Do home heating and A/C systems need a legal periodic inspection?

The short answer

At EU level, almost certainly not. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires regular inspections only for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of over 70 kW. A single household boiler or split unit is a small fraction of that, so the EU rule does not reach it. Your own manufacturer's service interval and your warranty terms are a separate matter, and those usually do apply.

One caveat: this guide reads the EU directive, not Greek law. National rules can be stricter than the EU minimum, and we have not verified the Greek transposing text, so we state no Greek threshold here.

What the directive says

The relevant text is Article 23 of Directive (EU) 2024/1275 (the 2024 recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive):

• Member States must set up regular inspections of the accessible parts of heating,

ventilation and air-conditioning systems, or any combination of them, with an effective rated output of over 70 kW.

• The rating is the sum of the rated output of the heat generators and the cooling

generators in the system.

• Systems are to be inspected at least every five years, and systems with generators over

290 kW at least every three years. Member States may set different frequencies by system type and size.

• Member States may run separate schemes for residential and non-residential systems.

Each inspection produces a report with recommendations. It is handed to the owner or tenant and uploaded to the national energy performance database. The inspection must be carried out by qualified or certified independent experts.

Where this could still affect you

• Shared systems. The 70 kW test is on the system, summed across generators. A block's

central plant can exceed it even though each flat's share is small. If you live in a building with central heating or cooling, ask the building manager whether the plant is inspected.

• Stricter national rules. Member States decide how to implement the directive, and its

transposition deadline was 29 May 2026. Check what your own country currently requires with the competent ministry or a certified technician.

• Contracts that replace the inspection. The directive exempts systems covered by an

agreed energy-performance contract, or operated by a utility, if the overall impact is equivalent.

What is still worth tracking

No legal inspection does not mean no schedule. Boilers and split units have manufacturer service intervals, and missing them can give an insurer or a warranty provider a reason to refuse a claim. See our guides on how often to service a gas boiler and how often to clean and service an A/C split unit.

Keep the dates in one place

In Epimeleia, add the boiler or A/C unit under the property, set the service interval from its manual, and attach the last service sheet. If you do live in a building with a central plant, add the building's inspection report there too, so you can see when the next one falls due.