How often does an apartment building elevator need to be inspected?
In most places, at least once a year. Florida, California and Washington all require yearly inspections, with some room for longer permits or exemptions when a maintenance contract is in place. New York City requires a yearly no-load test (Category 1) and a full load test every five years (Category 5), each filed by a deadline, and fines follow a missed filing even when the elevator is fine.
The rule in four places
| Where | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Category 1 test every calendar year; Category 5 test within five years of the last one | Reports filed within 60 days; defects fixed within 120 days. NYC Buildings |
| Florida | Every year, by a certified elevator inspector | An elevator serving only two adjacent floors, under a service maintenance contract, is exempt while the contract is in effect; the contract statement is filed at least yearly. Fla. Stat. 399.061 |
| California | Every year by the state | Permit lasts up to one year, or up to two years with a full maintenance service contract. Labor Code 7304 |
| Washington | Every year by the state | Penalties may follow if a violation is not corrected within 90 days of written notice, or if you do not confirm corrections in writing. RCW 70.87.120 |
From the linked pages as published on 2026-10-30. Other states and cities set their own schedules, often through a state elevator office. This is not legal advice.
New York City: the yearly cycle step by step
The Department of Buildings explains the two tests in its elevator questions page. Category 1 is a no-load safety test that must be done between January 1 and December 31 of each calendar year. Category 5 is a full load and speed test due within five years of the last one, or of the final certificate for a new elevator. An approved elevator inspection agency does both, and DOB separately performs its own inspections, which it says happen three times within two years on dates it does not publish.
- Book the Category 1 test early in the year so a failed test leaves time to fix and retest.
- Make sure the report is filed within 60 days of the test. Reports not filed within 12 months are treated as expired and are not accepted.
- Correct every defect listed within 120 days.
- File an Affirmation of Correction within 60 days of the correction date. A missing affirmation leads to a failure-to-correct violation.
- Check DOB NOW: Safety for open violations before a sale or refinance. DOB notes that open violations block a final certificate of occupancy and affect sales and refinancing.
Example a made-up Bronx building has its Category 1 test on March 10. The report must be filed by May 9 (60 days). The two defects found must be fixed by July 8 (120 days). The elevator company finishes on June 15, so the Affirmation of Correction is due by August 14 (60 days after June 15).
What to put in your elevator maintenance contract
In Florida and California the maintenance contract changes your obligations, and in New York City the contractor usually runs the filings. So the contract is where deadlines get missed or kept. Ask for these in writing:
- Who books, performs and files each required test, and who pays any late filing penalty caused by the contractor.
- A copy of every inspection report, test result and filing confirmation within a set number of days.
- Response times for entrapments (people stuck) and for an elevator out of service, day and night.
- What is included (parts, labor, callbacks) and what is billed extra, with the hourly rate.
- In Florida, who files the yearly service contract statement and tells the state if the contract ends.
- Notice and term: how long the contract runs and how to end it. Long automatic renewals are common.
When the only elevator is down
An outage in a building with one elevator is more than an inconvenience for a tenant who uses a wheelchair or cannot climb stairs. Plan for it before it happens: keep a list of tenants who have told you they need help, email tenants as soon as you know the expected repair time, and keep updating them until it is fixed. If the repair will take days, talk to affected tenants about what would help and keep a written record of what you offered.
Example a made-up 30 unit building in Washington gets a written inspection report on April 2 listing a worn door restrictor. Counting 90 days from that notice, the owner has until July 1 to correct it and should send the state written notice that the correction is done, since failing to send that notice can bring a penalty on its own.
How DoorKeeping fits
DoorKeeping tracks each elevator test and repair as a work order, sends the job to your elevator company by link, and keeps the reports, filing receipts and the service contract in the property documents. You can email tenants about an outage from DoorKeeping, and the elevator company bills are read by AI and coded to the property books, each payment waiting for your approval. Ask Claude or ChatGPT, through DoorKeeping, when the last Category 5 test was done and you get the answer from your own records. It is $2 per unit per month, with no other fees.
Sources
- NYC Department of Buildings: Elevator frequently asked questions, read Oct 30, 2026
- Florida Statutes 399.061 (elevator inspections and service maintenance contracts), read Oct 30, 2026
- California Labor Code section 7304 (conveyance inspections and permits), read Oct 30, 2026
- RCW 70.87.120 (Washington conveyance inspections), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- How often must an elevator be inspected in New York City?
- A Category 1 no-load test every calendar year and a Category 5 load test within five years of the last one, each filed with the Department of Buildings within 60 days.
- Does Florida require yearly elevator inspections?
- Yes, by a certified elevator inspector. An elevator serving only two adjacent floors under a service maintenance contract is exempt while that contract is in effect.
- Can a maintenance contract reduce California inspections?
- Under Labor Code 7304, the state can issue an operating permit of up to two years, instead of one, for an elevator under a full maintenance service contract.
- Who pays the fine if my elevator company files late?
- The violation is issued to the property, so the owner owes it. Put responsibility for late filings in the maintenance contract.