HOA & Condo EV Charging in Tampa, FL

Florida law: what §718.113 actually says

Section 718.113 of the Florida Statutes — part of the Florida Condominium Act — has addressed EV charging since 2018. In plain terms, it provides:

• A condominium declaration or restrictive covenant may not prohibit a unit owner from installing an EV charging station within the boundaries of the owner’s limited common element or exclusively designated parking area, and the board may not prohibit it either.
• The installation may not cause irreparable damage to the condominium property.
• The electricity must be separately metered and paid for by the unit owner (or successor) — not the association.
• The unit owner is responsible for all costs: installation, operation, maintenance, repair, and removal, including hazard and liability insurance.
• The association may require: bona fide safety requirements; reasonable architectural standards for dimensions, placement, and appearance (which must not prohibit the installation or significantly increase its cost); installation or removal by a licensed firm; a certificate of insurance naming the association as an additional insured; and reimbursement of any increase in the association’s insurance premiums within 14 days of the invoice.

Separately, §718.113 provides that when the board itself installs or operates EV charging on the common elements, that work does not count as a material alteration or substantial addition — meaning the board can do it without the membership vote normally required for such projects, and can set charges for its use.

The approval playbook (condo owners)

1. Put it in writing. Submit a written request to the board describing the station, the parking space, and the proposed power route. Verbal permission isn’t enough — you want the approval (and its conditions) documented.
2. Get an electrician’s site assessment first. The power run from the building’s electrical room to your space determines feasibility and cost. Bring the electrician’s plan to the board — it answers their technical questions before they’re asked.
3. Line up insurance early. You’ll need a certificate naming the association as an additional insured. Talk to your insurer before the board meeting, not after.
4. Accept reasonable conditions gracefully. Placement, appearance standards, and licensed-contractor requirements are within the association’s rights. Fighting reasonable conditions burns goodwill you may need later.
5. Budget for the full cost. You pay for everything: installation, metering, insurance, maintenance, and eventual removal. Get the electrician’s quote in writing before you commit to the board.

Why the power run dominates the cost

In a single-family home, the charger often sits 20 feet from the panel. In a condo, the run from the building’s electrical room to an assigned garage space can be hundreds of feet through concrete, ceilings, or buried conduit — plus submetering hardware so your electricity is billed to you separately, as the statute requires. That’s why two identical chargers in the same building can have wildly different installed prices. There’s no shortcut around a site assessment.

When the association wants shared chargers instead

Some boards prefer installing shared charging on the common elements rather than approving many individual stations — and §718.113 expressly lets them do it without a membership vote. Shared stations can be cheaper per user and simpler to manage, but they don’t extinguish your individual right under the statute: even with shared stations available, the board still generally cannot prohibit your individual installation in your designated space. That said, if shared charging meets your needs, it’s usually the path of least resistance.

Legal disclaimer: this page summarizes our research into §718.113 of the Florida Statutes as general information — it is not legal advice, and association law is fact-specific. Statute language and case law change; verify current law with a Florida-licensed attorney before acting on it, especially for HOA (Chapter 720) communities.