ES · Expiry & renewal tracking
Keep heating and cooling maintenance on schedule
The owner of a thermal installation in Spain must have it maintained by an authorised company at least as often as Table 3.1 of RITE's IT 3.3 requires, from every five years to monthly by equipment, output and use (Royal Decree 1027/2007, Article 25.5). Above 70 kW a contract and annual certificate are mandatory.
The owner of a thermal installation is responsible for having it maintained by an authorised maintenance company, for the mandatory inspections, and for keeping records of all work (Article 25.5 of Spain's Regulation on Thermal Installations in Buildings, RITE, Royal Decree 1027/2007). The owner may maintain their own installations with in-house staff if they file a responsible declaration with the regional authority that they meet the requirements of Article 37 (Article 26.8).
Installations are maintained under the preventive maintenance programme in the «use and maintenance manual», at intervals at least as frequent as those in Table 3.1, which depend on the building's use, the type of equipment and its output (IT 3.3). For installations up to 70 kW with continuous remote monitoring, the interval may be extended to 2 years as long as safety and energy efficiency are guaranteed. Manufacturers' specifications are always taken into account.
Above 70 kW of rated thermal output, the owner must sign a maintenance contract with a maintenance company; above 5,000 kW heating or 1,000 kW cooling, or 400 kW for solar installations, maintenance must also be directed by a qualified technician (Article 26.6). Where a contract is mandatory, the maintenance company signs a maintenance certificate every year, valid for at most one year (Article 28.1).
At a glance
| Equipment and rated output | Homes | Other uses |
|---|---|---|
| Gas water heaters up to 24.4 kW | 5 years | 2 years |
| Gas water heaters above 24.4 kW up to 70 kW | 2 years | Yearly |
| Wall-mounted gas boilers up to 70 kW | 2 years | Yearly |
| Air conditioning up to 12 kW | 4 years | 2 years |
| Air conditioning above 12 kW up to 70 kW | 2 years | Yearly |
| Heat pumps for hot water up to 12 kW | 4 years | 2 years |
| Heat pumps for hot water above 12 kW up to 70 kW | 2 years | Yearly |
| Installations above 70 kW | Monthly | Monthly |
| Solar thermal installations up to 14 kW | Yearly | Yearly |
| Solar thermal installations above 14 kW | Every 6 months | Every 6 months |
Minimum intervals from Table 3.1 of IT 3.3 of the RITE, as worded by Royal Decree 178/2021. If the use and maintenance manual sets shorter intervals, those apply.
Who is responsible?
The owner or user is responsible for complying with the RITE on use and maintenance from provisional acceptance, and maintenance cannot be replaced by the warranty (Article 25.1). The maintenance company is responsible for carrying out maintenance in line with the manual and the RITE (Article 26.3). Every installation must have a log of maintenance work and repairs, which forms part of the Building Book; the maintenance company makes the entries and the owner keeps it for at least five years from each operation (Article 27).
If the deadline passes
Breaches of the mandatory provisions of the RITE are governed by Articles 30 to 38 of the Industry Act, Law 21/1992, on administrative offences (Article 43 of the RITE). Alterations to the installation must be made by authorised companies (Article 25.4).
Installations above 70 kW
If there is no use and maintenance manual, the contracted maintenance company drafts one and gives it to the owner. The tasks are those in Table 3.3, done monthly or once or twice per season; for example, cleaning the boiler burner and checking and cleaning air filters are monthly, and a general check of gas boilers is done once per season (IT 3.3).
Tracking it with ExpirySuite
- Add each thermal installation and record the date of the next maintenance visit under Table 3.1 or the manual; if a contract is mandatory, also add the annual maintenance certificate.
- Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before and on the day itself.
- The maintenance company can upload the certificate or service report through a secure link that is valid for 14 days and needs no account.
- Assign a responsible person, such as the property manager or maintenance lead; emails arrive in each recipient's language. If a date passes, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.
Frequently asked questions
- How often must a wall-mounted gas boiler be serviced in Spain?
- Up to 70 kW, at least every 2 years in homes and every year for other uses, unless the use and maintenance manual sets a shorter interval (RITE, IT 3.3, Table 3.1).
- What about air conditioning?
- Up to 12 kW, every 4 years in homes and every 2 years for other uses; above 12 kW up to 70 kW, every 2 years in homes and every year for other uses (Table 3.1).
- Who can carry out the maintenance?
- An authorised maintenance company (Article 26.1). The owner may use in-house staff after filing a responsible declaration with the regional authority (Article 26.8).
- How long must the maintenance log be kept?
- At least five years from the date of each operation (Article 27.2 of the RITE).
Sources
- Real Decreto 1027/2007, Reglamento de Instalaciones Térmicas en los Edificios (RITE): artículos 2, 25 a 28 y 43 e IT 3.3 «Programa de mantenimiento preventivo» (BOE, texto consolidado)
- Real Decreto 178/2021, que modifica el RITE (nueva redacción de la IT 3.3 y de la tabla 3.1)
Last checked: Sep 30, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.
Made for heating and cooling maintenance (RITE) (Spain)
A ready template for heating and cooling maintenance (RITE) (Spain) with sensible validity defaults, so you enter less and track more.
Reminders on time
Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each heating and cooling maintenance (RITE) (Spain) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.
Assign an owner
Give each heating and cooling maintenance (RITE) (Spain) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.