Electric scooters and electric bicycles now turn up in the hallways of flats, the corridors of offices and the luggage rooms of hotels. Most of these devices operate safely, but if a lithium-ion battery fails, a fire can start quickly, with high heat release and dense, toxic smoke, and it is hard to extinguish. That is why it matters where and how they are charged.
The sections below summarise the Hungarian rules and what building operators should do.
Why does it matter now?
In recent weeks international professional organisations have again published several warnings about charging devices from cheap, unverified sources. According to a November summary by the US-based UL Standards & Engagement, products sold without independent safety testing and certification are more likely to suffer thermal runaway, that is, a battery cell overheating and the process becoming self-sustaining. The organisation advises that if a device heats up, swells or smokes, it should be taken out of use immediately and, if it can be done safely, disconnected from the charger.
The lesson applies to buildings in Hungary too: the risk is largely determined by what device is charged, with what charger and where.
What is mandatory, and what is a recommendation?
It is important to distinguish between a mandatory legal requirement and a technical guideline.
Mandatory: the OTSZ rules on use. The National Fire Protection Regulation (OTSZ, Decree of the Minister of the Interior 54/2014. (XII. 5.) BM rendelet, hereafter the OTSZ) contains no separate rule for electric scooters. Its general rules on use do apply to them, however:
- Only electrical equipment may be used that, when used as intended, does not pose an ignition hazard to its surroundings (OTSZ Section 200(1)).
- Electrical machines, equipment and other appliances must be switched off when the activity is finished and, when taken out of use, disconnected from the power supply (OTSZ Section 200(2) and (3)).
- The flow capacity of escape routes must not be reduced below the width needed for escape (OTSZ Section 193(1)).
- In residential buildings, combustible materials and objects that narrow the escape route may not be placed in the circulation areas outside the flats or in staircases (OTSZ Section 205(2)). In our professional opinion, this includes a scooter stored or charged in a staircase or corridor.
Recommendation: Annex 6S of TvMI 1.7. Annex 6S of the Fire Protection Technical Guideline (TvMI) on protection against fire spread (TvMI 1.7:2025.02.01.), published by the Hungarian National Directorate General for Disaster Management (BM OKF), deals specifically with charging micromobility devices. Applying a TvMI is voluntary, but if it is followed, the relevant OTSZ requirements are deemed to be met. If the operator chooses another solution, its equivalence must be demonstrated.
Low-power and high-power devices
The TvMI does not start from the classification under the Highway Code (KRESZ) but from two technical figures: charging power and battery capacity. Both can be read from the rating plates of the charger and the battery.
| Category | Condition | Typical devices |
|---|---|---|
| Low-power from a fire safety point of view | charging power up to 550 W and battery capacity up to 2,000 Wh | e-scooter, pedelec, hoverboard, electric unicycle |
| High-power from a fire safety point of view | charging power above 550 W or capacity above 2,000 Wh | electric moped and motorcycle, heavy e-scooter, throttle-controlled e-bike, golf cart |
The charging power is the voltage multiplied by the current shown on the charger. For example, a 42 V / 2 A charger has a power of 84 W.
General conditions in every building
According to clause S.1 of Annex 6S of TvMI 1.7, charging is acceptable if:
- the device is charged with the charger supplied or recommended by the manufacturer, in line with the manufacturer’s instructions (S.1.1.),
- the charger is placed safely, in a well-ventilated room or outdoors (S.1.2.),
- each device is charged from its own socket, without extension leads or multi-socket adapters (S.1.3.).
According to the notes to the guideline, a damaged device must not be charged, and the factory battery and charger must not be opened or modified. Charging and storing the devices outside the living space is the preferred solution. The TvMI regards as living space every room with sleeping places, as well as the living room, the hallway, the kitchen and wet rooms.
