Is water heater maintenance mandatory?
First of all, it is important to know that annual maintenance of the water heater is not necessarily mandatory. Indeed, the decree of September 15, 2009 requires annual maintenance to be carried out on boilers only. There is therefore no need to carry out annual maintenance on your water heater.
This means that if you have a separate water heater, you are not affected by this measure. However, there is one exception: if your water heater runs on gas , then it must also undergo mandatory annual maintenance for safety reasons .
In summary, if you have an independent water heater that runs on electricity (or hot water tank ), it is not mandatory to call a professional for its maintenance. However, this does not mean that you should let your water heater deteriorate! Regular cleaning is nevertheless strongly recommended.
Who, the tenant or the owner, should take care of the maintenance of the water heater?
Whether the maintenance is subject to a legal requirement or not, this responsibility does not always fall under the responsibility of the same person. Yes, there are subtleties here again!
Regarding the electric water heater (or hot water tank)
If your accommodation is equipped with an electric water heater (and in particular a solar water heater ), then it is up to the tenant to take care of the maintenance of the water heater. This maintenance is, in fact, part of the rental repairs to which the tenant is subject according to decree n°87-712 of August 26, 1987. More precisely, the occupant of the accommodation is required to carry out the “rinsing and cleaning of the heating elements and pipes”.
It is therefore not essential to call a heating plumber for these actions, it is simply a matter of regular maintenance (and it is not because it is not obligatory that it should not be done 🙃). Especially since the price of this type of service is quite high (around €250).
In the event that scale has built up and caused the appliance to malfunction (no need to consider replacing it immediately), please note that it is up to the owner of the accommodation (or lessor) to pay for the descaling of the hot water tank .
About the gas water heater
Regarding the gas water heater ( natural gas or LPG), it is another matter. Indeed, as we indicated earlier, this type of device is subject to mandatory annual maintenance. And it is up to the tenant (occupant of the accommodation) to call on a professional to take care of it.
Of course, this also means that it is up to the tenant to pay the costs inherent to this intervention. This could be a periodic visit, or an annual maintenance contract for which breakdowns are also covered.
Be careful, do not try to avoid it because you must provide proof of this maintenance by presenting the certificate to your landlord and especially to your insurer . If a disaster were to occur and you have not carried out the mandatory maintenance, your home insurance could refuse to cover you! Not to mention of course the risk that a poorly maintained gas appliance presents for your home…
What about water heater repairs?
If maintenance is the responsibility of the tenant, it is certain that repairs and replacement are the responsibility of the owner of the accommodation . Unless it is proven that the tenant is the cause of the defects by failing in his duty…
In the event that the water heater in your home presents problems and/or requires replacement, it is therefore important to contact the owner in order to have a professional intervene on site. As he is the one who pays the costs, he is also the one who chooses the craftsman and validates the estimate before any intervention.
