The regulatory checks a French hotel owes
A hotel is a public-access establishment. As such it owes a series of periodic checks: some under the fire safety regulation, others under the Labour Code, the Public Health Code and EU regulations. Here is the list, with the text that sets each interval.
| Check | Interval | Text | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire safety system | 12 months | Art. MS 73 §2, order of 25 June 1980 | The check is annual. A three-yearly check by an approved body is added for category A and B systems and automatic suppression. |
| Fire safety system, three-yearly check | 36 months | Art. MS 73 §2, order of 25 June 1980 | |
| Extinguishers | 12 months | Art. MS 38 §4, order of 25 June 1980 | Annual check and a ten-yearly overhaul. The six months sometimes quoted come from confusion with the frequency of drills. |
| Extinguishers, ten-yearly overhaul | 120 months | Art. MS 38 §4, order of 25 June 1980 | |
| Smoke control | 12 months | Art. DF 10 §2, order of 25 June 1980 | Annual check, alongside a three-yearly one. |
| Smoke control, three-yearly check | 36 months | Art. DF 10 §3, order of 25 June 1980 | |
| Electrical installations (public-access rules) | 12 months | Art. EL 19 §3, order of 25 June 1980 | The public-access regulation provides for no two-year extension. The Labour Code tolerance does not apply here. |
| Electrical installations (Labour Code) | 12 months | Art. 3 of the order of 26 December 2011, under art. R.4226-16 | The interval may be extended to two years by the head of establishment if the previous report carries no observation. That is a decision, not an automatic right. |
| Gas | 12 months (36 in category 5) | Art. GZ 15, order of 25 June 1980 as amended by the order of 23 February 2025; art. PE 4 §2, order of 22 June 1990 | Annual for categories 1 to 4, three-yearly in category 5. Held as a single figure, one of the two regimes is always wrong. |
| Elevators, general periodic check | 12 months | Art. 6 of the order of 29 December 2010 | Annual general check, plus a technical inspection every five years. The elevator is exempt from the check in the year of the technical inspection. |
| Elevators, technical inspection | 60 months | Art. R.134-11 of the Construction and Housing Code | |
| Flue sweeping | 6 months | Decree 2023-641 of 20 July 2023, art. R.1331-19 of the Public Health Code | Six months for a collective appliance, twelve for an individual one or a gas flue. The regime was redefined by the decree of 20 July 2023. |
| Legionella, sampling | 12 months | Annex 2 of the order of 1 February 2010 | Sampling is annual, but the temperature log is monthly. It is the most frequent obligation in the catalogue. |
| Legionella, temperature log | 1 month | Annex 2 of the order of 1 February 2010 | |
| Emergency lighting, autonomy test | 6 months | Art. EC 14, order of 25 June 1980 | |
| Emergency lighting, function test | 1 month | Art. EC 14, order of 25 June 1980 | |
| Staff fire-safety training | 6 months | Art. PO 7, order of 22 June 1990; art. R.4227-39 of the Labour Code | Two sessions a year, required by both the public-access regulation and the Labour Code, which converge on six months. |
| Q18 check (insurance-driven) | 12 months | APSAD D18 referential | An insurance-driven, voluntary check rather than a legal duty. Tracked here because an insurer may ask for it. |
| Safety commission visit | 36 months | Art. GE 4 §1, order of 25 June 1980 | |
| Public accessibility register, training attestation | 12 months | Art. 1 II of the order of 19 April 2017 | |
| Occupational risk assessment (DUERP), update | 12 months | Art. R.4121-2 of the Labour Code | |
| Fire hose reels | 12 months | Art. MS 73, order of 25 June 1980 | |
| Refrigerant leak check | 12 months (selon la charge) | Regulation (EU) 2024/573, art. 5 | |
| Atout France hotel classification | 60 months | Tourism Code, art. L.311-6 and D.311-7 | |
| Automated external defibrillator, maintenance | à confirmer | Art. R.123-57 to R.123-60 of the Construction Code; art. R.5212-25 of the Public Health Code | |
| Swimming pool, sanitary monitoring | à confirmer | Art. D.1332-1 et seq. of the Public Health Code | From 1 January 2027 the hotel orders and pays for the water tests from an accredited laboratory; until then the regional health agency takes the samples. How often depends on the pool: twice a quarter for type A, every quarter for B and C, once a year for D. |
| Food safety management plan (HACCP) | à confirmer | Regulation (EC) 852/2004, art. 5 | |
| Pest control | à confirmer | Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IX | |
| Asbestos file (building permit before July 1997) | à confirmer | Art. R.1334-14 to R.1334-29-7 of the Public Health Code | Only if the building permit predates 1 July 1997. No fixed cycle: materials in good condition are re-assessed within three years, and the file is updated after every job in the building. |
Two regimes overlap, and they do not say the same thing
The same installation can be covered by both the public-access regulation and the Labour Code. Electrical work is the clearest example. The Labour Code lets the head of establishment extend the interval to two years when the previous report carried no observation. The public-access regulation provides for no such extension, and that tolerance does not transfer across.
- The interval may be extended to two years by the head of establishment if the previous report carries no observation. That is a decision, not an automatic right.
- The public-access regulation provides for no two-year extension. The Labour Code tolerance does not apply here.
The intervals that come in pairs
Several duties carry two clocks. The fire safety system is checked annually, and additionally undergoes a three-yearly check by an approved body for category A and B systems. Extinguishers are checked annually and overhauled every ten years. An elevator has an annual general check and a five-yearly technical inspection.
- The check is annual. A three-yearly check by an approved body is added for category A and B systems and automatic suppression.
- Annual check and a ten-yearly overhaul. The six months sometimes quoted come from confusion with the frequency of drills.
- Annual general check, plus a technical inspection every five years. The elevator is exempt from the check in the year of the technical inspection.
- Sampling is annual, but the temperature log is monthly. It is the most frequent obligation in the catalogue.
Flue sweeping changed in 2023
Decree 2023-641 of 20 July 2023, codified at article R.1331-19 of the Public Health Code, redefined the regime. This is the kind of text a from-memory routine misses, because the rule applied last year is no longer the right one.
Common questions
Does this list apply to my property?
It describes the general frame. Your classification, your occupancy and the prescriptions of the competent safety commission change what actually applies. This guide is an aid to understanding, not legal advice.
Where do I find the full text?
The orders of 25 June 1980 and 22 June 1990 are available on Légifrance, as are the Labour Code and the Public Health Code. The references above point to the exact article.
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