New protocol or fine. Homeowners may pay up to PLN 500

• The District Building Inspector may impose a fine of PLN 500 on building owners and managers.
• This will happen when they neglect one of the basic duties related to real estate. This also applies to single-family homes.
• This is about mandatory inspections of chimney flues and their regular cleaning. This must be done by specialists.

Homeowners have a number of obligations regarding such properties. These include ensuring the safety of tenants. This includes maintaining the installations in buildings, especially those related to heating , in good condition.

Therefore, municipal and city offices remind building owners and managers of their obligations related to the safe use of chimney flues .

A chimney, which is a very important element of a building, although it takes up only a small area of ​​it, can also be extremely dangerous. Especially in the case of a soot fire in an uncleaned, poorly operated chimney. The temperature of the burning soot then exceeds even 1000 degrees Celsius

- informs the National Chamber of Chimney Sweeps.

This situation is a huge threat to residents. The State Fire Service records several thousand fires caused by defects or improper use of heating devices each year. In 2023, over 15 thousand fires were recorded from heating devices using solid fuels, 170 fires from devices using liquid fuels and 383 fires from devices using gas fuels. In addition to fires, improper use of chimney flues also poses a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, i.e. carbon monoxide.

Chimneys:

• smoke installation,
• ventilation,
• combustion,

must be periodically inspected and cleaned by a licensed chimney sweep.

The Building Law Act states that the owner - manager of the building is obliged to commission a periodic inspection of the technical condition of chimney flues to a person with the appropriate qualifications of a master chimney sweep at least once a year.

- explains the National Chamber of Chimney Sweeps.

This is referred to in Art. 62 sec. 1 item 1 c and Art. 62 sec. 1 item 1 of the Building Law Act, Journal of Laws of 2024, item 725).

In the event of damage or deficiencies, the owner, manager or user of the building are obliged to remove the damage as soon as possible and supplement the deficiencies that could pose a threat to human life or health, property safety or the environment, and in particular a construction disaster, fire, explosion, electric shock or gas poisoning.

Another important obligation is regular cleaning of chimneys by a qualified chimney sweep. Such action protects against the outbreak of a soot fire in the chimney. Fire regulations require mandatory removal of impurities from chimneys in facilities or parts thereof where the process of burning solid, liquid or gaseous fuel takes place:

• from solid fuel fired furnaces (coal, wood) - at least once every 3 months,
• from liquid and gas fuel fired furnaces - at least once every 6 months,
• from ventilation ducts at least once a year , unless greater frequency results from operating conditions.

This is stipulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of 7 June 2010 on fire protection of buildings, other construction facilities and areas (Journal of Laws 2010 No. 109 item 719).

Forgetful owners not only put themselves, their household members and their property at risk. They also face penalties!

A periodic chimney inspection is mandatory for all property owners and managers. In the event of neglect of this obligation, the District Building Inspector may impose a fine for the lack of a chimney inspection of up to PLN 500.

- warns the District Building Inspectorate in Gryfino.

Such a penalty is provided if the owner or manager is unable to provide a current chimney inspection report.

But that's not the end of the potential consequences. As the National Chamber of Chimney Sweeps explains, in the event of a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning, the lack of documentation on timely chimney cleaning and inspection may constitute grounds for the insurance company to refuse to pay compensation.