CF Neighbours threatening to complain to council over EV charger ‘hire’

[FootballMumm]

We live close to the head office of a big corporate company - thousands of employees attend across the week.

Our house is a couple of streets away, and we’ve got an EV charger. We have made this available for ‘rent’, and it’s at a far more affordable cost than the chargers at the head office. Therefore, we’ve built up over time through word of mouth etc and we usually average about 3 people using it a day.

This has been for about 3 months with no issues at all.

Yesterday, our neighbour knocked and said they are uncomfortable with the ‘comings and going’s’ and not knowing who these people are, and feel it’s cheapening the street . I pointed out they work more or less over the road in corporate roles.

They then said that they have found some of the behaviour ‘unacceptable’. I asked for examples to which they gave two:

-A man smoking whilst waiting for his charge to finish
-A woman on the phone making an ‘extreme’ sexual remark. On pressing what this was, it was basically a fouler version of ‘I’ve had a crap day and want to have sex tonight’.

I said that usually, people leave their cars and then go into work before returning either on break, lunch or at the end of the day. But said I’d keep an eye out for any untoward behaviour.

I thought this would placate them, but they said that if we don’t stop it this week then they will speak to the council to register a ‘formal complaint’.

I don’t intend to stop, and am aware we are acting perfectly legally. Is it me, or they are batshit?!

Why would you be mental? Would you have the same reaction if op had 3 visitors per day?

I think you may have a different definition of “causing no harm” than other people.. I’d be hugely naffed off if someone was smoking close to my home and the smoke was coming in to my home through open windows. Nor would I want to hear someone with a very foul mouth yapping away loudly! You’re wrong and you know deep down you are, but you’re looking for validation on here and I’m afraid you’re not going to get it from everyone. Hope this helps.

So long as you're paying business rates, declaring the income for tax, you have public liability insurance and this does not breach the terms of your EV contract, I say go for it.

Me either!!!! But I don't sit at my window all day :)

Neither or which are applicable

Where did the OP describe every resident of the local estate as 'riff-raff'? Just that it would be a different story if it was the riff-raff element of the estate.

I live on my local estate, there are absolutely riff-raff here and much worse, vile, obnoxious, drug dealing, foul mouthed, thieving scum..

It's not all of them, theres also plenty of nice people here, but the riff-raff are the riff-raff, and my neighbours wouldn't be happy if they were hanging out on our cul-de-sac either, whereas they wouldn't even notice the nice polite folks.

Or do you think that council/housing association estates are ONLY populated by salt of the earth delightful folks?

What, if people come to your home to purchase a service? Are you sure you're sure?

I would be interested in doing this. There are existing schemes where you can rent your drive out which I have used when visiting places. The small challenge with electric charging is that it usually gives you some time to kill so you are kind of standing around for a period of time, hence the twitching from the neighbours. I would still continue to do it, but I do think I would advise any users to be aware of neighbours and keep noise to a minimum. I might also limit charing to certain hours of the day.

Have you actually looked into this properly to be certain it is legal OP because there are actually a few potential problems!

1. Reselling of electricity has quite specific rules, you cannot be selling it for more than you pay for it.

2. If you have multiple “customers” each day then upon complaint by your neighbours your council could considering this a material change of use.

3. Mortgage/lease terms- are you actually allowed to run a business from the house?

Just a few off the top of my head.

Your neighbours can absolutely complain though and the council can get involved to prevent if it can be seen as a commercial rather than residential.

Does nobody work??? Standing twitching at the curtains seeing who’s coming and going. This is prime MN

I run a business from a domestic premises.
Plenty of people do it
What's wrong with that?

This thread has it all.

EVs.
Curtain twitching neighbours.
A business on a residential street.
Riff raff.
Contact the council.
People confidently making up bullshit laws.

All that is missing is the diagram of the driveway with charging point.

It’s all above board and organised via the electricity providers, eg Co-Charger or Octopus Community. It’s not running a business and has no tax or insurance implications. Effectively you are letting others use your charger in return for a discount on your own electricity bill.

I think you're quite cheeky running this rental business from your house. You need to be paying tax on your earnings and business rates and have planning permission.

How is the neighbour a CF for pointing out loads of randoms turning up all the time?
Am sure what you're doing is legal as many have pointed out, but how are you monitoring this?
How many people are changing a day and what are those people doing whilst their car is charging?

I'm sure it would be legal to set up a car washing station in the road but I'm guessing that would piss people off after a while.

I had no idea this was a thing but going to look at signing up now as every penny counts these days!

Doubt my neighbours would care tbh, there are always deliveries of some kind going on.

It’s a scheme run by the electricity company, income paid to electricity account, no tax. It doesn’t affect the rateable value and no idea what planning permission would be involved.

Oooh no a parking ( sort of ) thread without a diagram , I think that's against mn law isn't it .

@FootballMumm quick post a diagram it will keep everyone happy. 😁

Some people just think they can control what other people do when they don't like it. They can't. They will soon realise this.

I was with you until this. You’re charging people to use your amenities - perhaps to your neighbours you are the ‘riff raff’.

This. I'd be peeved too. You live in a residential street and are changing the nature of the place. I'd certainly not be happy about people hanging around smoking outside and foul language.

Your neighbour sounds mental.

Your neighbours sound crazy and controlling. Most of us who live in towns have plenty of "strange" vehicles parked in our streets and many "Randoms" walking past our houses. Some even have the audacity to (legally and perfectly reasonably) have phone conversations while waiting for a lift etc..
What a ludicrous attitude, to think that a) 3 strangers on your road is an issue, and b) you should control who parks on your neighbour's driveway.
Batshit is definitely the term.

You can be annoyed about something but bothering some poor council worker with this silly admin is OTT. It’s also very likely an isolated event, not every person charging will be smoking or talking on the phone.

For all those saying it's illegal, op should pay tax , its just wrong, a very quick Google brings up loads of companies that handle it all for you

https://www.goplugable.com/

https://co-charger.com/rent-my-charger/

https://www.justpark.com/uk/solutions/ev-parking