Charging infrastructure at leased premises: clarify investment and operator roles

Charging infrastructure at leased business premises makes sense when use, consent, financing and the end of the lease are planned together. Before ordering, clarify which areas and cable routes you may use, who will operate the installation and what happens to fixed installations when you move out. A low-cost hardware offer may be economically unsuitable if the lease is shorter than the period over which you intend to use the investment.

The legal information relates to Germany, as of 24 September 2026. It helps prepare specific contractual questions; the agreement must suit the leased property and the planned structural alterations.

Check the scope of the lease down to the cable route

Start with the lease and its accompanying plans. Are the parking spaces you want included in the lease, available for general use or allocated separately? Does the supply cable run entirely through your leased areas or through shared areas? Who controls the plant room and the electricity supply?

These questions determine which parties need to be involved. Consent to install a wallbox does not automatically establish the right to drill through façades, route cables through other leased areas or connect additional charge points later. Describe the entire project, including protective equipment, data connection, signs and potential expansion.

Also document existing restrictions on use. A parking space may be available during the day but allocated to another user at night. That is a significant constraint for a fleet that charges overnight. The article on business charging strategy explains the basic choice of charging locations.

A right to permission does not replace an agreement on implementation

Section 554 of the German Civil Code (BGB) provides, under certain conditions, a right to permission for structural alterations that serve the charging of electrically powered vehicles. Whether the alterations are reasonable for the landlord must be considered. Section 578 BGB refers to this provision for land and non-residential premises. The sweeping claim that commercial tenants have no corresponding statutory entitlement in principle therefore falls short. Section 554 BGB, Section 578 BGB.

This does not automatically oblige the landlord to pay for every desired installation. Nor should you start building on your own before the scope and implementation have been clarified. Discuss early how both parties' interests will be addressed: technical safety, future shared use, maintenance access and arrangements for the end of the lease.

Keep an approved description of the project with the relevant plan revision. If the design changes, for example because of a different cable route or higher power, check whether the consent still covers it.

Compare three financing and ownership models

None of these models is inherently the cheapest. A service provider model may combine a low initial payment with a long commitment. A landlord model can coordinate several users, but needs clear capacity commitments. Investing yourself provides design flexibility while also leaving a residual-value risk.

Ask all providers to quote for the same scope of services. Do not compare a device-only purchase with an offer that includes grid planning, installation, a backend and maintenance. Separate one-off costs from recurring charges and identify possible price changes.

Calculate on the basis of the secured period of use

A hypothetical example: €30,000 net is budgeted for charge points, electrical work and construction. Five years remain until the secured end of the lease. Allocating the initial investment over that period solely for planning purposes gives €6,000 per year, before financing, operation and removal. With only three secured years, it is €10,000 per year. This is not a tax depreciation calculation or a StromNow offer.

An extension option can change the economic planning horizon. However, it should not be treated as guaranteed use if it depends on conditions that are still unresolved. Calculate a base scenario using the secured period and a separate scenario that includes an extension.

Include a residual value only if realising it is plausible. Permanently installed cables often have a different value at another site from mobile charging hardware. A theoretical second-hand price is of little use if dismantling and reinstallation consume it.

Assign operator responsibilities to individual parties

Hardware ownership and ongoing operation are different roles. Define who authorises users, changes tariffs, issues invoices, receives fault reports and commissions maintenance. Also determine who may change site power and who decides in conflicts between several tenants.

A shared connection requires a transparent allocation. It is not enough to promise each tenant the same theoretical reserve. Document the power available for normal operation, possible restrictions and the procedure for later expansion. A new energy-intensive tenant may change the conditions.

Access to plant rooms also belongs in the agreement. If a service technician cannot reach the installation outside office hours, a short contractual response time has limited value. Determine who keeps keys, contact lists and permissions up to date.

Plan for the end when signing the agreement

Agree how the installation will be handed over when you leave. If charge points remain in operation, the successor needs technical documentation, information on ongoing contracts and suitable access credentials. Personal user data and old billing records must not simply be transferred without review. Plan data export, archiving and changes of access as separate tasks.

Clarify possible removal requirements by component. Must only the charging devices be removed, or also cables, foundations and markings? Who decides whether the landlord takes anything over, by when must that decision be made, and how is any payment determined? Vague wording merely postpones the conflict until you move out.

Include an early move to another site in the economic assessment. Termination conditions for the backend and operation should match the commitment to the premises. An installation may already be out of service while ongoing service charges continue to accrue.

Create a shared project file before commissioning

The file should contain the lease and area plan, consent, allocation of roles, connection concept, cost allocation, contract terms and handover rules. Keep open points visible and assign someone responsibility for each. Place the order only on the basis of an agreed scope of services.

StromNow Fleet offers charging infrastructure planning for business sites. For an enquiry about leased premises, the lease term, available parking spaces, connection documentation and a contact on the owner's side are particularly useful. This allows the technical solution to be prepared together with a sound model for use and operation.