The lift maintenance contract: where they fleece you and how to negotiate

The lift is usually 30–40% of the budget. And it is also where there is the most room to negotiate.

The two types of contract

• Full cover: parts and repairs included. More expensive (€150–350 a month), no surprises.
• Partial cover or standard: preventive maintenance plus labour; parts billed separately. Cheaper (€80–180 a month), with the occasional shock.

For young lifts, partial cover usually pays; for veterans, do the sums with the breakdown history.

The trap clauses

• Long tie-ins (three to five years) with automatic renewal and penalties: the 2015 reform limits them, but check your contract — many communities are "locked in" without knowing it.
• 90 days' notice to avoid renewal: put the date in the year's calendar.
• Automatic annual increases above inflation.

How to negotiate

Get two or three competing offers (independent maintenance firms usually undercut the big brands substantially) and show the best one to your current provider: retention with a 20–30% discount is common. Switching provider is perfectly legal and the new one handles the paperwork.

What is not negotiable

The compulsory periodic inspections (every two to six years depending on age and region) and acting on safety notices. That is not where you play games.