Rules, certificates and what you must be able to document
Legislation, security certificates and responsibility in property management
As a property service technician you work with buildings technical systems and people all at once. This means part of the trade is about rules: what you can do yourself what requires paperwork and when an authorised professional must take over. It is important to know the boundaries — both for your own safety and to avoid doing illegal work.
§A broad trade without one unified authorisation.
Property service is a broad service trade and does not require a single major license, as for example electrical and plumbing trades do. Instead, through the education you obtain a number of shorter certificates and competencies that together document that you may perform certain tasks responsibly.
§Certificates you typically get during the education
On the way through basic and main courses, you obtain several mandatory certificates. The exact requirements are set out in the education's rules and can be adjusted over time but typically include:
- 01First aid, often including traffic-related first aid.
- 02Basic fire fighting so you can act correctly if it catches fire.
- 03Scaffolding certificate for the erection and use of scaffolding at a certain height.
§When an authorized professional must come in
You may perform much of the daily operation and routine maintenance yourself, but some work is reserved for authorized professionals. Intervention in the fixed electrical installation requires, for example, a licensed electrician, and intervention in water and waste installations requires a licensed plumber. You can often handle inspections, minor adjustments, and reporting faults — but you should keep your hands off work requiring authorization.
§Operation, environment and documentation
Documentation rule
§Special tasks, special requirements
Depending on your workplace, there may be additional requirements. For example, if you need to operate a forklift or a lift, it usually requires a separate certificate. If you use pesticides in green areas, there are special rules for who can do it and how. Always check what your specific task requires before you start.
“The skilled property maintenance technician knows not only their tools — but also their limits: what you can do yourself and when you need to get an authorized professional.”