Compliance Centre
The Compliance Centre
Statutory obligations for commercial property, with the law separated from the guidance and the guidance separated from the habit. Most FM websites state a frequency as though it were legislation. Usually it is not, and knowing the difference changes what you have to do.
How to read these pages
Most FM sites state a frequency as though it were the law. Usually it isn’t.
Every requirement on these pages is labelled with where it actually comes from. Knowing which of the four you are looking at changes what you have to do, what you can justify doing differently, and what you would have to defend afterwards.
- Legal requirement
Set out in legislation. Not optional, and not open to interpretation on whether it applies.
- Standard or approved code
The recognised technical basis. Departing from it is possible but you must be able to show you achieved the same outcome another way.
- Typical practice
What competent providers commonly do. Sensible, widely adopted — and frequently mistaken for law.
- Risk-based
Genuinely depends on the building, its use and its condition. No single correct answer.
Topics
The obligations that actually apply to commercial property
Fire risk assessment
A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for virtually every non-domestic building in England and Wales.
Read the requirementsEmergency lighting
Emergency lighting should be function-tested monthly and given a full rated-duration test — normally three hours — annually, under BS 5266-1.
Read the requirementsFixed wire testing (EICR)
There is no single legal interval for commercial fixed wire testing.
Read the requirementsLegionella (L8)
Anyone in control of premises must assess and control the risk of exposure to Legionella.
Read the requirementsLifting equipment (LOLER)
Lifting equipment must undergo thorough examination at least every six months where it lifts people, and at least every twelve months otherwise — or in accordance with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person.
Read the requirementsAsbestos
Anyone with responsibility for the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises has a legal duty to manage asbestos.
Read the requirementsCommercial gas safety
In non-domestic premises there is no statutory annual gas certificate.
Read the requirementsF-Gas compliance
F-Gas leak checking is one of the few compliance intervals set by legislation rather than guidance, and it is not a fixed period — it is calculated from the CO2 equivalent of the refrigerant charge in each individual system.
Read the requirementsWork at height
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply wherever a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.
Read the requirementsPAT testing
The phrase "PAT testing" appears in no UK legislation, and no statute sets an interval for it.
Read the requirements
This page is general information about compliance obligations in commercial property, not legal advice. Legislation cited applies to England and Wales unless stated; Scotland and Northern Ireland differ, particularly on fire safety. Duty holders should confirm their position against current legislation and a competent assessment of their own premises.
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