
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This is the rule I am strictest about. A standard household extension cord is not rated for the sustained 12 to 16 amp draw of EV trickle-charging over 6 to 8 hours, and running one across a wet parking lot is a fire and trip hazard I am not willing to accept. My policy requires charging only from a dedicated outlet within 3 meters of the parking spot, installed by a licensed electrician on its own breaker. I also require any charging cable left outdoors overnight to be a weatherproof model, not a standard indoor extension cord repurposed for the job. I walk every new EV tenant out to the spot myself and point out exactly where the cable will run, because a cable draped across a walkway at ankle height is the kind of thing that turns into a lawsuit, not just a warning letter.
Put the Policy in Writing as a Lease Addendum
Once you decide on cost-sharing and safety rules, get them into a signed addendum before anyone plugs in. My addendum covers these points as a checklist I walk through with every tenant who requests EV parking:
- Designated spot number and confirmation it has an approved outlet or charger
- Monthly fee structure u2014 flat 3,000 yen rate or submetered at the current utility rate
- Written proof of comprehensive auto insurance covering the parked vehicle
- No extension cords or unapproved wiring modifications, ever
- Tenant responsible for any damage to the outlet, panel, or shared electrical system
- Charging equipment removed and outlet restored to original condition at move-out, within 14 days
I have every tenant initial each line separately rather than just signing once at the bottom u2014 it forces an actual conversation about the rules instead of a rubber stamp.
Revisit the Policy Every Year or Two
EV adoption in Japan keeps shifting, and the rules that worked when I had just 1 EV owner across 9 properties will not hold once you have 3 or 4 tenants wanting spots in the same building. I review my EV addendum every 12 months, checking whether the flat fee still covers average usage and whether I need to add a second dedicated spot at a given property. Two years ago I had zero EV charging requests; now I turn down at least one every quarter because I am out of dedicated spots.
That’s the approach I use across all 9 of my properties u2014 decide the money and safety rules before the first plug goes in, put it in writing, and revisit it as more tenants show up with electric cars.
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15 years of landlord experience u00b7 3 apartment buildings u00b7 DIY renovations that saved millions of yen. Browse all articles at diytosan.com
