What do I need in order to set-up my rental property with an EV charger?

Setting up your rental property with reliable EV charging is easier than you might think. Similarly to a single-family home, you will first need to purchase a smart EV charger (Level 2).

A smart EV charger allows you to take digital control of your charger by accessing it on Wifi or bluetooth, and allowing you to schedule charging times and measure how much energy you are using. Most importantly, smart chargers allow you to bill your tenants or renters for the electricity costs they use when charging, and even allow you to mark up the cost of electricity to make a bit of profit for your effort. Most smart EV chargers are also Open Charging Point Protocol (OCPP) compliant, meaning that various mobile applications can connect to it and allow you to set up an EV charging management system.

While the hardware itself is the same for both single-family homes and rental properties/multi-user homes, the type of software and functionalities you need are different. For a rental property, a property owner needs to make sure they have an EV charging management system in place.

What is an EV charging management system?

An EV charging management system allows you to manage, control and optimize EV charging from your charger(s). Through this management system a property owner uses a dashboard to track energy and charging metrics, set access and pricing for guests, and configure load balancing, amongst other important features.

How should I bill my rental property guests who need to charge their electric vehicles?

One of the coolest parts of the EV charging management system is that it allows property owners to monetize their rental property’s EV charging. How much you charge is up to you and your electricity bill. The ways in which you charge your guests also can vary. Each commercial smart EV charger is different, however, here are some of the most common ways you can bill your rental property guests on EV charging:

• QR code sticker: no need to download an app or register an account, simply ask your guests to scan the QR code to receive access and pay for charging
• RFID card: access and pay for EV charging using an RFID card which identifies who your guest is when tapped near the card reader on an EV charger
• Charging application: ask your guests to download an application and register in order to access your EV charger while they stay at your property