E-Mobility Device Safety & Charging By-Law

As e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric skateboards become increasingly common in residential buildings, the fire and safety risks associated with lithium-ion batteries are a growing concern for strata schemes across NSW. This professionally drafted by-law gives owners corporations a robust, legally structured framework to manage those risks head-on.

What This Template Covers

This comprehensive by-law template is designed to be passed by special resolution under section 141 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) and registered with Land Registry Services. It addresses every key area of e-mobility device management within a strata scheme:

• Detailed Definitions — clearly defined terms covering E-Mobility Devices, Lithium-Ion Batteries, Damaged Batteries, Approved Charging Equipment, Fire-Safe Locations, Enforcement Costs, and more.
• Charging Protocol Requirements — rules around device standards compliance, mandatory attended charging, use of original/approved charging equipment only, and restrictions on where charging may take place.
• Storage and Use Provisions — requirements for safe storage, prohibition on use of damaged batteries, and conditions for keeping devices on common property.
• Fire Safety & Emergency Procedures — step-by-step protocols for owners and occupiers to follow if a device overheats or causes a fire, including mandatory incident reporting obligations.
• Compliance and Monitoring — powers for the committee to request information, issue notices, and monitor ongoing compliance with the by-law.
• Breach and Enforcement Procedures — a clear, fair process for issuing notices of breach, providing remediation opportunities, and escalating where non-compliance continues.
• Cost Recovery — mechanisms for the owners corporation to recover enforcement costs from owners and occupiers in breach, including joint and several liability of owners for occupier breaches.
• Emergency Powers — provisions allowing prompt action where an immediate or imminent safety risk is present, without needing to follow the standard breach process first.
• Severability Clause — ensures the by-law remains operative even if any individual provision is found to be unenforceable.

Who This Template Is For

This template is suitable for strata managers, owners corporation committee members, and strata lawyers in NSW who need a ready-to-use, customisable by-law to present for adoption at a general meeting. It includes clearly marked fields to insert the relevant strata plan number and a cross-reference placeholder for any existing costs recovery by-law your scheme may have in place.

Important Notes

This template is drafted specifically for NSW under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. It is intended as a starting point — users should review the template carefully and seek independent legal advice to ensure it is appropriate for the specific circumstances of their scheme before putting it to a vote.

Template snapshot: