What your property's category actually changes
The classification of a public-access establishment is not a consequence-free administrative label. It determines which duties open, and for some of them, how often.
Gas is the example that costs you either way
The gas installation check is annual for a category 1 to 4 property, under article GZ 15 of the order of 25 June 1980 as amended by the order of 23 February 2025. It is three-yearly in category 5, under article PE 4 §2 of the order of 22 June 1990.
- Held as a single number, one of the two regimes is always wrong
- Too often: you pay for three checks where one was due
- Not often enough: you are late without knowing it
Category 5 is not an exemption
A small property owes fewer checks, some of them further apart. But a three-year deadline is precisely the one that gets forgotten: it does not come round often enough to become routine, and the person who handled it last time has sometimes changed job since.
Where to find your category
It is on the order authorising the establishment to receive the public, and on the last safety commission report. If in doubt, opening the wider list is the prudent call: a check tracked needlessly costs less than a check missing.
Common questions
Can my category change?
Yes, for instance after works that change the occupancy. The change alters which duties apply, which is worth reflecting in your tracking the same day.
