What Records Should Facilities Managers Keep?
- Trefnus
- 5 days ago
- 10 min read
Published: May 2026 | Last reviewed: May 2026
Facilities managers carry significant responsibility. From fire safety inspections to equipment servicing and contractor visits, the daily workload generates a steady stream of information that needs to be captured, stored, and retrievable at short notice.
Whether you manage a single commercial building or a portfolio of sites, keeping accurate facilities manager records is not simply good practice. Many categories of records are legally required under specific UK health and safety regulations, and poor documentation can result in failed audits, voided warranties, insurance disputes, and, in serious cases, regulatory action.
This guide sets out the key records every facilities manager should maintain, explains why each category matters, and shows how a digital maintenance management system can help you stay organised, compliant, and in control.
Why Facilities Manager Records Matter
Good record keeping underpins almost every aspect of facilities management. When something goes wrong, your documentation tells the story. When an auditor visits, your records are your evidence. When a contractor disputes the scope of work, a signed completion record settles the argument.
Beyond reactive situations, strong records enable proactive management. Knowing the full maintenance history of an asset helps you anticipate failures, budget for replacements, and justify capital expenditure to senior leadership.
There are also important legal drivers. Regulations such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) all require organisations to maintain evidence of compliance. These laws generally do not prescribe a specific record format or universal retention schedule, but they do require you to demonstrate that safe systems are maintained. In practice, this means keeping records that support that evidence.
Key Categories of Facilities Manager Records
The exact records you need will depend on your sector, the nature of your premises, and the assets you manage. However, most facilities operations should cover the following core categories.
Asset Records
Every significant piece of equipment, plant, or infrastructure should have a corresponding asset record.
This should capture:
Asset name, type, and unique identifier
Manufacturer, model, and serial number
Location within the site or building
Date of installation and expected lifespan
Purchase cost and current condition rating
Associated warranty details and expiry dates
Good asset records allow you to build a complete picture of your estate. When a fault is reported, you can immediately see the asset's history, identify patterns, and make informed decisions about repair versus replacement.
Maintenance Records
This is one of the most important categories in facilities management. Maintenance records should document both planned preventive maintenance (PPM) and reactive maintenance:
Date and time of the maintenance activity
Description of work carried out
Name and organisation of the person who completed the work
Parts replaced or materials used
Outcome and condition notes
Next scheduled service date
Preventive maintenance logs demonstrate that you are proactively managing your assets rather than simply responding to breakdowns. This is particularly important for regulated equipment such as boilers, lifts, pressure vessels, and electrical systems.
Compliance and Statutory Inspection Records
Many facilities have legal requirements around regular testing and inspection. These records must be maintained carefully and made available on request. Common compliance records include:
Compliance Area | Typical Record Required |
Fire safety | Fire risk assessment (kept current and reviewed regularly), fire alarm testing logs, extinguisher inspection records, emergency lighting checks |
Electrical systems | Fixed wire testing (EICR): retained until superseded. PAT testing: no statutory retention period, but records are strongly recommended by insurers and best practice guidance |
Gas and boilers | Gas Safety Certificate (CP12): landlords must keep for at least 2 years. Broader best practice is to retain at least 2 to 3 service cycles. Boiler service records should be kept throughout asset life |
Legionella control | Water risk assessment, temperature monitoring logs, treatment records |
Lifts and hoists | Thorough examination reports under LOLER, periodic servicing records |
HVAC and ventilation | Filter change records, ductwork cleaning certificates, air quality monitoring |
Asbestos | Asbestos management plan kept current and accessible; register of asbestos-containing materials; survey reports. No universal retention period is set in UK law, but records should be available for the life of the building |
Contractor and Supplier Records
When contractors work on your site, you are responsible, so far as reasonably practicable, for ensuring they are competent and adequately insured.
Your contractor records should include:
Company name and primary contact details
Copies of public liability and employers liability insurance certificates
Relevant accreditations and trade body memberships (for example, Gas Safe registration, NICEIC approval)
Method statements and risk assessments submitted before work begins
Signed work completion records and handover documentation
Keeping these records in one place protects you if a contractor's work is later found to be defective or if an incident occurs on site.
