TM44 for Care Homes and Assisted Living Facilities: What UK Operators Need to Know

Care homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities depend on controlled indoor temperatures more than many other commercial buildings. Residents may be elderly, vulnerable, medically sensitive or less able to regulate their own comfort during hot weather. Staff also need safe, comfortable working conditions, especially in lounges, treatment rooms, communal spaces, offices, kitchens and bedroom areas.

That is why air conditioning compliance in care homes is not just a technical issue. It can affect resident comfort, energy costs, operational risk and the overall management of the building.

If your care home has air conditioning systems with a combined cooling capacity over 12kW, you may need a valid TM44 air conditioning inspection report. This applies even if the site does not have one large central cooling system. Several smaller split systems can still bring the building over the threshold when their cooling capacity is added together.

For care home operators, facilities managers, landlords, managing agents and multi-site care groups, TM44 compliance should be treated as part of the building’s wider compliance file. If you are unsure whether your site needs an inspection, you can use the TM44.uk checker at https://tm44.uk/tm44-checker/ or request a quote directly through https://tm44.uk/get-quote/.

What Is a TM44 Inspection?

A TM44 inspection, also known as an air conditioning energy assessment, is a statutory inspection of qualifying air conditioning systems in commercial and non-domestic buildings. The purpose is to assess whether the system is energy efficient, correctly controlled, appropriately maintained and suitable for the building it serves.

A TM44 report does not normally involve repairing the system or carrying out intrusive works. It is a professional assessment that reviews the air conditioning setup, system condition, controls, maintenance records and potential energy-saving improvements.

The inspection may look at:

• The number and type of air conditioning systems
• Indoor and outdoor AC units
• Split systems, multi-split systems, VRF or VRV systems
• Chillers, rooftop units or central cooling systems
• Cooling capacity in kW
• Controls and thermostat settings
• Maintenance records and F-Gas information
• Whether systems appear oversized, poorly controlled or inefficient
• Opportunities to reduce electricity usage and improve performance

For a full overview of how TM44 inspections work, you can also visit https://tm44.uk/tm44-air-conditioning-inspections/.

Why Care Homes Are a High-Risk Sector for TM44 Compliance

Care homes are not ordinary commercial properties. They often operate 24/7, contain vulnerable people, and use cooling systems in different parts of the building for different reasons.

A typical care home may have air conditioning in:

• Resident lounges
• Dining rooms
• Treatment rooms
• Staff offices
• Manager offices
• Reception areas
• Medication rooms
• Server or comms rooms
• Kitchens or back-of-house spaces
• Conservatories or south-facing communal rooms
• Bedrooms in higher-end assisted living facilities

Because these areas are added over time, many operators do not realise the total cooling capacity has passed the 12kW TM44 threshold. One wall-mounted split unit may not trigger TM44 by itself, but four, five or six units across the same building can easily exceed the limit.

This is where many care homes get caught. The building may not look like a large air-conditioned facility, but the total installed cooling capacity can still create a TM44 requirement.

If you want to understand the 12kW rule in more detail, see the TM44 inspection requirements page at https://tm44.uk/tm44-inspection-requirements-uk/.

When Does a Care Home Need a TM44 Inspection?

A care home, nursing home or assisted living facility may need a TM44 inspection when the combined cooling capacity of the air conditioning systems is over 12kW.

This can include:

• One larger system over 12kW
• Several smaller split systems that together exceed 12kW
• Multiple indoor units connected to outdoor condensers
• VRF or VRV systems serving several rooms or zones
• Cooling systems added gradually over several years
• Air conditioning serving offices, lounges, treatment spaces and communal rooms

The key point is combined cooling capacity. It is not only about one single unit.

For example, if a care home has five split systems, each with around 3.5kW of cooling capacity, the combined capacity may be around 17.5kW. That would likely fall within the TM44 inspection requirement.

Many operators only check individual units. That is a mistake. TM44 looks at the relevant air conditioning system capacity across the building, not only the size of one indoor unit.

Why TM44 Compliance Matters for Care Home Operators

Care home operators already deal with many layers of compliance. Fire safety, electrical safety, gas safety, infection control, maintenance logs, insurance requirements, energy costs and resident welfare all sit within the same operational risk picture.

TM44 adds another layer, but it is directly connected to building performance.

A valid TM44 report can help care home operators:

• Confirm whether the air conditioning system is being used efficiently
• Identify obvious control and maintenance problems
• Reduce unnecessary cooling costs
• Improve comfort in resident and staff areas
• Support the building compliance file
• Show proactive management of commercial air conditioning systems
• Prepare for future compliance checks, audits or property reviews

TM44 is not only about avoiding a fine. In a care home, it can also highlight waste, poor controls and cooling issues that affect daily operations.

