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There is no specific number of days written into UK law that gives a landlord to fix a broken elevator. The legal standard is ‘reasonable time,’ and what is reasonable depends on the severity of the fault — specifically, whether the broken lift prevents tenants from accessing or leaving their home.
England has approximately 12,500 high-rise residential buildings of 18 metres or more (or at least 7 storeys), as of April 2020, of which 6,500 (52%) are private sector buildings including student accommodation. In every one of these buildings, a broken lift is not a nuisance — it is an accessibility emergency for any resident who cannot manage the stairs.
Do Apartment Blocks Have to Have Lifts?
Approved Document M (Part M of the Building Regulations) requires that modern residential buildings higher than two storeys provide lift access for people with limited mobility. For buildings constructed or materially modified after October 2015, this is a clear requirement. Short flights of stairs may be served by a platform lift or ramp as an alternative in constrained circumstances, but a conventional passenger lift is the standard for multi-storey residential buildings.
Are Landlords Responsible for Elevator Breakdowns?
Yes. Maintenance, servicing, and repair of passenger lifts in residential buildings are the landlord’s responsibility. Residential lifts used exclusively by building occupants fall outside the strict scope of LOLER 1998 (which applies to workplace lifting equipment), but the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the general duty of care nonetheless require landlords to keep communal areas — including lifts — safe.
In practice, most reputable insurers require landlords to maintain residential lifts to a standard equivalent to LOLER — with regular servicing and periodic thorough examinations — as a condition of their public liability policy. A landlord who cannot demonstrate a maintenance and inspection record will have difficulty defending a claim arising from a lift incident.
The Landlord’s Duty to Maintain Elevators
Landlords must carry out routine inspections to ensure lifts are in safe operating condition. Tenant complaints about lift breakdowns must be addressed promptly — the communication must be acknowledged quickly, and repair works must begin within a reasonable timeframe. Proactive maintenance and inspection schedules — not just reactive repairs — are the standard expected of a responsible landlord.
Elevator Repair Timelines
Minor Faults
For minor faults (broken button, lighting failure, intermittent door fault), a reasonable timeframe is typically a few business days. An urgent service visit is appropriate.
Safety-Critical Faults That Prevent Building Access
Safety-critical faults that prevent access to the building is the highest-priority category. Where a tenant cannot leave or access their home because the lift is the only practicable means of vertical access — for example, for a wheelchair user on an upper floor — this constitutes an emergency. The landlord should initiate an emergency repair visit immediately. Waiting days or weeks in this scenario exposes the landlord to serious legal risk.
Age and Part Availability
Older lift models may have longer repair lead times because components are no longer manufactured. A landlord with a lift in this situation should plan proactively: a known-parts-risk lift should be on a more frequent maintenance schedule so issues are caught before they become emergency breakdowns.
Co-operation Between All Parties
Clear communication between the landlord, the property management team, and the lift maintenance company significantly affects repair speed. A maintenance contract with a dedicated account contact and an agreed response time SLA removes the ambiguity from ‘reasonable time’ and gives both landlord and tenant a concrete commitment.
Looking for Timely Lift Repairs and Preventative Maintenance?
Future Lift Services provide emergency and planned lift repairs, LOLER inspections, and maintenance contracts for residential landlords and property management companies across Essex and London. Contact us today.
Landlord Elevator Obligations FAQs
Can a landlord be held liable for elevator accidents?
Yes. If a landlord fails to maintain a lift in safe operating condition and an incident occurs, they are potentially liable. Landlords are responsible for giving tenants access to safe and functional lifts, and this extends to maintaining insurance and a documented maintenance record, and severe weather are common causes of lift malfunctions. Prompt, expert maintenance can avoid most lift failures.