Managing the condominium heating plant

The third responsible party: who it is and when to appoint one

The third responsible party is the figure, provided for under energy performance regulations for thermal plants, to whom the owner or the property manager can delegate responsibility for operating, checking and maintaining the plant, including periodic energy efficiency inspections. In most buildings this role is taken on by the property manager, who personally assumes the legal obligations, or it is assigned to a qualified technician or maintenance company through a formal appointment act.

The appointment must be resolved by the assembly or otherwise authorized by the owners, since it involves taking on responsibility and costs. If the manager does not intend to personally take on the role, good practice is to delegate a technically competent party and expressly record it in the plant logbook, so that in the event of an inspection by supervisory authorities it is clear who answers for operating the plant.

Some managers prefer to assign the role directly to the maintenance company, which already has specific technical competence and equipment for inspections: in this case the maintenance contract must explicitly include the appointment as third responsible party, a generic maintenance assignment is not sufficient.

The plant logbook and periodic maintenance

The plant logbook is the technical document that accompanies the heating plant throughout its service life: it records the plant's identifying data, the name of the third responsible party, the maintenance interventions carried out and the energy efficiency checks, following the technical scheme set out in the relevant UNI standards (UNI 10389 for combustion analysis, UNI 10435 and related standards for operation). It must be kept and made available in case of inspection.

Routine maintenance work, such as cleaning, seal checks and combustion verification, follows the schedule set by the manufacturer's use and maintenance manual and by the contract with the maintenance company; energy efficiency inspections and flue gas checks instead have deadlines set by regulation, which vary depending on the power and type of the heat generator.

The manager must ensure the maintenance contract covers all mandatory services, not just breakdown callouts, and that technical inspection reports are delivered and filed: they are the documentary proof that the plant has been properly managed.

• Periodic checking and cleaning of the generator per the manufacturer's logbook
• Energy efficiency verification at intervals set by regulation, based on plant power
• Flue gas check and combustion test with issuance of the technical report
• Verification of safety valves and control devices
• Updating the plant logbook after every intervention

Plant safety and the manager's responsibility

Heating plant safety concerns both fire prevention, with the requirements set for plants above certain power thresholds, and the safety of the electrical systems and fuel supply lines inside the boiler room. Under Article 1130 of the Italian Civil Code, the property manager must carry out the conservatory acts necessary to protect common parts and order urgent extraordinary maintenance work, promptly reporting to the assembly.

If technical inspections reveal anomalies that compromise safety, such as fuel leaks, malfunctioning safety devices or a buildup of combustion products, the manager cannot wait for the ordinary assembly meeting: urgent action must be taken, including having indispensable work carried out, and owners must be promptly informed of the expense incurred.

Management software such as AmministraPro helps track maintenance deadlines and mandatory inspections with automatic reminders, reducing the risk that a required check is overlooked.

Allocating costs among the owners

Costs for the condominium heating plant do not automatically follow general ownership shares: Article 1123 of the Italian Civil Code establishes that expenses for maintaining and using common parts that serve owners to differing degrees must be allocated in proportion to the use each owner can make of them. For heating this translates, where individual heat metering is in place, into a share based on actual consumption recorded by heat allocators or meters and a share based on the thermal power installed in each unit, according to dedicated heating apportionment tables.

In buildings without individual metering, allocation is based on heating apportionment tables calculated according to the radiating surfaces and exposure of each unit, distinct from the general ownership shares used for other common expenses.

Routine maintenance costs and third responsible party fees normally follow the same criteria as heating management expenses, while extraordinary work on the building envelope or on parts other than the generator may fall under general ownership shares: it is the manager's task to identify the correct table and present it transparently in the financial statement.

Frequently asked questions