The lift: maintenance, inspections and the bill nobody expects

In many buildings the lift is the biggest budget line after staff. It is also the contract fewest people have read.

The two things that are compulsory

• The maintenance contract with an authorised company, including the periodic checks the regulations require.
• The periodic inspection by an authorised control body, at whatever frequency applies given the age and type of building.

Neither gets voted on: they are obligations. What the community does decide is with whom and on what terms.

Where the money is: the difference between contract types

Contracts usually come in two broad shapes:

• Basic maintenance: covers the checks and little else. Every part that fails is billed separately.
• Full maintenance: covers parts and repairs, with exclusions.

Full looks dearer and often works out cheaper, because a single major breakdown can cost more than the annual difference. But you have to read the exclusions: almost all of them exclude something, and it is usually the expensive thing.

What to check before signing or renewing

• Term and automatic renewal. Lift contracts are famous for long rollovers and demanding notice periods. Put the notice deadline in the calendar.
• Exactly what is included and what is excluded, in writing.
• Response times for breakdowns and for releasing people trapped inside.
• How the price is updated each year.

The bill nobody expects

Regulatory upgrades and major replacements (machinery, doors, control panel) are not usually part of any maintenance contract. They are a separate cost, and an expensive one.

That is why it is worth knowing the real age of your lift and having a forecast. An old lift is not a problem until it is, and then it is a problem worth several thousand euros per household.

And the cost split

If the ground-floor flats in your building do not pay for the lift, check that this is in the by-laws or in a valid resolution, and not simply in the custom. It is one of the most common sources of conflict when a big levy arrives.