Charging a car in an apartment building
Charging in a building's garage is legal, needs no licence, and at night it is 6 to 20 times cheaper than a public fast charger.
Translated from Serbian. Where the exact wording matters, the Serbian original applies.
- Charging in an apartment building is legal and requires no licence
- You need a dedicated circuit with protection, a MID-certified meter and, when the cable passes through common parts, an assembly decision
- Installation takes one day, and with an assembly decision the whole process takes 4–10 weeks
- A night-time kilowatt-hour at home, with all fees: about 4–7 RSD; at public fast chargers 43–79 RSD
How much you save
For 1.500 km a month, with average consumption of 16 kWh per 100 km, a car needs about 240 kWh. At home, at the low tariff, that is 1.000–1.700 RSD a month, and at public fast chargers 10.300–19.000 RSD. The car charges overnight and is full in the morning, with no waiting at a charger.
Three situations in a building
- Your own garage with its own meter. The installation is yours and the electricity goes through your meter, so in most cases the residents' assembly has no say.
- A space in the building, a circuit through common parts. A decision of the residents' assembly is needed, as a rule by a simple majority: assembly consent.
- A rented garage. The owner's written consent is enough, and you pay them for the electricity by the MID-certified meter: rented garage.
Details: the garage owner and moving
The consent template comes from the contractor or from the rented garage guide. Every month the owner receives a statement with the charger's exact consumption and the amount at the price on their electricity bill. When you move, the kit is removed and moves with you.
What the regulations say
- No licence is needed. Article 210v of the Energy Law regulates public chargers. Charging in a private garage or in your own space is not a public charging service.
- Reimbursing electricity by the meter is re-invoicing of costs (prefakturisanje): with no markup, at the price on the EPS bill. More: who pays for the electricity.
- The 2024 garage regulations regulate charging rather than prohibit it, provided there is a dedicated installation. Its soundness is proven by a test certificate from an authorised contractor: safety and test certificate.
Details: a ban in the house rules
The obligations of public charging station operators do not apply to charging in a private garage. Blanket bans in the house rules along the lines of “charging electric vehicles is prohibited in this building” can be legally challenged, especially with a technical specification, certified metering and a test certificate.
Installation and price
- On-site assessment: the installation, the power and the cable route. You get an exact quote, not a guess over the phone.
- Paperwork for the assembly, the owner or just a contract. You or the building manager prepare it, often from a template the installer provides.
- Installation in one working day: a dedicated circuit, type A + DC RCD protection, a MID-certified meter and a test certificate.
- Monthly billing by the meter at the price on the EPS bill, with no markup.
A reinforced socket works on an ordinary single-phase installation and gives 100–180 km of range overnight. An 11 kW wallbox requires a three-phase connection. Companies' public prices: How much a charger costs in Serbia.
Details: why not an extension cord
A Schuko socket is not made for hours of continuous load. During longer charging at 16 A the contacts and the cable heat up, and in an old installation the temperature can rise to a dangerous level. A dedicated circuit with protection solves this.
FAQ
Who pays for my charger's electricity?
You do, exactly as much as you have used: by the MID-certified meter at the price on the actual EPS bill, with no markup. The building and the neighbours pay nothing.
How long does it take from request to first charge?
If there is power in the garage, usually less than 7 days. With the consent of the owner of a rented garage, 1–2 weeks, and with an assembly decision, 4–10 weeks. The installation itself takes one working day.
What if the assembly says “no”?
Assemblies refuse when nobody answers two questions: who pays for the electricity and who is liable if something goes wrong. With the paperwork it is a different conversation: MID metering, a test certificate, a technical specification and a draft decision. The whole procedure is in the assembly guide.
Evolako installs chargers in buildings and garages with a MID-certified meter, plus monthly electricity billing at the price on the EPS bill and templates for the residents' assembly. evolako.rs
Sources (4)
Updated 30.09.2026 · Report an error
Related
A charger in a building: the assembly's decision
A charger whose cable runs through the common parts of the building requires a decision of the residents' assembly, as a rule by a simple majority of those present.
Who pays for the charging electricity
Reimbursing electricity by a MID meter at the price on the bill, with no markup, is not selling electricity and needs no licence.
Who pays what in a building
Calculator: how much the neighbours pay for someone else's charging without a meter.