Service Contract Records
Service contracts with suppliers and specialist maintenance providers need to be tracked throughout their lifecycle.
Key information to record includes:
Contract start and end dates
Scope of services and service level commitments
Renewal notice periods and auto-renewal clauses
Scheduled visit dates and completion history
Contact details for escalation
Missing a contract renewal notice is a common and avoidable problem. A record system that flags upcoming renewals well in advance gives you time to review the terms, seek competitive quotes, and negotiate before the deadline passes.
Defect and Fault Records
Recording defects consistently is important both for safety and for managing supplier relationships.
A defect log should capture:
Date the defect was identified and reported
Description of the fault and its severity
Which asset or location is affected
Action taken and by whom
Date the defect was resolved
A well-maintained defect log also helps you identify recurring problems. If the same piece of equipment generates repeated fault calls, that pattern may indicate it needs replacing rather than repairing again.
Health and Safety Records
Facilities managers often hold responsibility for on-site health and safety documentation.
This can include:
Risk assessments for maintenance tasks and working at height
Permit to work records
COSHH assessments for cleaning or chemical substances
Accident and near-miss logs
Training records and toolbox talk attendance sheets
Warranty and Guarantee Records
Warranties are only useful if you can produce the documentation when you need it. For each covered asset or installation, keep a record of the warranty period, terms, contact details for claims, and any conditions that must be met to maintain coverage. Failure to carry out manufacturer-recommended servicing can invalidate a warranty.
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How Long Should You Keep Facilities Management Records?
Retention periods vary by record type and sector. The table below provides a general guide, though you should always check any specific regulatory requirements that apply to your industry or region.
Record Type | Retention Guidance | Basis |
Fire safety records | 3 years is widely used in practice. No fixed period is prescribed in legislation; insurers commonly specify requirements depending on your policy terms. | Insurer / Best practice |
Electrical inspection certificates | Retain EICR until superseded by the next inspection. Best practice is to keep the previous certificate alongside the current one. | Best practice |
Gas safety certificates | Minimum 2 years for landlords under gas safety regulations. Broader best practice recommends retaining 2 to 3 full service cycles. | Statutory (landlords) / Best practice |
LOLER thorough examination reports | Until the next thorough examination report is produced, or a minimum of 2 years, whichever is longer. | Statutory |
Asbestos management plan | For the life of the building. UK law requires the plan to be kept current and accessible to anyone who may disturb the fabric of the building. | Statutory |
Accident records | Minimum 3 years under RIDDOR. Longer where incidents involve children or potential long-term occupational disease exposure. | Statutory |
Contractor insurance certificates | 6 years after contract completion is widely used. No statutory minimum; your insurer or procurement policy may specify longer. | Insurer / Best practice |
General maintenance logs | Commonly retained for 3 to 6 years for operational continuity and insurance purposes. No regulatory minimum applies. | Best practice / Insurer |
Note: The periods above reflect a mix of three different sources of obligation. Some are legally driven (for example, LOLER report retention and the landlord gas safety minimum). Some are insurer-driven, depending on your policy terms. Others reflect operational best practice across the FM industry.
UK legislation generally requires evidence of compliance rather than prescribing a universal retention schedule. Always confirm the requirements that apply to your specific sector and premises with a qualified professional.
Facilities Manager Records: Paper Versus Digital
Many facilities teams still rely on paper-based systems, spreadsheets, and shared drives to manage their records. These approaches are better than nothing, but they create problems at scale.
Paper records can be lost, damaged, or misfiled. Spreadsheets become unwieldy as asset inventories grow. Shared drives lack audit trails and make it difficult to see, at a glance, which maintenance tasks are overdue.
A digital CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) addresses these limitations directly. It provides a single, structured environment for all of your facilities records, with search, filtering, and automated reminders built in. For growing estates or teams managing multiple sites, this can significantly improve reliability and reduce the risk of records being lost or overlooked.
