BMS Optimisation Checklist: A Practical Guide for Property Managers and Tenants

For property managers, a Building Management System can be a daily source of tenant complaints, rising maintenance costs, and pressure from M and E providers recommending expensive upgrades. Yet in most buildings, many performance issues have nothing to do with plant age or system limitations. Instead, they come from settings, schedules, sensor problems, tenant alterations, and gaps in coordination.

A well-optimised BMS delivers far more than comfort. It reduces energy waste, extends plant life, supports compliance, and gives property managers the confidence that the building is running the way it should. A poorly optimised one quietly drains budgets month after month.

To help property managers stay in control, this guide breaks down BMS optimisation from two perspectives: the landlord or property management role, and the tenant or occupier role. When both sides understand their responsibilities, the building performs better, problems are resolved faster, and costly capital works can often be avoided altogether.

Collaboration between stakeholders is essential for delivering an effective BMS Optimisation Checklist that enhances building efficiency and operational control.

Understanding Your Role as the Property Manager

Your primary responsibility is to ensure the building operates efficiently while keeping tenants comfortable and compliant with regulations. In practical terms, that means maintaining control of the BMS, monitoring how changes affect system performance, and ensuring the building evolves in line with occupancy patterns.

Below is a structured checklist covering the core areas of responsibility.

1. Scheduling and Setpoints

One of the biggest contributors to energy waste is a mismatch between operating hours and real occupancy. Schedules often drift over time or remain unchanged during tenancy shifts, meaning equipment runs when no one is in the building.

A strong BMS schedule should:

• Align HVAC and lighting with actual use
• Include night setback modes
• Incorporate seasonal adjustments
• Maintain setpoints that balance comfort and energy cost

Small changes in scheduling can significantly reduce avoided runtime across boilers, chillers, AHUs and fans.

2. Sensor and Controls Health

Sensors are the eyes and ears of the BMS. When they fail, drift or get obstructed, the entire building suffers.

Your responsibilities include:

• Regular calibration of temperature, CO2, humidity and occupancy sensors
• Removing outdated overrides and temporary fixes
• Optimising control sequences so plant responds properly

Most comfort complaints begin with sensor issues. Incorrect readings lead to poor decision making within the BMS, which then leads to equipment working harder than necessary.

3. Managing Tenant Alterations

Tenant changes are one of the most overlooked causes of BMS performance issues. Partition changes, new layouts, and ceiling modifications all affect airflow, zoning and sensor behaviour.

Before approving tenant works:

• Review proposed layouts and identify impacts on airflow
• Check whether sensors or thermostats will be blocked or isolated
• Re-zone affected areas or adjust BMS sequences
• Carry out post installation testing to verify comfort and performance

If this step is skipped, the BMS continues controlling as if the old layout still exists, leading to complaints and inefficiency.

4. Airflow and Ventilation Performance

Good airflow is essential for comfort, ventilation compliance and energy efficiency.

As a property manager, you should:

• Monitor airflow after tenant changes
• Use demand controlled ventilation where practical
• Adjust VAV or AHU settings to maintain balanced flow

Airflow issues often appear slowly and are sometimes misdiagnosed as plant failures. Proper checks reduce unnecessary callouts and misdirected maintenance.

5. Data Analysis and Trend Logging

A modern BMS holds enormous value through its trend logs. Without trend data, property managers are effectively working blind.

Essential trend logs include:

• Space temperatures
• Valve and damper positions
• Fan speeds
• Occupancy inputs
• Heating and cooling demand

Trend analysis supports proactive optimisation and helps identify issues such as simultaneous heating and cooling, system drift or faulty sensors.

6. Fault Detection and Maintenance

A BMS is only effective if its alarms and alerts are functional.

Core responsibilities include:

• Activating alarms for all key points
• Fixing faults that the BMS might hide, such as failed actuators or stuck dampers
• Scheduling planned maintenance based on system insight rather than tenant complaints

This moves the BMS from reactive operation to proactive optimisation.

7. Independent Reviews

Before signing off on major capital expenditure, property managers should always obtain an independent review.

Reasons include:

• Many issues are caused by poor control strategies rather than plant failure
• Sensors, valves or actuators often need recalibration rather than replacement
• Control drift can mimic plant failure
• Optimisation can often achieve the desired outcome for a fraction of the proposed cost

Independent specialists protect your budget. They evaluate the root cause of problems and confirm whether the suggested spend is necessary.

Collaborative discussions help tenants and occupiers understand how a BMS Optimisation Checklist supports comfort, efficiency, and smarter building operation.

The Tenant or Occupier Perspective

Tenants play an important role in BMS performance. Their activities influence occupancy patterns, airflow, sensor function and even control behaviours. Many frustrations arise simply because tenants do not understand how their actions affect the system.

A clear tenant responsibility framework prevents unnecessary issues and reduces downtime.

1. Occupancy and Energy Use

Tenants should:

• Follow agreed operating hours
• Report comfort issues promptly
• Use equipment responsibly and within the intended operating window

This gives the property manager accurate behavioural input for scheduling and setpoint adjustments.

2. Layout Changes

Any changes to partitions, furniture layouts or ceiling structures must be communicated before works begin. These changes can:

• Block sensors
• Disrupt airflow
• Create uneven comfort zones
• Split or isolate HVAC zones

A simple conversation before works begin often avoids long term problems.

3. Sensor Awareness

Sensor interference is one of the most common causes of comfort complaints. Tenants should:

• Avoid blocking temperature, CO2 or motion sensors
• Avoid tampering with BMS equipment or overrides
• Keep equipment clear of thermostats and diffusers

Clear guidance reduces accidental interference and reduces callouts.

4. Lighting and Plug Loads

Tenants influence the building’s load profile. Encouraging responsible use of lighting and equipment supports BMS efficiency.

This includes:

• Turning off non essential equipment out of hours
• Using occupancy based lighting where available
• Understanding that plug loads generate heat, which affects HVAC performance

5. Communication and Feedback

Early communication resolves problems faster. Tenants should:

• Report issues when they happen
• Provide feedback for optimisation projects
• Cooperate during system improvements

Good collaboration reduces the guesswork for property managers.

Property managers and stakeholders collaborating to understand and implement the essential steps within a BMS Optimisation Checklist.

Key Takeaways for Property Managers

This checklist shows that BMS optimisation is not a one sided responsibility. Property managers must maintain and manage the system, while tenants must use the building in ways that support efficient operation.

Landlords and property managers should:

• Optimise schedules, setpoints and control strategies
• Monitor and maintain sensors
• Review tenant alterations carefully
• Analyse trend data
• Identify faults early
• Engage independent specialists before approving major spend

Tenants should:

• Use the space in line with building policies
• Notify changes in layout
• Avoid interfering with sensors or controls
• Report comfort issues promptly

When both parties play their part, buildings operate more efficiently, tenants enjoy consistent comfort, and property managers reduce both operational cost and risk.

The result is a building that performs well not just on paper, but in day to day use. And that leads to fewer complaints, fewer surprise costs, and a BMS that genuinely supports your long term asset strategy.