Mandatory inspections and maintenance in neighboring communities

Hello again from Meridional. The safety of the residents is our priority and that is why we want this entry to focus on the importance of mandatory inspections and maintenance in the Communities of neighbours.

Mandatory inspections and maintenance of common areas

In a Community of Owners there are installations of common use that require almost constant maintenance and are obligatorily subject to pass a series of inspections to ensure their proper operation and thus ensure the safety of its users and neighbours.

We will see which are the elements that must be inspected in homeowners' associations and how often they must be inspected.

What inspections and maintenance are compulsory in homeowners' associations?

Lifts and other elevators maintenance

The periodic inspections of elevators are regulated by the Reglamento de aparatos de elevación y conservación, published in the R. D. 2291/1985, of 8 November, and by the Instrucción Técnica complementaria AEM 1 "Ascensores", published in the R. D. 2291/1985, of 8 November, and by the Instrucción Técnica complementaria AEM 1 "Ascensores", published in the R. D. 88/2013 of 8 February.

Depending on the peculiarities and use of the lift, inspections will be carried out less or more frequently.

• 2 years: Elevators installed in industrial buildings or public premises.
• 4 years: Elevators used in buildings with more than 4 floors or more than 20 households.
• 6 years: All other lifts located in buildings that do not comply with the preceding paragraphs.

Generally, inspections of this common element are carried out by the elevator maintenance company itself. You can check exactly on the lift itself, the plate with the date of the last inspections.

Community electrical installations

The inspection of low voltage electrical installations is regulated by the low voltage electrotechnical regulation and its Complementary Technical Instructions, published in the R. D. 842/2002 of 2 August, and these force to be inspected. 

Depending on the peculiarities of the building, or the power of the installation, they will have to be inspected more or less frequently: 

Every 5 years:

• Garages with more than 25 cars.
• Swimming pools with a power of more than 10 kW.
• Outdoor lighting with a power of more than five kW.

Every ten years:

• Those common areas of the building that have an installed power of more than 100 kW.

In the same way as for elevators, these inspections will be carried out by electrical technicians authorised by the OCA (Organismos de Control Autorizados).

Diesel fuel tanks

As far as the diesel tanks of owners' associations are concerned, they are governed by the Regulation on Oil Installations and, like the elevators and the electrical installation, they must undergo periodic inspections to ensure their proper functioning.

• Ten-year inspection: For indoor tanks with a capacity of more than 3,000 litres and outdoor tanks with a capacity of more than 5,000 litres. An authorised inspection can be carried out every 5 years.
• Revision every ten years: To be carried out on smaller capacity tanks.
• Five-year inspection: Underground installations should be tested for leaks, where pipes should be examined in the same way as storage tanks that are not double-walled leak-proof or buried in a bucket with a diving cylinder.
• The preceding storage tanks will have to pass a leak test, with the circuit empty and clean as long as no foreign matter is found on the surface.

Inspections of diesel installations and tanks, as well as overhauls, shall be carried out by specialised technicians authorised by the OCA.

Central Heating Boilers

R. D. 238/2013, of 5 April, which changes certain articles and also technical instructions of the Regulation of Thermal Installations in Buildings, approved by R. D. 1027/2007, of 20 July, states the following:

"...to the Spanish legal system and the demand established in the second final provision of R. D. 1027/2007, of twenty July, which approves the Regulation on Thermal Installations in Buildings, to carry out a periodic review at intervals not exceeding 5 years...".

R. D. 1027/2007

Furthermore, depending on the output of the boiler, one type of inspection will have to be carried out or another, and more or less frequently:

These inspections and inspections should generally be carried out by the same supplier, but can also be carried out by any other authorised company.

Technical Inspection of Buildings (ITE)

The initials ITE refer to the "Inspección Técnica de Edificios" (Technical Inspection of Buildings). This must be carried out for all buildings in a city, regardless of their use (residences, premises, etc.), once they have reached a certain age.

Since July two thousand and twelve it has been compulsory for buildings over forty-five years old, although there may be municipal ordinances that require it for a different age.

It must be prepared by authorised technicians (architects, quantity surveyors or building engineers) who will make a visual report on the next aspects of your building:

• Building structure.
• Heads.
• Roofs and roof terraces.
• Elements of Accessibility.

If arduous problems are noticed, the community will have to hire a technical architect to manage the works and then pass the ITE again.

It should be noted that in order to sell a residence that is more than forty-five years old, it is necessary to show the ITE certificate.

Sanctions 

Failure to carry out any of the compulsory inspections and maintenance in condominiums mentioned in the article may result in penalties in the form of fines, and may even incapacitate the uninspected common factor until such time as it fails to pass the relevant inspection.