Repair questions
Mandatory checks for business premises: fire extinguishers and electrics, country by country
Premises open to the public have fire extinguishers and an electrical installation, and both have checks that someone has to record. What changes between countries is whether the law says how often, or only that they must be kept in good order. These are the two checks almost any premises has, with the provision that requires each one.
The short answer
Almost any business premises has two checks that do not depend on what it does: fire extinguishers and the electrical installation. In Spain, extinguishers are checked every three months (the owner can do it) and every year and every five years (a licensed maintenance company), and premises open to the public need an electrical inspection every five years. In Mexico the standard requires monthly extinguisher checks, with a record, and in Chile at least once a year. In the UK and Ireland the law requires equipment to be kept in good order, but does not say how often.
| Country | Fire extinguishers | Electrical installation | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Every 3 months, the owner or a maintenance company; every year and every 5 years, a licensed maintenance company. Plus an inspection by an accredited body every 10 years, except shops or public premises under 500 m². | Premises open to the public need an initial inspection and another every 5 years by an accredited body. | RIPCI, Art. 22 and Annex II · REBT, ITC-BT-05 |
| Mexico | An annual programme of monthly checks, with a record of each one; maintenance as those checks require, and recharging after every use. | An annual programme of electrical checks, focused on areas with a high fire risk. | NOM-002-STPS-2010, STPS guide |
| Chile | Inspection, control and preventive maintenance at least once a year by the manufacturer or a service company, recorded on the extinguisher's label. | Not checked. | Decree 594, Art. 51 |
| United Kingdom | The law sets no frequency: the responsible person keeps fire equipment under a suitable system of maintenance and in good repair (England and Wales). | Maintain the installation as necessary to prevent danger; the law sets no interval. | Fire Safety Order 2005, Art. 17 · Electricity at Work Regulations, reg. 4 |
| Ireland | The law sets no frequency: whoever controls premises open to the public takes all reasonable measures against fire. | Not checked. | Fire Services Act 1981, s. 18 |
Official texts read on 10 November 2026. For Mexico, the official STPS guide to the standard was read, not the text published in the DOF.
In Spain, each system has its own page
Fire hose reels, detection, emergency lighting and heating each have their own schedule, and they are already explained one by one: fire equipment on the RIPCI page, the electrical inspection on the low-voltage page, and what a shop adds on the retail premises page. This page only covers the two checks that recur in every country.
Worth knowing
The frequencies quoted for the UK and Ireland (a monthly check, a yearly service) do not come from the law: they come from technical standards and guidance. The law only requires maintenance to be suitable, and after a fire it is the responsible person who has to show that it was.
In Spain, the RIPCI ten-year inspection does not apply to shops or public premises under 500 m², unless they have special-risk areas. The three-month, one-year and five-year checks apply to everyone.
What you need to be able to show
- In Spain, the signed record of each maintenance visit and the accredited body's certificate for each inspection.
- In Mexico, the record of each monthly extinguisher check and of the annual programmes.
- In Chile, the label on each extinguisher with the date of its last service.
- In the UK and Ireland, a log that proves maintenance exists and is carried out: it is what gets asked for when something fails.
- Everywhere: who did the check, when the next one is due, and what fault came up and who fixed it.
Frequently asked questions
How often do fire extinguishers in Spanish business premises need checking?
Every three months, a check the owner can carry out; every year, a service by a licensed maintenance company; and every five years, the pressure retest set by the pressure equipment regulations.
Does a small shop need the electrical inspection?
In Spain, premises open to the public need it every five years, along with the other installations listed in ITC-BT-05. If the premises is not on that list, there is no mandatory periodic inspection by an accredited body.
Does the UK require a yearly extinguisher service?
The law does not say so: it requires a suitable system of maintenance. The yearly service comes from technical standards and official guidance, and it is what an inspector expects to see, or what matters after a fire.
Who handles the checks if the premises is rented?
It depends on the lease and on who owns the installation. Who pays for each repair is covered in the rented premises question.
These pages are for information and are not legal advice. The lease and each country's law in force always prevail.
Repair questions
- Who pays for repairs in a commercial lease?If the lease says nothing, the landlord carries out necessary repairs and the tenant pays for minor everyday ones. Ireland works the other way round.
- How long does a landlord have to make repairs?Few laws set a number of days: the tenant gives notice and, if urgent, repairs and claims it back. Argentina, Spain (since October 2026) and England do set deadlines.
- Who pays for repairs in a rented flat?The landlord pays what keeps the home habitable; the tenant pays minor wear and any damage they cause. In Spain, England and Ireland a lease cannot change that against the tenant.
- Is it legal to use WhatsApp for work?No law bans WhatsApp at work. What matters is the basis for using the employee's personal number and whether they are messaged outside working hours.