EV chargers for vacation rentals

Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions

EV chargers for vacation rentals

Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes

For those of you that own your own vacation rentals:

Have you seen a recent uptick in requests for EV chargers at the vacation rental that you own?

Did you install one last year and if so can you tell it has been used much? Also what brand di you have installed?

It is normal to have 6 cars at every booking for our PF cabin so the likelihood keeps going up that someone would want one as EV's become more popular.

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Michael BaumPro Member

Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes

Hey @John Underwood, I am thinking of adding one. We have an unused 240v circuit in the garage that I could pull from.

The 2 chargers that seem to be duking it out and usually switch the top spot depending on who reviews it.

The Juicebox 40 with WiFi - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z...

The Chargepoint Home Flex - https://www.amazon.com/ChargeP...

Both work with all current EVs and are under $1000.

I like the idea of WiFi so I can monitor how much it is getting used and the costs of operation.

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Bill B.
Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 10k+ votes
3y
Might be cheaper/more useful to install a 240 outlet? Most ev owners will have a cord specific to their car that will let them charge with just that.
This allows for future use by you or a contractor that needs high power tools or who knows what. If you install it anywhere near your electrical panel it shouldn’t cost you more than $200-$400.
3 Reply
Nick Velez
Lender · Member since 2019 · 250 posts · 219 votes
3y
I just had a guest with a Tesla who used my dryer outlet to plug in his charger. Apparently most EV owners have an adapter for their vehicle that allows them to charge that way.
1 Reply
Michael K GallagherBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus OH · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
I do not have this in my rental but its something that my wife and I have earmarked as a must have feature of the future carriage house we are building on our current lot, (long in the future dreams). I conceptually think its a huge opportunity to separate yourself at a time when separating yourself and differentiating yourself is more valuable than ever. Again I've never installed one, I have no idea how much they cost, its just something that makes sense to me as a feature to attract top ocupants.
[email protected]614-362-2231
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Leslie Anne Morris
Real Estate Agent · Smoky Mountains, TN · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 984 votes
3y
I’ve seen recent listings with chargers installed as an amenity. I have been asked if we have cabins with chargers but only a handful of times in the last year.
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Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y
Hey @John Underwood, I am thinking of adding one. We have an unused 240v circuit in the garage that I could pull from.

The 2 chargers that seem to be duking it out and usually switch the top spot depending on who reviews it.

The Juicebox 40 with WiFi - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z...

The Chargepoint Home Flex - https://www.amazon.com/ChargeP...

Both work with all current EVs and are under $1000.

I like the idea of WiFi so I can monitor how much it is getting used and the costs of operation.
3 Reply
Brooklyn McCarty
Investor · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 754 votes
3y
We don’t have any. I can certainly see this as becoming a popular amenity and one that’s easy to offer.

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Account Closed
Investor · KS · Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 5 votes
3y
We have one and plan to install another. We own an EV so it's a no-brainer for us when we visit. The current STR with an EV charger has only been used by one guest.
0 Reply
Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
3y
Don't have one. Never had a single request. Not interested.
2 Reply
Lyndsay Zwirlein
Lender · Member since 2020 · 331 posts · 209 votes
3y
I’ve looked into it and am considering installing one in each of our properties as electric cars become more popular. I spoke with a knowledgeable electrician in sevierville who works primarily on cabins and he recommended charge point!
1 Reply
Alice Horn
Property Manager · Kissimmee, FL · Member since 2019 · 446 posts · 266 votes
3y
Quote from @John Underwood:

For those of you that own your own vacation rentals:
Have you seen a recent uptick in requests for EV chargers at the vacation rental that you own?
Did you install one last year and if so can you tell it has been used much? Also what brand di you have installed?
It is normal to have 6 cars at every booking for our PF cabin so the likelihood keeps going up that someone would want one as EV's become more popular.

