Lift repairs in London: fast, honest help when your lift breaks down

In short: for lift repairs in London, call your lift maintenance company first if someone is trapped, and 999 if anyone is in danger. Keep the lift out of use until an engineer has checked it. Many faults are fixed on the first visit; others need parts, which can take days or weeks, and longer for older lifts. We repair all makes of lift across Greater London, quote before any work goes ahead, and contract customers can reach us 24 hours a day.

This guide is for building owners, managing agents and facilities teams who need lift repairs in London, whether for an office, a block of flats, a hotel, a restaurant or a public building. For more about us in the capital, see our lift company in London page.

7 essential steps when a London lift breaks down

1. Check whether anyone is trapped. Talk to them through the doors or the emergency phone, and keep them calm.
2. Call your lift company. On lifts we maintain, the emergency phone in the car comes straight through to us, so trapped passengers may have already raised the alarm. Call anyway to arrange access.
3. Call 999 if anyone is at risk: unwell, distressed, or if there is any sign of fire or smoke.
4. Make it safe. Put “out of order” signs on every floor and tell the people who rely on the lift.
5. Do the safe checks: look for a wider power cut, rubbish in the door tracks, a key or fire switch left on, and whether the alarm works.
6. Never force the doors, reset the lift or put it back into use until an engineer has checked it.
7. Have the details ready: the address, which lift, what it is doing, and who will meet the engineer.

Our lift breakdown guide covers each step in detail.

Lift repairs in London: contract customers and one-off repairs

• Contract customers can reach us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using the call-out number in their contract or on the lift. Breakdown call-outs are part of their contract.
• One-off lift repairs in London are for lifts we don’t maintain. We repair all makes and types of lift, charge per visit, and quote for parts and work before going ahead. Our office is open 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, on 01708 986845.

Emergency lift repairs in London out of hours

Lifts don’t only break down in office hours. For emergency lift repairs in London at night, at weekends or on bank holidays:

• Contract customers use the 24/7 call-out number in their contract or on the lift. On lifts we maintain, the emergency phone in the car also comes straight through to us.
• If you are not a contract customer, keep the lift out of use, call 999 if anyone is trapped and in danger, and call us when the office opens at 08:00.
• Out-of-hours lift repairs in London cost more than repairs in normal working hours, which is one reason many building owners choose a maintenance contract.

The most common lift repairs in London buildings

• Door faults. By far the most common lift repair: door locks and contacts, door gear, the safety edge and rubbish in the door tracks.
• Controller faults. From a failed relay or circuit board to, on older lifts, a controller that needs replacing.
• Drive and motor faults on traction lifts.
• Brakes and ropes, often found on routine maintenance or a LOLER thorough examination.
• Hydraulic faults: oil leaks, worn seals and valve faults that make the car sink or run roughly.
• Buttons, displays and the emergency phone, often damaged in busy buildings.
• Levelling problems, where the car stops above or below the floor and leaves a trip step.

Lift repairs in London by type of building

• Residential and mansion blocks. Residents depend on the lift, so quick repairs matter most. Older lifts may need parts sourced or made, which takes longer.
• Offices and commercial buildings. Busy lifts wear doors and controls fastest; repairs are often planned outside working hours where possible.
• Hotels, pubs and restaurants. Guest lifts, service lifts and dumbwaiters that kitchens rely on. See our dumbwaiter repairs in London guide.
• Schools, healthcare and public buildings. Where people rely on the lift for access, a breakdown can stop someone using the building, so it needs fixing quickly.

Signs a London lift needs a repair soon

Spotting problems early usually means smaller lift repairs in London buildings. Call your lift company if you notice:

• New noises: grinding, scraping, knocking or squealing.
• A rough ride: jerky starts and stops, vibration or bouncing at floors.
• Poor levelling: the car stopping above or below the floor.
• Door problems: slow doors, doors that reopen for no reason or don’t close fully.
• Error codes or warning lights on the controller or display.
• On hydraulic lifts, a smell of oil or the car creeping down when parked.

Dumbwaiter and service lift repairs in London

London’s restaurants, pubs and hotels rely on dumbwaiters and service lifts to move food, drink and stock between kitchens, bars and cellars, often all day. We work on all makes of dumbwaiter and food lift. Typical larger repairs include:

• Replacing hatch doors (entrances) that have worn or been damaged.
• Selector and control boards that have failed.
• Re-roping a lift whose ropes have worn.
• Replacing the car when it is beyond repair.

See our dumbwaiter repairs in London guide for more.

Lift repairs in London’s older buildings

London has many older lifts in mansion blocks, offices and period conversions. Lift repairs in London’s older buildings need extra care:

• Obsolete parts. Some parts are no longer made and have to be sourced, reconditioned or made, which takes longer.
• Listed buildings. Where a building is listed, alterations that affect its character usually need listed building consent from the local council. Like-for-like repairs are usually simpler than changes, but check with the council if in doubt.
• Safety upgrades. BS EN 81-80 is the standard for improving the safety of existing lifts. A survey against it shows which upgrades matter most, so they can be planned alongside repairs.