For operators managing several sites, TM44 can become even more important. A group with five, ten or twenty care homes may have different levels of compliance across each location. Some may have old reports. Some may never have been assessed. Some may have added new AC units since the last inspection.

TM44.uk supports single sites and multi-site portfolios across the UK. For portfolio support, visit https://tm44.uk/tm44-portfolio-management/.

Common Air Conditioning Setups Found in Care Homes

Care homes often have mixed AC systems because cooling is added as the building changes. Older facilities may begin with no air conditioning, then add systems to lounges, offices or treatment rooms after complaints during summer heat.

Common setups include:

• Wall-mounted split systems in offices and reception areas
• Ceiling cassette units in lounges and dining rooms
• Multi-split systems serving multiple rooms
• VRF or VRV systems in larger assisted living buildings
• Small server room cooling systems
• Comfort cooling for treatment or medication rooms
• Rooftop condensers serving communal areas
• Older AC units with limited control records

This creates a common compliance problem. The operator may have maintenance invoices, but no clear asset list showing all indoor units, outdoor units and cooling capacities. Without that information, it becomes harder to confirm whether the 12kW threshold applies.

If you do not have a full asset list, you can still start the process. TM44.uk has a guide on this exact issue at https://tm44.uk/news-blog/no-asset-list-tm44-inspection/.

The Hidden Problem: Multiple Small Split Units

One of the biggest TM44 mistakes in care homes is assuming that small split systems do not count.

A care home manager may say, “We only have small air conditioning units.” But the legal question is not whether each unit is small. The important issue is the combined cooling output.

For example:

• Manager office split system: 3.5kW
• Reception split system: 3.5kW
• Staff room split system: 2.5kW
• Resident lounge split system: 5kW
• Medication room split system: 2.5kW

Total approximate cooling capacity: 17kW

In this scenario, the building could fall above the TM44 threshold, even though none of the individual systems looks especially large.

This matters because many care homes install air conditioning reactively. One unit is installed after a heatwave. Another is added in the office. Another is installed in a medication room. A few years later, the site has passed the threshold without anybody formally checking.

If this sounds like your building, use the free checker at https://tm44.uk/tm44-checker/ or send the unit details through the quote form at https://tm44.uk/get-quote/.

Case Study Example 1: A 42-Bed Care Home With Hidden TM44 Risk

A 42-bed care home had air conditioning installed in different areas over several years. The manager believed the site did not need a TM44 inspection because there was no central chiller and no large plant room.

The site had:

• Two split systems in the main lounge
• One split system in the dining area
• One unit in the manager’s office
• One unit in the medication room
• One unit in the staff room
• One small cooling system for the comms cupboard

Individually, the systems were modest. But when the cooling capacities were added together, the total was above 12kW.

The main compliance issue was not that the care home had intentionally ignored TM44. The issue was that nobody had reviewed the total air conditioning capacity across the full building.

The operator requested a TM44 inspection, gathered the available maintenance records, and used the report to update their building compliance file. The report also identified several practical energy-saving improvements, including better control settings and avoiding unnecessary cooling in rooms that were only occupied at limited times.

This is exactly the type of risk many care homes face. It is not always obvious from looking at the building.

Case Study Example 2: Assisted Living Facility With Multiple Wings

A larger assisted living facility had separate wings, communal lounges, staff offices and a health treatment space. The operator had a PPM maintenance contractor visiting regularly, but the TM44 compliance status was unclear.

The building had several AC systems across different parts of the site:

• Comfort cooling in two communal lounges
• Cooling in the reception and admin office
• Treatment room cooling
• Air conditioning in a south-facing activities room
• A small server/comms cooling system

The operator assumed that regular AC servicing was enough. This is a common misunderstanding.

A maintenance visit and a TM44 inspection are not the same thing. PPM servicing may check whether the system is working and maintained, but TM44 is a specific statutory energy assessment for qualifying air conditioning systems.

TM44.uk explains this difference further at https://tm44.uk/news-blog/ppm-contract-vs-tm44-compliance/.

After reviewing the site, the operator arranged a TM44 inspection and added the report to their compliance records. This gave the head office a clearer view of which sites needed renewal and which sites were already compliant.

TM44 Is Not Replaced by F-Gas Checks

Many care home operators already have F-Gas checks or AC maintenance visits. These are important, but they do not automatically replace a TM44 inspection.

F-Gas checks focus mainly on refrigerant-related compliance, leakage and environmental control. TM44 focuses on the energy performance and efficiency of the air conditioning system.

A care home may have:

• F-Gas records
• Service reports
• Maintenance invoices
• AC repair records
• Asset lists

But still not have a valid TM44 inspection report.