What to Look for in a Records Management System
When choosing a tool for managing your facilities manager records, consider the following:
Asset register with full maintenance history per asset
Preventive maintenance scheduling with calendar and usage-based triggers
Defect logging with severity tracking and photo evidence
Contract management with renewal date alerts
Contractor management with document storage
Offline capability for sites with limited connectivity
Data export for audits and reporting
Common Mistakes in Facilities Record Keeping
Even experienced facilities managers can fall into record-keeping traps. The following are among the most common:
Relying on One Person's Memory
When a long-serving maintenance technician or facilities co-ordinator leaves, they often take a great deal of institutional knowledge with them. Documented records ensure continuity regardless of staff changes.
Inconsistent Naming and Categorisation
If different team members log assets or activities differently, it becomes very difficult to search, analyse, or report on the data. Agree on standard naming conventions and categories before you start building your records.
Failing to Close Out Work Orders
A maintenance task is only complete when the record is updated. Open work orders that have actually been completed distort your data and make it look like more work is outstanding than really is.
Not Capturing Contractor Documentation Upfront
Chasing insurance certificates or method statements after work has already started puts you in a difficult position. Build a documentation checklist into your contractor onboarding process and do not authorise work until it is complete.
Ignoring Warranty Conditions
Some warranties require servicing to be carried out by an approved contractor or at specified intervals. If your maintenance records do not capture this detail, you may inadvertently invalidate the coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are facilities manager records?
Facilities manager records are the documented evidence of all activities, inspections, maintenance tasks, and compliance checks carried out to manage a building or estate. They include asset registers, maintenance logs, statutory inspection certificates, contractor documentation, service contracts, and defect reports.
Are facilities managers legally required to keep records?
In many cases, yes. UK legislation including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) all require organisations to maintain evidence of compliance and demonstrate that safe systems are in place.
These laws do not always prescribe a specific record format or universal retention period, but the duty to evidence compliance makes record keeping effectively essential. The specific requirements depend on the type of premises, assets, and activities involved.
How long should facilities maintenance records be kept?
Retention periods vary by record type and are not universally prescribed in UK law. Many periods reflect industry best practice and insurer expectations rather than specific statutory requirements.
As a general guide: fire safety records are commonly retained for at least three years; gas safety certificates for a minimum of two years (with best practice suggesting longer); accident records for at least three years under RIDDOR; and asbestos management plans for the life of the building. Always confirm the specific requirements for your sector and premises with a qualified professional.
What is the best way to manage facilities manager records?
A digital CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) is a reliable and scalable approach for many facilities teams. It centralises all records in one place, automates maintenance scheduling, generates audit-ready reports, and alerts you to upcoming compliance tasks or contract renewals. Smaller operations may manage well with well-controlled spreadsheets, but as your estate grows a dedicated platform reduces the risk of things slipping through the cracks.
What records should a facilities manager keep for contractors?
For each contractor working on your site, you should retain their public liability and employers liability insurance certificates, relevant trade accreditations (such as Gas Safe or NICEIC registration), method statements and risk assessments, and signed records of work completed. These documents protect you if a dispute or incident arises after the work has been carried out.
Can facilities management records be stored digitally?
Yes. Digital records are generally preferable to paper because they are searchable, cannot be lost or damaged in the same way, and can be backed up automatically. Ensure that any digital system you use allows data export in standard formats, so your records remain accessible regardless of the platform you use in future.
Conclusion
Strong record keeping is one of the foundations of effective facilities management. It protects your organisation legally, supports compliance audits, reduces operational risk, and enables better decision-making about asset investment and maintenance strategy.
The records that matter most are your asset register, maintenance history, statutory inspection certificates, contractor documentation, service contracts, and defect logs. Getting these right does not need to be complicated, but it does require a consistent approach and the right tools.
If your current system relies on spreadsheets, paper files, or shared drives, it may be worth considering a dedicated CMMS. The right platform will save you significant time, reduce the risk of things slipping through the cracks, and give you confidence that your facilities records are accurate, complete, and audit-ready.
Further Reading and Official Guidance
The following resources provide authoritative guidance on facilities management record-keeping requirements in the UK:
Health and Safety Executive (HSE): Managing Health and Safety in the Workplace
Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM): www.iwfm.org.uk
Health and Safety Executive: Asbestos: The Hidden Killer (Guidance for Duty Holders)
Disclaimer
The information in this article is intended for general guidance only and does not constitute professional legal, financial, or regulatory advice. Always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.