What happens when our engineer arrives for a lift repair in London

1. Make it safe. Anyone trapped is released first, and the lift stays out of use while the engineer works.
2. Find the fault, using the controller, any error codes and what happened before the lift stopped.
3. Explain and quote. If a part is needed, we tell you what it is, what it costs and how long it should take before going ahead.
4. Repair and test the doors, levelling and alarm before the lift goes back into use.
5. Record it in the logbook, for the next engineer and the LOLER examiner.

How long do lift repairs in London take?

• Many faults are fixed on the first visit, such as door faults, switches and tripped safety devices.
• Parts can take days or weeks if they aren’t carried in the van.
• Obsolete parts take longest: parts for older lifts may need sourcing, reconditioning or making.
• Intermittent faults can need more than one visit to pin down.

When a part has to be ordered, we tell you what is needed, what it costs and how long it should take, so you can plan around it.

High-rise buildings: when a lift is out of action

In high-rise residential buildings (18 metres or 7 storeys and over), the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require the responsible person to report firefighting and evacuation lifts that are out of action for more than 24 hours to the fire and rescue service. That makes quick lift repairs in London’s tall residential buildings especially important. The Building Safety Act 2022 also introduced further duties for higher-risk buildings.

Lift repairs in London leasehold blocks

In leasehold blocks, repair costs are usually recovered through the service charge. Under Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the landlord must consult leaseholders before major works where any one leaseholder’s contribution will be more than £250. Larger lift repairs can reach this level, so managing agents should plan early. Urgent safety repairs can’t always wait for a full consultation; managing agents should take advice on the right route. We provide clear, itemised quotes to support the process.

Lift repairs after a LOLER thorough examination

Lifts used at work need a thorough examination by a competent person, normally at least every six months for lifts that carry people, under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). The report lists defects and how soon each must be put right. We put right defects listed on LOLER reports, including reports from examiners appointed by your insurer or another company. The HSE explains the duties in its guidance on lifting equipment at work.

What affects the cost of lift repairs in London

We don’t publish fixed prices, because two faults are rarely the same. The cost depends on:

• The fault, and whether a part is needed.
• The age of the lift and how easy parts are to find.
• When the work is done: nights, weekends and bank holidays cost more.
• Whether the lift is on a contract or a one-off repair.
• The type of lift.
• Access, including parking and loading in central London.

Our lift repair cost guide explains each factor and when modernising makes more sense than repairing again.

Our engineers carry out lift repairs in London across every borough, from the City of London and Westminster to outer boroughs such as Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge and Bromley, as well as across Essex and the South East.

Repair or modernise?

If a London lift keeps breaking down, its parts are obsolete or the repair bills keep growing, modernising the worn parts, such as the controller, drive or doors, can be better value than more lift repairs. We survey the lift and quote for each option so you can compare. See our lift modernisation page.

Getting access right for lift repairs in London

• Keys and codes for the machine room or control cabinet, often on the roof or in a basement.
• Building rules, such as permits to work, sign-in and working hours.
• Parking and loading, which can be limited in central London. Tell us about any loading bay or parking arrangements.
• Someone to meet the engineer, with a phone number.

Good access means the engineer can start the lift repair straight away.

Who pays for lift repairs in London?

• Blocks of flats: usually the freeholder or managing agent, with the cost recovered through the service charge. Residents should check their lease.
• Offices and shops: in multi-let buildings the landlord usually repairs the lifts and recovers the cost through the service charge; in single-let buildings the lease may make it the tenant’s responsibility. Check the lease.
• Workplaces: the employer or building owner, as the lift is work equipment.

Whoever is responsible should keep the lift out of use when it isn’t safe, and have it repaired before it goes back into service.

What to expect from your lift company

Whoever carries out lift repairs in London for you, you should expect:

• A clear diagnosis: what failed and why.
• A quote before any work, including parts, labour and any return visit.
• Honest timescales when parts have to be ordered.
• Testing before the lift goes back into use.
• A logbook entry for every visit.
• Advice on the lift’s future if repairs keep coming back.

Questions to ask before you agree a lift repair in London

• What caused the fault? A good answer explains the cause, not just the symptom.
• What part is needed, and is it new or reconditioned?
• Is the quote for the whole job, including parts, labour and any return visit?
• How long will the lift be out of use?
• Is anything else worn that would be cheaper to do on the same visit?
• Will it be recorded in the logbook?

How to reduce lift repairs in London

• Keep the lift maintained. Regular servicing finds worn parts before they fail. See our lift maintenance in London guide.
• Report small faults early, before they become bigger repairs.
• Keep the door tracks clean.
• Act on LOLER defects by the dates on the report.
• Look after the lift: overloading, holding doors open and damage to buttons all lead to repairs.

We offer a free lift survey and quote, or see our lift repairs page.

Lift repair words explained

• Entrapment: someone stuck inside the lift.
• Car: the part of the lift people ride in.
• Landing doors: the doors on each floor. Car doors: the doors on the lift itself.
• Safety edge: the strip that stops the doors closing on people.
• Controller: the electrical panel that runs the lift.
• Levelling: how accurately the car stops in line with the floor.
• Defect: a fault listed on a LOLER examination report, with a date by which it must be put right.

Questions people ask