New AS 1851 Asset Register Requirements: What Building Owners Need to Know Before February 2026

Major changes to fire safety compliance are coming. From 13 February 2026, the updated AS 1851 standard will make comprehensive asset registers mandatory for all fire protection systems and equipment within Australian buildings.

For building owners, facility managers, and commercial cleaning companies managing multiple properties, this represents a significant shift in compliance obligations, and an opportunity to modernise how you track and manage fire safety assets.

What is an AS 1851 Asset Register?

An AS 1851 asset register (sometimes called a site logbook) serves as the authoritative baseline dataset for all fire protection maintenance and auditing activities. This isn't just a filing cabinet of paperwork, it's a comprehensive, traceable record of every fire safety asset, every inspection, and every maintenance activity across your building's lifecycle.

Under the new requirements, these records must be maintained on-site and retained for a minimum of seven years.

Key Requirements for Compliance

Comprehensive Asset History: Your register must track the complete lifecycle of each fire safety asset, including its location within the building, installation date, and full maintenance history. This means knowing not just what assets you have, but their complete story.

Detailed Service Records: All routine service activities (monthly, six-monthly, annual, and beyond) must be recorded with specificity. Each entry needs the date, the specific components tested, results, and any corrective actions or repairs performed.

Defect Traceability: When defects are identified, they must be traceable from initial identification through to rectification. This includes detailed categorisation of criticality, because a minor issue and a critical safety failure require very different response timeframes.

Competent Personnel Documentation: Maintenance and inspection activities must be performed by accredited, competent practitioners. Your register should reflect that work has been completed by qualified individuals, a critical factor for both compliance and insurance purposes.

Accessibility and Retention: Records must be maintained in a prescribed format and be readily available for inspection by authorities such as Fire and Rescue NSW or local councils. While the standard specifies hardcopy, digital systems are commonly used alongside to ensure accessibility and backup.

AFSS Alignment: Your asset register should align with the building's fire safety schedule and inform the Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) process. Though distinct requirements, they work together to demonstrate ongoing compliance.

What Assets Must Be Included?

Your register must cover all essential fire safety measures relevant to the building, including:

• Portable fire equipment (extinguishers, fire blankets)

• Fire detection and alarm systems

• Emergency Warning and Intercommunication Systems (EWIS)

• Fire doors

• Fire tanks and pumps

• Fire sprinkler systems

• Fire hydrants and hose reels

• Special hazard systems

For passive fire protection systems, the register forms the necessary baseline data against which assets are inspected and signed off, making accurate initial documentation essential.

Why This Matters: The Real Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with these record-keeping requirements carries serious consequences. Beyond significant financial penalties, inadequate documentation can create major issues with insurance claims when incidents occur. And importantly, building owners are responsible for ensuring these records are complete and current, not the fire servicing company. You can outsource the maintenance work, but you cannot outsource the accountability.

How Eaco Simplifies AS 1851 Compliance

Managing fire safety asset registers across multiple properties using spreadsheets or paper-based systems is increasingly untenable. As compliance requirements become more stringent, the risk of gaps, missed maintenance, and audit failures grows exponentially.

Eaco's Asset Register and Asset Management System is designed specifically for this challenge. Our platform provides a fully integrated solution that combines asset tracking with works management, giving you complete visibility and control over your fire safety compliance obligations.

With Eaco, you can:

• Maintain comprehensive asset registers with full lifecycle tracking, from installation through every inspection, test, and maintenance activity

• Automate compliance scheduling so monthly, six-monthly, and annual service requirements are never missed

• Track defects from identification to resolution with clear criticality categorisation and audit trails

• Integrate works management so maintenance activities link directly to your asset records, no manual data entry or reconciliation

• Generate compliance reports for authorities and auditors with a few clicks, not hours of document hunting

• Retain records digitally for the required seven years (and beyond), with secure backup and instant accessibility

Whether you're a building owner managing a single commercial property, a facility manager overseeing a portfolio, or a commercial cleaning company with fire safety compliance obligations across client sites, Eaco gives you the tools to meet AS 1851 requirements with confidence.

Get Ahead of the February 2026 Deadline

Don't wait until the last minute to get your asset registers in order. The new AS 1851 requirements take effect on 13 February 2026, and establishing compliant systems takes time, especially if you're managing multiple properties or transitioning from paper-based records.

Learn more about Eaco's Asset Management solution at eaco.me/assetmanagement.

For the full AS 1851 standard, refer to Standards Australia or the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA).