Fire extinguisher in the building’s owners’ association and residential building: committee obligations

VThe board of the building's owners' association is responsible for the common areas of the building, corridors, cellars, boiler rooms and garages. Fire extinguishers in these spaces are among the items that are easily forgotten until a fire brigade or insurance inspection arrives. This article summarises what the building's owners' association must actually do regarding them and how to organise this without unnecessary stress.

Where does the obligation to have fire extinguishers come from?

The obligation to equip a building with fire extinguishers stems from Act No. 133/1985 Coll. On Fire Protection. The Act applies to legal entities and business individuals, and the building's owners' association is a legal entity responsible for the building's common areas. However, the Act itself does not specify the exact scope, how many extinguishers, of what type and exactly where. This is determined by fire safety solution for the building, i.e. Documentation created during construction or the last major renovation of the building.

Where to find the fire safety solution

Fire safety solutions are usually part of a building's construction documentation, for newer buildings, the property manager typically has it available or it was handed over to the committee when the building was transferred to the management of the building's owners' association. If the committee does not have the documentation or is unsure whether it exists, it makes sense to ask the property manager, the relevant building authority where the construction is registered, or directly a certified inspection technician who can assess on-site during an inspection whether the current equipment in the building complies with what is specified in the documentation.

In new builds, the documentation and initial provision of fire extinguishers are usually handled by the developer or construction company at the time of completion approval. When the newly formed building's owners' association takes over management, it is advisable to request this documentation along with other property records during handover; this avoids later searches when verifying how many extinguishers and of what type the building should have according to the project plans.

Who is responsible for regular inspections

Once the units are installed in the building, the same rules apply as for any other fire extinguisher: an operational check at least once a year according to Decree No. 246/2001 Coll., and a periodic test after 3 or 5 years depending on the type of filling. Both tasks may only be carried out by a professionally competent person authorised by the manufacturer. We write in detail about both actions in articles Inspection of fire extinguishers: deadlines, procedure and who is authorised to carry them out a Inspection of fire extinguishers versus periodic testing .

Why the committee should not leave this to chance

Fire extinguishers in common areas are not the property of individual flat owners but a shared responsibility of the building's owners' association (SVJ) and thus its board as the statutory body. In the event of an inspection by the fire brigade or an insurance incident, it is the board that must demonstrate that the building has fire extinguishers in good order with valid inspections. Therefore, keeping track of how many extinguishers the building has, where they are located, and when they were last inspected is not merely a formality but a fundamental part of proper building management.

Practical advice for the building's owners' association board

• § One supplier for the whole building. Handling each appliance separately is unnecessary extra work: the technician will visit all of them at once during a single call-out.
• § All certificates in one place. The inspection certificate, the date on the label and the deadline for the next periodic test should be clearly available to the committee, preferably in electronic form.
• § Scheduled maintenance date. Annual inspections and any required periodic tests can be planned in advance and included in the building's budget to avoid them becoming unexpected expenses.
• § Inspection after every renovation. If the layout of common areas in a building (cellars, boiler rooms, garages) is being changed, it is worth verifying whether it still complies with the fire safety solution.
• § Inform flat owners. A short message on the notice board or in the building's group is enough, where the units are located, when the last inspection took place and who to contact if anyone notices damage.

Indicative prices for inspections and periodic tests, including how a single appointment works for the entire building, can be found in the article. Fire extinguisher inspection price .

Summary for the committee

The obligation to have fire extinguishers in a building depends on Act No. 133/1985 Coll. And the fire safety solution for the specific structure. Once the extinguishers are installed, the same rules apply as elsewhere: an annual operational check and a periodic test after 3 or 5 years, always carried out by a competent person. The simplest approach for the committee is to have one supplier for the whole building, maintain a clear record of deadlines, and include the budget for inspections in the repair plan in advance, rather than as an unexpected expense.