We have several units with chargers. We often highlight them in our titles and also in photos and property descriptions. Airbnb allows guests to filter on EV Chargers, so this is a new niche audience that can have eyes on the property.
1 Reply
Kerry BairdPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
I have an outlet in the garage for my newest beach side house. I have been shopping for those connectors, and this conversation is leading me to offer it as an amenity.
0 Reply
Myka Artis
Rental Property Investor · Arlington, TX · Member since 2016 · 706 posts · 611 votes
3y
@John Underwood I installed EV chargers at all of my rentals with a garage during the pandemic. They have seen a huge amount of use but I definitely did market research. I went into Airbnb and researched how many rentals had EV chargers in my surrounding area. There were only 2 so I added them to my units to immediately stand out. I purposely only did Tesla chargers because my target demographic is families and business travelers. The average tesla owner at the time was a 54-year-old male so I was able to start securing more families with a good target clientele that would take great care of my units.
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John UnderwoodPro Member
OP
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Myka Artis:

@John Underwood I installed EV chargers at all of my rentals with a garage during the pandemic. They have seen a huge amount of use but I definitely did market research. I went into Airbnb and researched how many rentals had EV chargers in my surrounding area. There were only 2 so I added them to my units to immediately stand out. I purposely only did Tesla chargers because my target demographic is families and business travelers. The average tesla owner at the time was a 54-year-old male so I was able to start securing more families with a good target clientele that would take great care of my units.

I s there not a generic charger that will fit a Tesla and a chevy?
0 Reply
Luka Milicevic
Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
I bet that electric bill will be HIGH with that put in. Might be good to get some solar panels while you're at it haha
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Account Closed
Investor · KS · Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 5 votes
3y
Quote from @John Underwood:

Quote from @Myka Artis:

@John Underwood I installed EV chargers at all of my rentals with a garage during the pandemic. They have seen a huge amount of use but I definitely did market research. I went into Airbnb and researched how many rentals had EV chargers in my surrounding area. There were only 2 so I added them to my units to immediately stand out. I purposely only did Tesla chargers because my target demographic is families and business travelers. The average tesla owner at the time was a 54-year-old male so I was able to start securing more families with a good target clientele that would take great care of my units.

I s there not a generic charger that will fit a Tesla and a chevy?
You would need to use an adapter.
1 Reply
Matt Mertz
Leander TX · Member since 2020 · 179 posts · 150 votes
3y
We installed one back in May 2022. We've had 33 stays since then. No one has used it yet.
Our house is new construction, sleeps 16, in Gatlinburg. We probably get about 4 cars in the driveway per average trip. The EV charger is listed as an amenity on our Airbnb listing.
Cost $1800 for Tesla charger installation.
One interesting insight is that we couldn't get 100% charge ability from the charger because our house's electrical was sized for 225 amps (the electrician sized it for the house's electrical requirements at the time, the charger was an add-on afterwards). As a consequence, the charger operates at about 50% of its full capacity (but we figured some charge was better than nothing).
Anyone adding a charger to an existing home may encounter the same limitations.
Random note: our house was hit by lightning that fried one of the outdoor outlets and our computer equipment but the charger was unaffected (thankfully). The Tesla ones are well built.
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Myka Artis
Rental Property Investor · Arlington, TX · Member since 2016 · 706 posts · 611 votes
3y
@John Underwood yes there is. I believe you can buy generic and swap out the ends for the different car types.
0 Reply
Jay ThomasPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Houston, TX · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 715 votes
3y
It's encouraging to see that real estate listings are now considering charging stations as an amenity for their properties. With the increasing demand for these features, it stands to reason that more and more prospective buyers and tenants will be looking for them when searching for a home or apartment. We've had a handful of inquiries about cabins with chargers over the last year, so we're certainly keeping our eye on this trend! It's an exciting time to be involved in the real estate industry.

[email protected]832-889-5607
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Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y
@John Underwood, check my first post. Those 2 that I listed work with all currently available EV's.
1 Reply
John UnderwoodPro Member
OP
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Michael Baum:

@John Underwood, check my first post. Those 2 that I listed work with all currently available EV's.

Will do!
0 Reply
Bryce Nesbitt
Property Manager · Berkeley, CA USA · Member since 2020 · 16 posts · 6 votes
2y
One way to do this very inexpensively is with a combination 6-20 and 5-15 plug:

This uses very low cost wire and is basically a regular outlet except with 220V available for those with a matching EV travel charging cord. Be sure to advertise exactly what SORT of charging your property offers as there are like a dozen possibilities.

Everything past that is speed of charge or dealing with billing infrastructure. That's where systems differ the most. The lowest up front cost is an outlet, followed by a "dumb" charger. Adding billing infrastructure adds to the up front cost. Going full professional with a service provider adds a monthly or annual fee.

The car end connector will change in 2025.
Only the car end is changing.
In essence all the vendors will switch to Tesla's J3400 connector. If you install a dumb outlet though you'll be fine, nothing will change.
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