Electric vehicle charging requests combine owner rights with real infrastructure questions. A board may need to evaluate electrical capacity, common-element work, parking rights, permits, insurance, metering, maintenance, and future removal without turning a permitted review into an unreasonable barrier.
Begin with applicability. RCW 64.90.513 governs electric vehicle charging stations in common interest communities subject to that section. RCW 64.90.365 extends Section 64.90.513 to many communities created before July 1, 2018, subject to the statute's terms and exceptions. The board should still ask Washington counsel to confirm the governing act, declaration, parking arrangement, and whether another law or recorded right affects the request.
The statute says an association may not unreasonably restrict installation or use of an electric vehicle charging station in a designated parking space for the unit owner's exclusive use. A restriction that significantly increases the cost or decreases the efficiency or specified performance of the station can be unreasonable. Reasonable architectural standards remain possible, so the board should translate legitimate concerns into objective written requirements.
Log the application on the day it arrives. RCW 64.90.513 provides that an application is deemed approved if the association does not approve or deny it in writing within 60 days, unless that delay results from a reasonable request for additional information. Record every request for information, the reason it is needed, the response date, and the final written decision.
Use one application package. Ask for the proposed charger, rated load, location, parking-space rights, electrical route, panel and service information, contractor credentials, permits, utility coordination, drawings, photographs, protective equipment, metering plan, and proposed restoration method. The board should request only information reasonably connected to the decision.
Coordinate technical review early. Shared garages and parking areas can raise load-management, conduit, fire-stopping, accessibility, waterproofing, ventilation, and common-element questions. The association may need input from its electrician, engineer, insurer, utility, fire authority, or counsel. A manager can coordinate those participants, but should not offer engineering or legal conclusions.
Conditions should track the statute and actual project. Depending on the facts, the owner may be responsible for installation, electricity, damage, maintenance, repair, replacement, removal, and restoration costs. The statute also addresses permits and standards, registration, disclosure to later buyers, and insurance in specified circumstances. Put approved conditions in a signed written agreement tied to the unit and parking space.
Do not create an EV-only revenue stream. RCW 64.90.513 limits an association's ability to charge a fee for processing an EV charging application. A processing fee is permitted only if the association charges a fee for all applications for architectural modifications, and it must be reasonable. Actual review or infrastructure costs should be handled consistently with the statute, governing documents, and counsel advice.
Plan for shared infrastructure as well as individual requests. Repeated owner-by-owner installations can become expensive and difficult to maintain. A board can evaluate capacity, load management, utility programs, future conduit, common charging, allocation of costs, and a standard agreement before the next request arrives. Long-range planning should not be used to leave a current application unanswered.
Close the file after installation. Keep the application, decision, agreement, permits, contractor information, insurance evidence, photographs, inspection or commissioning records, meter information, and owner notices with the association records. Add renewal dates and continuing obligations to a calendar so insurance, registration, and maintenance conditions do not disappear after approval.
Apply the same written workflow to comparable requests. Track response time, information requested, conditions, costs, and final outcome. Consistent records make board decisions easier to explain and give a future manager or board a reliable history of the building's charging infrastructure.
This checklist is general board education, not legal, engineering, insurance, tax, or electrical advice. The correct process depends on statutory coverage, governing documents, parking rights, building conditions, utility requirements, permits, and the proposed equipment.