Preventive maintenance in communities has ceased to be an option and has become a management necessity. With the aging of the building stock, the tightening of elevator regulations, and technical inspections, property managers who plan instead of react save money, avoid penalties, and gain peace of mind. In this article, we review how to design an effective maintenance plan and what new developments in 2026 should be considered.
What is preventive maintenance and why does it make a difference?
Preventive maintenance involves planning and executing periodic inspections to detect and correct potential problems before they become serious issues, unlike corrective maintenance, which acts once the problem already exists, based on anticipation and continuous control of the building's condition. Within this approach, it is important to distinguish between different levels: predictive maintenance, which uses sensors to detect anomalies before they become serious failures, and prescriptive maintenance, based on historical data indicating the optimal time to act, for example, replacing a pump before it fails. Added to this is seasonal maintenance, which plans actions according to the calendar, such as checking heating systems before winter or cleaning drains before the rainy season.
The most common mistake is treating the urgent and the important the same: changing a blown light bulb is necessary, but checking the roof's waterproofing before the rains can prevent a much more impactful expense, which is why good planning distinguishes between corrective, preventive, and predictive maintenance, allocating resources according to the actual risk.
Regulatory changes in 2026 that reinforce prevention
The legal framework is tightening the circle on the lack of maintenance, especially in elevators and building inspections. Spain is the country with the highest number of elevators per capita in the world, with around 24 elevators per 1,000 inhabitants, and one in two is already over 20 years old, a reality that has led to strengthening regulations to ensure these installations continue to operate with maximum safety conditions.
From July 2026, there is a specific novelty affecting all communities with elevators: from July 1, 2026, all elevators must have an operating manual, a document that will contain the necessary instructions for their safe use and that the maintenance company must prepare and deliver to the community, which will be obliged to keep it along with the rest of the device's documentation. This measure is part of one of the latest phases of the Complementary Technical Instruction (ITC) for Elevators, approved by Royal Decree 355/2024, which tightens conservation and maintenance requirements. Among the technical points that require updating are precision leveling, bidirectional communication in the cabin, photoelectric curtains, replacement of obsolete guides, load weighing systems, and protection against uncontrolled movements. Furthermore, delegating maintenance to an external company does not exempt the community from responsibility: in the event of an incident, it can be considered directly or subsidiarily responsible.
In Catalonia, the Technical Building Inspection (ITE) continues to be a good thermometer of the actual state of the residential stock. 50% of properties in Catalonia fail the ITE due to significant or serious deficiencies, a fact that confirms that many communities are late in maintaining their installations. The ITE is mandatory for all residential buildings when they reach 45 years, according to Decree 67/2015 of the Generalitat, and a well-documented preventive maintenance plan greatly facilitates passing it. Added to this are other sectoral obligations, such as periodic fire protection inspections: according to the Fire Protection Installations Regulation (RIPCI), all installations must be kept in proper working order through periodic inspections carried out by an authorized company.
How to set up a preventive maintenance plan for each installation
A good building maintenance plan is not a generic document but a calendar adapted to each type of installation:
Plumbing and pressure groups: periodic inspection of pumps, valves, and pipes. A quarter of pumps may appear to work well and consume more than necessary due to lack of adjustment, accumulated dirt, or wear on components, and a periodic inspection detects this problem before it results in a shutdown, leak, or premature replacement.
Electricity: checking of main panels, circuit breakers, and emergency lighting, with special attention before seasonal consumption peaks.
HVAC and heating: tuning before winter and summer, filter cleaning, and inspection of centralized systems.
Elevators: monitoring the maintenance contract according to ITC AEM 1, verification of documentation (including the new operating manual), and planning technical improvements before the OCA inspection.
The key is in the prevention of breakdowns in community installations through traceability: being able to prove what was inspected, when, and with what result makes the difference, as having work reports, incident histories, and action tracking allows for informed action and demonstrates diligence.
Prevention is more cost-effective than repair
One of the main benefits of preventive maintenance is cost optimization: it reduces repair expenses, avoids urgent interventions, allows for long-term investment planning, and reduces the risk of unexpected expenses. Properly maintaining a building costs less than correcting it late, and it also avoids conflicts, repeated incidents, and loss of property value. For presidents and administrators, this translates into fewer after-hours emergencies, more predictable budgets, and a calmer community.
The role of the administrator and how to choose the right professionals
Executing a good preventive maintenance plan requires coordinating various trades —plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, elevator maintainers— with current qualifications and quick response capacity. Having a well-documented community plumbing installations maintenance and the rest of the systems also facilitates passing inspections such as the ITE or elevator reviews without last-minute surprises.
At ForConnect, we help property managers and communities find verified professionals for each specialty. You can check our professional directory to compare trusted providers in your area, or request a quote directly to review the state of your community installations before the next breakdown appears.
Anticipating does not completely eliminate unforeseen events, but it does reduce their frequency, severity, and final cost. Start by auditing the current state of your installations and gradually build a review calendar that protects both the safety of residents and the property's value.