A gas boiler in a rented flat: chimney sweep, service and who pays

What the chimney sweep checks, and how often

In Zagreb one concessionaire, Dimnjačarska obrtnička zadruga, does all chimney-sweeping. How often it comes depends on the appliance (the City decision, Arts. 26 and 27; the general terms, Arts. 19 and 20):

• a closed-chamber (turbo) boiler and its flue: checked, and cleaned as needed, once a year
• an open-flue (atmospheric) boiler: at least twice a year, and at least three times with a brick chimney
• flue-gas measurement for appliances up to 50 kW: once a year

Who orders and pays the chimney sweep

The owner or the user of the flat must use the authorised chimney sweep (City decision, Art. 18). The invoice is paid by the service user or the building managerBuilding manager (upravitelj zgrade)simplifiedThe company or registered trader the co-owners choose to run the building. It allocates and collects the reserve fund and organises maintenance and emergency repairs.Source: Zakon o upravljanju i održavanju zgrada (NN 152/24, 47/26), čl. 41., 49.–52., checked 19 Oct 2026More in the glossary (Art. 29; general terms, Art. 23), and the service user is the owner, co-owner or user of the flat (general terms, Art. 2). So the rules don't say whether the landlord or the tenant pays.

The lease decides that, as it sets out which running costs are paid and how (Housing Lease Act, Art. 5). If the lease is silent, agree it in writing. The concessionaire publishes its price list on its website.

Does the tenant have to let the chimney sweep in?

Yes. The owner or user of the flat must allow inspection, cleaning and measurement (City decision, Art. 19), and cleaning on working days between 8:00 and 18:00 (general terms, Art. 19(3)). The sweep announces the visit with a notice in the building at least five days ahead and must show an ID card on request.

A boiler service isn't the chimney sweep's check

The chimney sweep checks the flue and the appliance and measures the flue gas. A boiler service is something else. We found no rule requiring a yearly service; Gradska plinara Zagreb advises servicing the boiler regularly, without naming an interval.

The law doesn't say directly who pays for it. The tenant pays for small repairs and the costs of ordinary use (Civil Obligations Act, Art. 554(3)), and the landlord keeps the flat fit to live in (Housing Lease Act, Art. 13). Whether a yearly service is a cost of ordinary use or maintenance, the law doesn't say; in our reading it's an open question, so it's best written into the lease.

The periodic test of the gas installation

The gas company tests the gas installation in a residential building at least once every 10 years and when the meter is changed, and the gas customer must allow it once it is announced (Flammable Liquids and Gases Act, Art. 9). The cost is part of the monthly fixed charge on the gas bill, €0.40 per billing metering point (HERA decision, NN 101/2026), as our utilities guide says too.

A broken boiler: a necessary repair

The landlord pays for repairs a boiler needs to work (Housing Lease Act, Art. 14(3); Civil Obligations Act, Art. 554(1)). Damage the tenant causes is the tenant's to pay (Housing Lease Act, Art. 15). Report a fault to the owner straight away and in writing, for example with our repair request; who pays for what in a flat is in our who-pays guide.

What to agree in the lease

• who pays the chimney sweep and who deals with it
• who orders and pays the yearly boiler service, and with whom
• how a fault is reported and how soon the owner repairs it
• that copies of the sweep's and the service records are kept with the lease

The law says a lease sets out the running costs and the upkeep of the flat (Housing Lease Act, Art. 5); spelling these points out avoids disputes later. We don't offer a ready-made lease form.

Frequently asked questions