I asked ChatGPT for info on such unreasonable fees.

It said that " A typical “licence to alter” fee for minor works (like a charger) is often between £300 and £800, depending on complexity.

• £1,600 could be reasonable only if:
  • It includes a solicitor’s detailed licence document;
  • Their surveyor inspected the site; and
  • There were genuine fire, electrical, or structural checks involved.

If it’s just an admin sign-off for a simple wall-mounted charger, £1,600 would likely be considered excessive.

What you can do.

• Ask for a cost breakdown — request itemised details of the fee (legal, surveyor, admin).
• Challenge unreasonable costs — if you think it’s over the top, you can: Write formally to dispute the fee and propose to pay the reasonable costs only; or Apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to determine whether the charge is reasonable (under s.19 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985). Check for any government or local EV initiatives — some authorities are encouraging landlords to permit chargepoints with capped admin fees."

I might be worth speaking to them to discuss a reasonable fee and indicate that you would take it to the First-tier Tribunal if they refused to budge.

 

They are wanting £450 for the licence and £1150 for the legal work.

 

Realistically you’ll need to read your lease and see what that says about consent and also regarding what they can charge.
is it the Freeholder or Managing Agent asking for the fee?
Is the parking space demised to you as part of the lease, I.e. you actually own it?
Paying their fee will likely give you the path of least resistance in getting this done I’m sorry to say.
Have you had quotes for the whole installation cost, I’d imagine it’s going to unfortunately get very expensive, to know that you want to go ahead?

 

It is the feeholder's agent, it is a freeholder led development. it is a demised car parking space. They have also said I should get legal reprsentation so that will double it! The cost of the electrical works will be about £1000 as well.

 

It’s probably still worthwhile, as home charging is far cheaper with a time of use tariff. I paid £2500 for mine three and a half years ago, including duct work, and it’s paid for itself already. Public charging is around 70p, while home charging is 7p. Literally a tenth of the cost! Think of the installation cost as a fuel prepayment, and it will become a little easier to swallow. Man maths can help - my Smart #1 was preregistered, with only 5 miles on the clock, and had a £9000 discount. That’s more than the charge point cost!

 

Mad as it sounds, be grateful!

My freeholder won't let me have one at all, wanting to reserve the electrical supply for his own chargers which he can charge what he likes to use.

 

Mad as it sounds, be grateful!

My freeholder won't let me have one at all, wanting to reserve the electrical supply for his own chargers which he can charge what he likes to use.

I'm in the same position, the freeholder flatly refused my request twice over a two year period...

 

What is this "leasehold" thing you speak of?

 

Suppose ultimately it depends how long you plan on staying there too.

 

30 years ago I bought a leasehold new-build DETACHED house from Barrett. ( didn't know better then)
6 months later they sold all the leaseholds to a 3 rd party .

The 3rd party wanted £500 fee, to allow me to erct a 6x6 wooden shed in the rear garden!

It is a legal racket

 

Feudalism, including the concept of leasehold, was abolished in Scotland by the Abolition of Feudal Tenure (Scotland) Act 2000.

Time to enter the 20th/21st Century?

 

Feudalism, including the concept of leasehold, was abolished in Scotland by the Abolition of Feudal Tenure (Scotland) Act 2000.

Time to enter the 20th/21st Century?

I thought leasehold had also been abolished in England, for new builds which are not flats? Flats seem to be the sticking point since there are multiple properties on the same (2 dimensional) parcel of land, and also shared parts of the building that need to be paid for and maintained - how are these handled in Scotland?

As much as I would generally avoid a leasehold property, old ones generally don't seem terrible, whereas with newer properties it just seems to be a way to print money through unreasonable hidden fees.

 

You know what?

The government is never going to reach net-zero as long as people in flats have to drive ICE cars due to freeholder intransigence. Is anyone here on good terms with an MP and could point it out to him/her?

 

The DNO have said I could have 55Kw three phase supply as the intake room is next to my flat.

Not worth the extra cost in my view. I had the opportunity to have 3 phase installed when I had a new connection in my cart lodge. The cost was huge compared to never once being in a position where faster charging would have helped me out.

 

The DNO have let me know three phase is in the intake room adjacent to the flat and there are free ways on the supply head.

 

The cost does seem steep, but this will add value to your apartment. Few apartments have their own charger. And the power available is a bonus. I would advise getting a 22kw charger. With batteries getting ever bigger, this will become essential to get a full charge during the discount window of most providers.

 

With Intelligent Octopus Go I regularly get a full battery using slots outside that window at the same price as within it. Mine is 87kWh. In fact I have always got what I asked to be added to the battery for the last 6 months. If you want to minimise costs this set up is perfect. How often does the OP need a full charge? That might be the tipping point.

 

What a rip off. And when you move out the new tenant will likely be charged a stack of money. No cost or any problem for leaseholder.

 

I am the long lease holder.

 

Total rip off. A mate we saw at the weekend who lives in a posh flat development is sick of all the new fees they keep inventing over and above the std factor fees. Seems they are looking for more income streams given the economy. Stealth taxes so to speak?

 

Sounds like the power will come from the communal supply? Will it be independently metered?

When I managed to do this back in 2014, after many months of cosying up with the Directors, the management company, and the freeholder, I had to run a single-phase feed from my consumer unit on the 6th floor down to the parking space on floor -1. We also had to get permission from the insurance company and a fire assessment as the run was all in communal areas.

Complete game changer for me at the time, no more late night treks around the area to find available on-street charging.

Lucky the installation was owned (albeit leasehold) by me, as was the parking space - I understand that leaseholders usually charge rent for both these days.

Will see if I can find the invoices from back then to give an indication of cost.

 

Sounds like the power will come from the communal supply? Will it be independently metered?

When I managed to do this back in 2014, after many months of cosying up with the Directors, the management company, and the freeholder, I had to run a single-phase feed from my consumer unit on the 6th floor down to the parking space on floor -1. We also had to get permission from the insurance company and a fire assessment as the run was all in communal areas.

Complete game changer for me at the time, no more late night treks around the area to find available on-street charging.

Lucky the installation was owned (albeit leasehold) by me, as was the parking space - I understand that leaseholders usually charge rent for both these days.

Will see if I can find the invoices from back then to give an indication of cost.

It will be through my meter. My flat is adjacent to the intake room and there are spare ways in the DNO supply head.

 

The DNO have provisionally have the 3 phase for free. I am in a ground floor flat and the DNO intake room is adjacent to my flat.

 

I am in a ground floor flat

Where is your parking space in relation to your flat?

 

3 phase sounds like total overkill to me. You know the standing charge is higher for 3 phase, don't you? Why not leave some spare supply for neighbours wanting a connection?

 

Got 3-phase at home and my standing charge is 56p/day with Octopus.

I think that's the regular S/C - never heard of different S/Cs for 3 phase supply ever.

Possibly the case if for some reason you had 3 separate meters and 3 separate bills, but that would be..... foolish

 

Apologies for correcting your wrong assertion in post #35

 

Would expect you would run all 3 phases to a charger specific consumer unit and then from there to the charging unit.

Not an electrician!

I only have a 7kW single phase home charger so only one phase is taken to a CU.

My house used to be a hotel with 6 electric showers hence the historic need for 3 phase.

 

Don’t know about the rest of the UK but two phase is reasonably common in rural Northumberland. Though to add, one area only just got mains electricity last month.