Updated
Moving House, Or Renting, With A Charge Point
You are selling, buying or renting, and nobody is sure who the charge point belongs to or what paperwork should come with it.
Find an EV charger installer
What's happening?
A charge point is fixed electrical equipment wired into the house, so by default it stays with the property in the same way a boiler does — it is a fixture, not something you unbolt on completion day, unless the sale contract says otherwise and it is professionally disconnected. Three practical things follow. If you are selling, the buyer's solicitor will want the electrical certification for the installation, because it was notifiable work under the Building Regulations and the paperwork is the proof it was done properly. If you are buying, ask for that certification and for the account handover, since a unit still registered to the previous owner's app account is a common and annoying discovery. If you are renting, the charge point is the landlord's decision: they own the wall, they hold the certification duty, and there is a government grant scheme aimed specifically at landlords fitting sockets for tenants.
What usually causes it?
- A charge point installed under a previous owner's account, never transferred at sale
- No electrical installation certificate handed over, so the buyer cannot evidence the work
- A seller intending to take the unit with them, leaving a live circuit and a hole in the wall
- A tenant wanting a charge point on a property they do not own
- A landlord unwilling to commit, unaware of the grant scheme aimed at them
- A cross-pavement channel or council agreement in the seller's name, with no route to transfer it
Is it dangerous?
Removing a charge point badly is the risk in this one. A unit unbolted and taken away leaves a 32A circuit terminated somewhere, and that has to be made safe and certified rather than taped over. Buying a house with an undocumented charge point is a lesser risk, but it is genuinely unknown work on a high-current circuit until somebody inspects it.
Can I fix it myself?
Get the paperwork moving early. If you are selling, find the electrical installation certificate from the original install and put it with the property information. If you are buying, ask for it before exchange and ask the seller to release the app account. If you are renting, put the request to the landlord in writing with the government's landlord grant page attached and a named installer. Do not remove a charge point yourself, and do not accept one that was installed by somebody with no certification to show.
When should you call an EV charger installer?
Call an installer if a charge point is being removed, so the circuit is made safe and certified and the wall is made good. Call one if you have bought a house with a charge point and no paperwork, since an inspection of that circuit is worth having before you rely on it. Call one where a landlord agrees in principle, because the certification and the grant claim both run through a certified installer.
What will the EV charger installer actually do?
- Inspect and test an undocumented charge point circuit and issue certification for its current condition
- Disconnect and remove a unit safely, terminate or remove the circuit, and certify the result
- Re-commission a charge point onto the new owner's account and network
- Install for a landlord under the relevant grant scheme and provide the certification the claim requires
- Advise on reinstating the wall or ground where a permitted development condition requires it
Frequently asked questions
We’re happy to answer all your questions.
Need an EV charger installer?
Compare local EV charger installers on Tradehand — coverage areas, accreditations and phone numbers, no middleman.