If you already have an F-Gas register, it can be very useful when requesting a TM44 quote because it may show the number of systems, unit references and refrigerant information. TM44.uk also provides F-Gas leak testing and compliance checks through https://tm44.uk/f-gas-leak-testing-compliance-checks/.

What Happens During a TM44 Inspection in a Care Home?

A TM44 inspection is designed to assess the air conditioning system with minimal disruption to the building. For care homes, this is important because residents, visitors and staff may be using the space throughout the day.

The assessor will usually review:

• Air conditioning equipment on site
• Indoor and outdoor units
• Maintenance records
• F-Gas register or asset list if available
• Control settings
• Thermostats and zoning
• System age and apparent condition
• Whether units are accessible
• Operational patterns and areas served
• Opportunities for energy-saving recommendations

The inspection does not normally require rooms to be closed for long periods. It can usually be planned around the care home’s operational needs.

For a clearer breakdown of the process, see https://tm44.uk/news-blog/what-happens-during-tm44-inspection/.

What Information Should a Care Home Provide for a TM44 Quote?

To provide an accurate quotation, TM44.uk will usually need basic site and system information.

The most useful details are:

• Full site address
• Site contact name and phone number
• Number of indoor AC units
• Number of outdoor condensers
• System type, such as split, multi-split, VRF, VRV or chiller
• Approximate cooling capacity if known
• Whether the site is one building or multiple separate buildings
• Any existing TM44 report
• F-Gas register or asset list
• Recent AC maintenance report if available
• Preferred inspection date or time window

If you do not know the cooling capacity, photos of the unit labels or data plates can help. These labels are often found on the indoor or outdoor unit and may show model numbers or capacity information.

You can also read TM44.uk’s guide on quote information at https://tm44.uk/news-blog/what-we-need-from-you-for-a-tm44-quote/.

Care Homes With Multiple Buildings

Some care homes and assisted living sites are not one simple building. They may include:

• Main residential building
• Separate dementia care wing
• Assisted living apartments
• Admin building
• Treatment or therapy building
• Laundry or catering building
• Detached staff or training spaces

This matters because TM44 reporting can depend on how the buildings are arranged, whether systems serve one building or multiple buildings, and whether the buildings operate separately.

If the site includes multiple detached or separately operated buildings, it is important to explain this at quote stage. The assessor may need to determine whether one report is appropriate or whether separate reports are required for separate buildings.

This is especially relevant for care groups, estates, large assisted living communities and converted properties where the site has expanded over time.

Energy Costs Are a Major Reason to Take TM44 Seriously

Care homes have high operating costs. Heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, laundry, catering and hot water can all add pressure to monthly bills.

Air conditioning can become expensive when systems are poorly controlled. Common problems include:

• Cooling empty rooms
• Thermostats set too low
• Heating and cooling running against each other
• Units left on overnight unnecessarily
• Poor zoning between lounges, offices and bedrooms
• Blocked filters reducing system efficiency
• Old units using more electricity than needed
• Staff changing controls without a clear policy
• Maintenance issues increasing running costs

A TM44 report can identify where practical improvements may be possible. The recommendations are not always expensive upgrades. Sometimes the most useful changes are simple operational improvements, such as better control settings, timer programming, cleaning routines or clearer responsibility for AC controls.

For care homes, even a modest reduction in wasted cooling can matter because the building operates for long hours.

TM44.uk also provides post-inspection energy efficiency support through https://tm44.uk/energy-efficiency-upgrade-report-post-tm44/.

Why Summer Heat Makes This More Urgent

Hot summers increase pressure on care homes. Residents may be more sensitive to overheating, and staff may need to keep communal areas comfortable during long warm periods.

This often leads to more air conditioning use. The more the systems are used, the more important it becomes to know:

• Whether the systems are efficient
• Whether controls are set correctly
• Whether maintenance records are in order
• Whether the site needs a TM44 inspection
• Whether the report is current or expired
• Whether energy is being wasted unnecessarily

If your care home has added extra cooling after recent heatwaves, it is worth checking whether the combined cooling capacity has now crossed the 12kW threshold.

For more on summer cooling costs and TM44, visit https://tm44.uk/news-blog/tm44-air-conditioning-assessments-summer-cooling-costs/.

TM44 and Care Home Compliance Files

A well-managed care home should have a clear building compliance file. TM44 should sit alongside other relevant records, especially where the air conditioning systems are likely to fall within the requirement.

A strong compliance file may include:

• TM44 report and certificate
• AC asset list
• F-Gas register
• Maintenance records
• Service reports
• Energy performance documents
• EPC documents where relevant
• Fire safety documents
• Electrical and gas safety records
• Emergency contact details for contractors
• Renewal reminders

The problem is that TM44 is often missing because it is less well known than other certificates. Many care home managers are aware of fire, gas and electrical obligations, but TM44 can be overlooked until a property transaction, audit, compliance review or head office request exposes the gap.

