Is an EV charger in a communal garage dangerous?

Is an EV charger in a communal garage dangerous? What the rules say

At many community meetings a neighbour asks whether a charger in the shared garage is dangerous. The technical answer is that a charging installation done to the regulations is very safe, because ITC-BT-52 requires specific protection that an ordinary home installation does not have.

The protection it has

• A dedicated circuit for the charger, with nothing else on it.
• Its own 30 mA RCD, type A with 6 mA DC detection, or type B.
• A curve C MCB sized for the line.
• A surge protector.
• Earthing (grounding) and a TN-S earthing system.

How the cable is run in the garage

• Halogen-free cable (type RZ1-K), required in garages because of how it behaves in a fire.
• Rigid conduit or metal cable tray along the ceiling, following the common routes.
• Fire sealing at every crossing between fire compartments.
• A route that avoids, wherever possible, passing over other owners’ spaces.

What the community can ask for

Under article 17.5 of the Horizontal Property Law (Ley de Propiedad Horizontal), you only need to notify the community (comunidad de propietarios) of the installation. It can ask that a registered electrical contractor does it, that the routes and fire compartments are respected, that anything affected is put back and that the consumption does not hang off the communal meter. It cannot impose a brand or its own installer, or charge a fee.

Paperwork that reassures everyone

The installer issues the boletín (electrical certificate) and the technical design report, which are registered with the Junta de Andalucía industry department. In garages with more than 25 spaces, which are subject to periodic inspection, any new installation must be documented for that inspection. Handing those documents to the property administrator usually settles the debate.

When an installation really is a risk

The danger is not the charger but doing it badly: household sockets with extension leads, lines without their own protection, loose cables with no conduit or connections to the garage lighting. That is exactly what the regulations prevent and what the community is entitled to refuse.

When to call an electrician

Call if you are installing your charger and want to present a flawless installation to the community, or if you are an administrator who wants to organise owners’ requests. In Seville, Spain, we do it through EV charger installation in communal garages, and our homeowners associations services cover the rest of the building.