In flats and apartment buildings
According to the TvMI, the placement of the device during charging must not obstruct escape, even if the device itself is on fire (S.2.2. and S.3.2.). The guideline’s example: do not charge at the entrance door of the flat or in the staircase. In practice this is the most common mistake, because the hallway and the staircase are the places nearest to the entrance.
According to the notes in the TvMI, charging at most 5 low-power or 1 high-power device at the same time in one flat is recommended. Charging batteries with a capacity above 5 kWh should, according to the guideline, take place in a room separate from the living space, for example in a garage (S.3.4.). In the room where a high-power device is charged, the TvMI also expects fire detection (S.3.6.). For low-power devices, placing a smoke detector near the charging location is recommended (S.2.3., note 3). Where no fire detection and alarm system is mandatory, a fire detection device that can easily be monitored is also sufficient, for example a smart (Wi-Fi-connected) domestic smoke alarm.
In the common areas of apartment buildings, the guideline already recommends applying the conditions for community use, that is, those set for buildings such as shopping centres, office buildings and hotels (S.2.3., note 2). So if residents want shared charging, it is worth arranging it in a purpose-designated, suitably designed place rather than in the staircase.
In office buildings, hotels and shopping centres
In buildings for community use, the TvMI tightens the requirements according to the number of devices charged at the same time (S.4. and S.5.). For low-power devices:
- up to 5 devices: the general conditions, accessibility, ensuring escape and fire detection,
- 6-20 devices indoors: a room dedicated to this purpose and separated by the constructions described in the next item, or, in a car park, a protective distance of at least 5 m from vehicles and combustible materials (3 m where a fixed fire extinguishing system is installed), which can be reduced by a barrier at least 1.5 m high, of reaction-to-fire class A1 and with EI 60 fire resistance,
- above 20 devices indoors: a separate room reserved for this purpose and separated from the adjacent rooms (where a fixed fire extinguishing system is installed, at least (R)EI 30 walls and floor and an EI2 30-C door, otherwise fire-separating constructions),
- outdoors, above 5 devices: at least 3 m from the openings of the building, from combustible façade and roof structures and from neighbouring structures, which can be reduced by an A1, EI 60 protective wall.
For high-power devices the same applies with stricter thresholds: above 1 device already a separate room or the car park protective distance, above 10 devices a room separated by fire-separating constructions, and outdoors above 5 devices a distance of 5 m.
In practice, some bicycle stores and underground car parks were not designed for charging. If tenants charge there, the fire safety layout of the room, the number of sockets and the circuit protection must be reviewed. The guideline recommends providing the charging circuits with a separate circuit breaker.
Checklist for operators
- Where is charging happening today? Walk through the building: corridor, staircase, bicycle store, office, luggage room, underground car park.
- How many devices, and what kind? Classify them from the rating plates: low-power or high-power.
- Escape: never near an exit or a staircase, and never at the expense of the width of the escape route.
- Electrical installation: a separate socket per device, no extension leads or multi-socket adapters, and circuit protection.
- Fire detection: there should be a smoke detector near the charging point, or a detector of the installed fire detection and alarm system.
- Recording the rules: write into the house rules or the tenant information sheet where and how charging is allowed, and who is responsible for maintaining the fire detection devices.
Frequently asked questions
Can an apartment building ban storing scooters in the staircase?
OTSZ Section 205(2) already prohibits placing combustible materials and objects that narrow the escape route in the staircase. The community can also record this in its house rules, and it is advisable to provide a designated store or charging point instead.
Does a new charging room need a fire safety design?
If the arrangement involves construction work, fire compartment or room separation, or affects an installed fire detection or extinguishing system, it is advisable to have the fire safety solution prepared by a designer.
Fire safety assessment
If you are not sure that charging scooters and bicycles in your building complies with the rules, a fire safety assessment helps determine where and under what conditions it can be allowed. Request a quotation and describe the building, the number of users and the existing storage rooms. Further details can be found on the pages of our fire safety services and residential building fire safety.