TM44.uk has a useful guide on building compliance files at https://tm44.uk/news-blog/tm44-compliance-file-documents-businesses-should-keep/.

Who Is Responsible for TM44 in a Care Home?

Responsibility can depend on the lease, ownership structure and operational setup. In many cases, the person or organisation controlling the operation of the air conditioning system should ensure compliance is handled properly.

That may involve:

• The care home operator
• The building owner
• The landlord
• The managing agent
• The facilities management company
• A head office estates or compliance team

For leased care premises, the responsibility should be checked carefully. The lease may place plant maintenance and compliance obligations on either the landlord or tenant, depending on the wording.

The practical answer is simple: if your organisation operates the care home and relies on the air conditioning system, you should not ignore TM44 just because responsibility is unclear. It is better to check the position early, confirm who is responsible and arrange the inspection where required.

TM44.uk has a dedicated guide on responsibility at https://tm44.uk/tm44-responsibility-guide/.

Care Homes, Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Sites We Can Help

TM44.uk can support a wide range of care-related properties across the UK, including:

• Residential care homes
• Nursing homes
• Assisted living facilities
• Retirement living schemes
• Specialist care facilities
• Dementia care homes
• Private care operators
• Multi-site care groups
• Converted care properties
• Large residential care buildings with communal cooling

We can help whether your site has one larger system, multiple split units, VRF systems, rooftop equipment or unclear AC records.

If you already know your system details, request a TM44 inspection quote at https://tm44.uk/get-quote/. If you are unsure whether your site needs an inspection, use the checker at https://tm44.uk/tm44-checker/.

Why Use TM44.uk for Care Home Air Conditioning Compliance?

TM44.uk provides nationwide TM44 air conditioning inspection support for commercial and non-domestic properties across the UK. We understand that care homes require a careful, practical and low-disruption approach.

Our service is built around making the process simple.

We can help with:

• Checking whether your care home is likely to need TM44
• Reviewing basic AC details before quoting
• Advising what documents are useful
• Arranging an accredited TM44 inspection
• Supporting London and UK-wide sites
• Helping multi-site operators manage portfolio compliance
• Providing clear next steps after the inspection
• Supporting urgent or time-sensitive requirements where possible

We cover London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield, Nottingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Newcastle and other UK locations. For London inspections, see https://tm44.uk/tm44-inspections-london/. For wider UK coverage, visit https://tm44.uk/areas-we-cover/.

Signs Your Care Home Should Check TM44 Now

You should review your TM44 position if any of the following apply:

• Your care home has several air conditioning units
• You do not know the total cooling capacity
• You have no current TM44 report
• Your previous TM44 certificate may have expired
• Your site has added new AC units in recent years
• You have split systems across lounges, offices and treatment rooms
• You operate multiple care sites
• Your head office is reviewing compliance documents
• You are preparing for a property sale, lease event or audit
• Your energy costs are increasing during warmer months
• Your AC contractor services the units but has not discussed TM44

If any of these apply, it is better to check early rather than wait until the issue becomes urgent.

What If Your Care Home Has No TM44 Record?

If your care home has no visible TM44 record, it does not automatically mean the site is non-compliant. It may mean the report was lodged under different details, the certificate has expired, the address is recorded differently, or the building has never been inspected.

The right next step is to review the site details properly.

TM44.uk may ask for:

• Full address
• Site name
• Company name
• Number of AC units
• System type
• Any F-Gas or maintenance records
• Previous certificate number if available
• Photos of unit labels if capacity is unknown

From there, we can advise whether a TM44 inspection is likely to be needed.

You can also read more about checking records at https://tm44.uk/tm44-register/ and https://tm44.uk/what-is-the-tm44-register/.

Final Advice for UK Care Home Operators

For care homes and assisted living facilities, air conditioning is not just a convenience. It supports resident comfort, staff working conditions and safe operation during warmer periods.

If your combined air conditioning capacity exceeds 12kW, a TM44 inspection may be required. The risk is that many care homes pass this threshold without realising it, especially when several small split systems have been installed over time.

The safest approach is to check your position now.

If you manage a care home, nursing home or assisted living facility, send TM44.uk your site details, number of air conditioning units, system type and any available asset list or F-Gas register. We can review the information, confirm the likely next step and arrange an accredited TM44 inspection if required.

Request a quote here: https://tm44.uk/get-quote/
Check your building here: https://tm44.uk/tm44-checker/
View TM44 air conditioning inspection services here: https://tm44.uk/tm44-air-conditioning-inspections/

TM44 compliance is easier to deal with before it becomes a problem. For care homes, it also gives operators a clearer view of cooling efficiency, energy waste and building performance.