Salon Ventilation
The shortest deadline in the whole regulation ends in early February 2027. Why six months is less than it sounds, and what to do in the first two weeks.
Of all the deadlines in the new sanitary regulation, this is the shortest: you have 6 months from 3 August 2026 to bring ventilation into compliance - until early February 2027.
For comparison: sterilisation equipment and staff qualifications get two years. Ventilation got four times less, while often costing more and requiring a contractor with a free slot.
What actually changed
Until 2 August 2026 ventilation requirements for beauty salons had no dedicated legal basis. They followed indirectly from general health-and-safety and building rules - we described this in the article on chemical substances and ventilation.
The new regulation gives ventilation its own basis: it requires effective room ventilation and, in wet treatment zones, humidity control.
Why ventilation matters in a nail salon
Because this is an industry working with volatile substances all day: acetone, monomer, cyanoacrylate glues, dust from e-files, fumes around UV/LED lamps. Symptoms of chronic exposure build up over years and are easily attributed to something else.
Note the wider context: the growing number of acrylate allergies affects not only clients but above all technicians, exposed daily.
Six months is less than it sounds
| Stage | Realistic time |
|---|---|
| Assessing what you have and deciding | 2-4 weeks |
| Collecting quotes | 2-6 weeks |
| Waiting for a contractor slot | 4-12 weeks |
| The works themselves | days to 2 weeks |
| Closing the salon during works | lost revenue |
Add the pile-up effect: the whole industry shares one deadline. Ventilation contractors also serve catering, hairdressers and tattoo studios, all covered by the same regulation. December and January will be full.
A plan for the first two weeks
- Establish what you have. Gravity, mechanical extract, supply-and-extract, heat recovery? If you do not know, that is an answer in itself.
- Check wet zones. Humidity control applies there. A hygrometer costs very little and is your first piece of evidence.
- Get two or three quotes - not to pick the cheapest, but to learn the spread and real lead times.
- Book a contractor slot now, even if the works are for January.
- Start keeping records. Humidity readings, inspections, filter changes - dated and signed.
Documentation: controlled, not merely working
Working ventilation without records is hard to demonstrate during an inspection. Keep:
- a humidity reading log for wet treatment zones,
- an inspection and cleaning log for the installation and filter changes,
- contractor documentation - acceptance protocol, installation parameters.
It is the same logic you know from sanitary inspections: fines rarely follow dirt, and usually follow missing paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
What is the exact ventilation deadline?
The transitional period for ventilation is 6 months from entry into force on 3 August 2026, giving a deadline in early February 2027.
Is gravity ventilation enough?
The regulation requires effective ventilation, not a specific technical solution. Whether gravity ventilation suffices depends on volume, number of stations and treatments performed - that is an assessment for an installer.
Does a workstation extractor solve it?
A workstation extractor reduces the technician's exposure and is valuable, but it is not the same as room ventilation. Treat it as a supplement, not a substitute.
What about a salon in a flat?
The regulation does not differentiate by whether premises are residential or commercial. Flats usually have gravity ventilation designed for residential use, which is exactly where adaptation is hardest and most expensive.
Do I have to measure humidity daily?
The regulation requires humidity control in wet treatment zones without prescribing frequency. A daily reading entered into a log is cheap, quick and evidences supervision.