Installing an electric car charger in a communal garage: what to check

What the LPH requires when the charging point is for private use

If you want to install an electric car charger for private use in your community car park, the starting point is very specific: the Horizontal Property Act provides that, **if the installation is located in an individual garage space**, it will “only require prior notification to the community” and that “the cost of that installation and the corresponding electricity consumption shall be borne in full by the interested party or parties” Law 49/1960, article 17.5.

That is the key to this case. This is not a general guide to electric mobility or to works in a community, but a check of whether your situation fits that specific scenario. That is where the usual doubts arise: whether the space is truly individual, who you should notify, which costs you pay and which should not be charged to the community.

Before moving a cable or asking for a quote, it is worth checking several practical and documentary points.

1. First check whether the space is really individual

This article applies when the charging point is installed **in an individual garage space**. For that reason, the first step is not technical, but legal and descriptive.

1. Check the title deed, the master deed or the property documentation to confirm that the space is individually identified.

2. Make sure it is not a communal area, a shared space or a non-exclusive use.

3. If the space appears as an annex or linked to your home, also check how it is described and whether the installation will be made within the perimeter of private use.

**Practical tip:** keep a copy of the documentation identifying the space. It will help you explain the situation to the community without confusion.

**Common mistake:** requesting the installation as though any parking spot would do. The distinction between an individual space and a common element is what avoids later disputes.

2. Notify the community in advance by a method that leaves evidence

The law refers to **prior notification**. In practice, that means it is not a good idea to start the installation without having notified it beforehand. The prudent course is to leave written evidence of that notification and its date.

You can do this, for example, by sending a letter to the chairperson or the managing agent, identifying the space and giving a basic description of the work. The important thing is that there is proof of receipt.

It is advisable to include:

1. Your details as the owner.

2. The exact identification of the space.

3. A brief description of the planned installation.

4. The indicative start date, if you already have one.

5. An express mention that this is a charging point for private use in an individual space.

**Useful action:** deliver the letter by a method that allows receipt to be proven and keep a stamped, signed copy or acknowledgement of receipt.

**Common mistake:** thinking that telling people verbally in the entrance hall, by WhatsApp or in a conversation with a neighbour is enough. It may not be sufficient if a disagreement later arises.

3. Clarify who pays for the installation, the consumption and any ancillary works

The legal rule is clear in essence: **the cost of the installation and the corresponding electricity consumption are borne entirely by the interested party** Law 49/1960, article 17.5.

However, in practice it is worth separating items:

1. **Installation of the charging point.** You pay for it.

2. **Electricity consumed by that point.** You also pay for it.

3. **Additional works strictly necessary for its private installation.** These must be assessed case by case within the same logic of being borne by the interested party.

4. **General garage improvements, communal repairs or actions that are not part of your private installation.** These should not be mixed in without a clear justification.

Here it is important to distinguish between what is an adaptation of your own charging point and what could affect common elements. If conduits need to be run, equipment fixed or routes made through common areas, it is wise to have the installer set this out in writing and to keep the technical report, scheme and invoice.

**Practical tip:** ask the installer to specify which part of the work affects your space and which part runs through common elements, so that you can file the documentation properly.

4. Check whether the articles of association or internal rules add usage safeguards, but do not invent majorities

In this matter, the usual question is whether a vote is needed at a meeting. For the case covered by article 17.5, the legal answer is prior notification, not a specific majority. It is therefore worth avoiding two opposite mistakes:

- believing that you need unanimity or a qualified majority without checking the case,

- or thinking that the community cannot set any internal organisation rules regarding garage use.

Internal rules may regulate matters of coexistence, access or safety, but they should not distort what the law allows for this type of private installation. If the building has specific instructions on working hours, access, fire protection or circulation in the garage, follow them as long as they do not contradict the applicable legal regime.

**Practical action:** if the community has a managing agent, ask them whether there are any internal rules on works in the garage or access by technicians.

5. Keep technical and administrative evidence to avoid disputes

Although the law is simple in its wording, problems usually arise afterwards: leaks, installation incidents, doubts about the supply point or disagreement over where the conduit has run.

To prevent them, organise a basic file with:

1. The prior notification sent to the community.

2. Any reply, if there was one.

3. The accepted quotation.

4. The installer’s technical report or documentation.

5. Invoices.

6. Before-and-after photos.

7. Proof of consumption if the system is linked to your meter or to the contracted solution.

**Common mistake:** assuming that “as it is my space, there is no need to keep anything”. Later, if there is damage to a common element or a question about the traceability of the installation, the lack of paperwork makes it much harder to defend your position.

What to do if the community raises doubts

If the chairperson, the managing agent or a neighbour asks for clarification, act calmly and with facts. The most useful approach is usually to explain that you are relying on the individual-space and private-use scenario, and to provide a brief and orderly notification.

If the community says that common elements are affected, check exactly which part of the installation is being questioned. A minimal, documented conduit is not the same as works that alter the use of common areas.

If you would like to value a property with a garage and other annexes in Madrid, you can use our online indicative valuation, which offers a range and PDF report plus an optional visit. If you need us to review your specific case, you can write to us from /contacto.

Operational summary

1. Confirm that the space is individual.

2. Give prior notification in writing and keep proof.

3. Clearly separate installation, consumption and ancillary works.

4. Check internal rules without inventing majorities that the law does not require in this case.

5. File technical and administrative documentation.

In a community, the difference between a peaceful installation and a dispute usually comes down to two things: fitting the legal scenario correctly and leaving sufficient evidence from the outset. In this case, the law is especially practical, but success depends on documenting each step properly.