Can you demonstrate, at any time, that your buildings are safe, legally compliant, and properly managed?

A Practical Approach to Estates Compliance and Assurance

Statutory compliance in facilities management is rarely about a single failure. More often, it is the result of small gaps; missed reviews, fragmented records, unclear ownership, gradually compounding over time.

As regulatory scrutiny increases and estates become more complex, compliance can no longer be treated as a periodic exercise or a collection of disconnected documents. It needs to be structured, visible and defensible.

That is the thinking behind The DMA Estates Compliance & Assurance Checklist.

Why Context Matters Before Compliance

One of the most common challenges estates teams face is applying generic compliance requirements to very different buildings. A modern office, a school, a healthcare facility and a mixed-use site all carry different risks, occupancy profiles and regulatory considerations.

The checklist begins by capturing this context i.e. building type, occupancy and usage, overall risk profile, and any local authority or sector-specific requirements. This is not an assessment in itself. Instead, it ensures that compliance is reviewed proportionately and interpreted correctly, supporting more meaningful assurance and audit readiness.

Moving Beyond Tick-Box Compliance

The core of the checklist focuses on the statutory compliance areas that apply to most non-domestic buildings in the UK, including fire safety, electrical safety, gas safety, water hygiene, asbestos management, lifting equipment, pressure systems and workplace safety.

Rather than testing technical knowledge, the questions are designed to confirm whether:

• Appropriate controls are in place
• Responsibilities are clearly defined
• Evidence and records are accessible
• Actions are tracked and reviewed

Each section is supported by simple prompts to help estates teams think about what good control looks like in practice, rather than relying on assumptions or past activity.

Compliance as Assurance, Not Administration

A recurring issue in FM compliance is that evidence exists but is difficult to retrieve, or responsibility is assumed rather than confirmed. This becomes particularly visible during audits, incidents or leadership reviews.

The final sections of the checklist focus on evidence, visibility and governance. They encourage teams to consider whether compliance information is centrally stored, whether there is a clear audit trail from asset to action, and whether assurance is reviewed routinely rather than reactively.

Used consistently, this approach helps shift compliance from an administrative burden to a source of confidence.

Supporting Good Facilities Management in 2026

Good facilities management in 2026 is defined by control, visibility and assurance and not by reactive activity or reliance on individual effort.

The checklist is designed to support that shift. It helps estates teams identify gaps early, prompt informed discussion and provide a clear reference point for governance conversations. It does not replace statutory inspections, professional advice or formal audits, but sits alongside them as a practical assurance tool.

At DMA, this framework-led approach is supported by digital oversight through our own award-winning BiO® digital maintenance management platform, helping estates teams maintain visibility of statutory inspections, evidence and actions across complex estates.

Used in the right way, structure and technology together strengthen professional judgement rather than replace it. That is what good facilities management looks like in 2026.

Download the checklist below.

This checklist is designed as a practical reference tool for estates and facilities teams. It supports day-to-day compliance management while also acting as a defensible assurance document for audits, inspections, and senior oversight. This checklist supports -but does not replace -a full compliance framework.

To use an an interactive document, please view in Adobe Reader.

Discuss Your Compliance Challenges

If you’re reviewing how compliance, risk and assurance are managed across your estate, our team can help you sense-check your approach and identify where structure, visibility or assurance can be strengthened.

Contact us to start a conversation!