Answer a few plain-English questions about your building. We'll immediately show you every statutory check that applies, how often it must happen, and what's at risk if it doesn't — for commercial properties across London and the South East.
Toggle everything that applies — your schedule updates on the right.
Toggle the features on the left that apply to your building.
UK commercial buildings are governed by a patchwork of health and safety legislation. Here is what each area requires and why it matters — and how Renova Projects UK helps buildings across London, Kent, Surrey and Essex stay on the right side of the law.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires every non-domestic premises to have a fire risk assessment, maintained fire detection systems, functioning emergency lighting, and serviceable means of escape. Fire doors and fire stopping must be kept in good repair to prevent smoke and flame spreading between compartments.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require employers to maintain electrical systems in a safe condition. In practice this means periodic EICR inspections of the fixed wiring (typically every five years for commercial premises), annual PAT testing of portable equipment, and prompt remedial works following any failures identified in an EICR report.
Air conditioning systems containing fluorinated refrigerants must be regularly serviced and leak-checked under the F-Gas Regulation (EU) 517/2014, retained in UK law post-Brexit. Mechanical ventilation systems must be maintained under the employer's general health and safety duty of care, ensuring occupants breathe clean, adequately circulated air at all times.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) require that any lifting equipment used at work — including passenger lifts — is thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every six months. A written examination report must be retained and any defects acted upon promptly. Lift lobbies and associated fire strategy elements must also remain compliant at all times.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 place a legal duty on the owner or responsible person to manage any asbestos-containing materials in a building constructed before 2000. An asbestos management survey must be in place and reviewed regularly. Separately, a full refurbishment and demolition survey is required before any building works begin — failure to do so risks prosecution and a project shutdown.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and HSE Approved Code of Practice L8 require duty holders to assess and control the risk of legionella bacteria in water systems. Buildings with cold water storage tanks, cooling towers or complex hot and cold water services must have a legionella risk assessment reviewed at least every two years, supported by a regular monitoring programme and periodic tank inspection and cleaning.
It depends on what your building contains, but the most common statutory requirements for UK commercial premises are:
Use the checker above to generate a schedule tailored to your building's specific features.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 does not specify a fixed interval — it requires the assessment to be reviewed whenever there is reason to believe it is no longer valid, such as after a significant change in the building, its use, or the number of occupants.
In practice, most responsible persons review the assessment annually and commission a formal review every one to three years. Following major refurbishment, a new assessment is almost always required before reoccupation.
An EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report — is a formal inspection of a building's fixed wiring carried out by a qualified electrician. It checks for deterioration, damage and non-compliance with current standards (BS 7671), and categorises any defects as C1 (danger present, immediate action required), C2 (potentially dangerous, urgent action required) or C3 (improvement recommended).
For commercial premises, the recommended frequency is every five years. Higher-risk environments such as kitchens or places open to the public may require more frequent testing. Any C1 or C2 defects must be remediated before the installation can be signed off as satisfactory. See our EICR and electrical testing page for more detail.
LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. It applies to any lifting equipment used at work — including passenger lifts, goods lifts, platform lifts and mezzanine lifts in commercial buildings.
Under LOLER, passenger lifts must be thoroughly examined by a competent person (typically a specialist lift engineer or insurance-appointed inspector) at intervals not exceeding six months. A written examination report must be kept on file and any defects must be addressed promptly. If a lift is taken out of service following an examination, it must not be returned to use until repairs are complete and signed off. Renova coordinates lift lobby compliance works and associated remedials — see our commercial property maintenance services.
If your building's water system presents a risk of legionella bacteria growing and spreading — for example, through a cold water storage tank, cooling tower, or complex hot and cold water distribution — you have a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and HSE Approved Code of Practice L8 to carry out a legionella risk assessment and implement a written control scheme.
The assessment should be reviewed at least every two years, or sooner if there is a significant change to the water system. In smaller offices served directly by mains pressure with no storage tank, the risk is generally low, though it should still be documented. When in doubt, seek specialist advice — legionella outbreaks carry serious consequences for building managers and owners. Renova coordinates water hygiene monitoring and tank inspections as part of our planned property maintenance service.
Two types of survey apply in different circumstances:
Starting works without the appropriate survey is a criminal offence under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and can result in a project shutdown. Renova always ensures the correct surveys are in place before any works commence in older buildings — whether that's routine property maintenance or a full office refurbishment.
It depends on the lease. In a single-tenanted building, the occupying employer generally holds the duty of care under health and safety legislation. In a multi-tenanted building, the landlord (or managing agent on their behalf) is typically responsible for common areas, shared plant and the building fabric, while each tenant is responsible for their own demised space.
Facilities managers and managing agents often act as the accountable person day to day, but legal liability ultimately rests with the employer or duty holder named in the lease. Ignorance of obligations is not a defence — if an incident occurs and checks have not been carried out, enforcement action and prosecution can follow. If you're unsure where your responsibilities start and end, get in touch — we can help map out what applies to your building.
The consequences of non-compliance can be severe:
Beyond the legal risk, there is the human cost — to the people who work in or visit your building every day. A proactive compliance programme protects everyone.