Does anyone know of a resource that could help people track down local rental properties which have EV charging stations? I'm looking to purchase my first EV, but am struggling to find a place that I could rent and have a charger (I'm not diving in until I have some sort of home charging available.
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Find EV Friendly Rentals
- Thread starter DDrawer
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srs5694
Active Member
PlugShare might be helpful, but it's likely to miss a lot. There's an option to search for restricted locations, which could include EVSEs located in apartment building parking lots, but mostly they're businesses that offer charging for employees only. You might luck out and find a rental that's within walking distance of a Level 2 charger or even a SuperCharger, though.
If the rental includes a garage, you can almost certainly charge in it. Even if it's got nothing but a driveway, you could probably use the EVSE that comes with the car off either an outside 120v outlet or run outside a window. 120v options are a bit awkward, especially if you've got to dangle a cord out a window, but depending on how much you drive and what other charging options you have (like at work or nearby SuperChargers), they might be adequate. This obviously won't help for a big apartment building unless you're on the ground floor and can park right next to your unit -- and even then, the landlord might object.
Some landlords might be open to adding an EVSE, and that won't show up in any app or online resource. Tesla has a program to encourage installation of Destination Chargers (basically just Tesla Wall Connectors) at rental properties. Check here for details. I've seen online reports from people who've had luck with such requests. Frequently the renter ends up paying half the cost for the EVSE and its installation.
If the rental includes a garage, you can almost certainly charge in it. Even if it's got nothing but a driveway, you could probably use the EVSE that comes with the car off either an outside 120v outlet or run outside a window. 120v options are a bit awkward, especially if you've got to dangle a cord out a window, but depending on how much you drive and what other charging options you have (like at work or nearby SuperChargers), they might be adequate. This obviously won't help for a big apartment building unless you're on the ground floor and can park right next to your unit -- and even then, the landlord might object.
Some landlords might be open to adding an EVSE, and that won't show up in any app or online resource. Tesla has a program to encourage installation of Destination Chargers (basically just Tesla Wall Connectors) at rental properties. Check here for details. I've seen online reports from people who've had luck with such requests. Frequently the renter ends up paying half the cost for the EVSE and its installation.
If you're looking for an apartment, PlugShare is probably a good place to start.
If you're looking for a home, it's going to be much more difficult. We're lucky and our landlord doesn't really care what we do, so we've installed charging stations in our carport.
For house-hunting, I recommend looking for places on Zillow or some other real estate app and seeking out homes that have electrical infrastructure that's conducive to a simple EVSE setup. Things to look for are an electrical meter and circuit breaker panel that are either in the garage or near the driveway. If you can install an EVSE near the electrical panel, you can probably talk your landlord into letting you have an electrician do it. Be sure to tell them it's an upgrade to the home that will attract a broader tenant base. The least expensive option is usually to install a NEMA 14-50 outlet below the electrical panel.
If you're looking for a home, it's going to be much more difficult. We're lucky and our landlord doesn't really care what we do, so we've installed charging stations in our carport.
For house-hunting, I recommend looking for places on Zillow or some other real estate app and seeking out homes that have electrical infrastructure that's conducive to a simple EVSE setup. Things to look for are an electrical meter and circuit breaker panel that are either in the garage or near the driveway. If you can install an EVSE near the electrical panel, you can probably talk your landlord into letting you have an electrician do it. Be sure to tell them it's an upgrade to the home that will attract a broader tenant base. The least expensive option is usually to install a NEMA 14-50 outlet below the electrical panel.
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Thank you. I'll check out PlugShare. Hopefully the property sites will start adding filter options for EV charging soon. Renting a house with a driveway, I don't think I would have much difficulty asking the landlord to allow me to have a NEMA 14-50 installed, but I was specifically looking for apartment complex style buildings. I am open to houses, but those are easier to find/get a 14-50 installed so I'm looking for a tool to help find apartment complexes with EV charging as well (the apartments seems to be newer and nicer than houses for rent in my area). I don't think 120v charging will be an option for me, as my normal commute is about 50 miles a day. Probably would still need to top off at a super charger at the end of the week or something in that scenario, and that doesn't account when I travel to clients once or twice a week which I might clock closer to 80 miles on those days.
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