National Elevator and Escalator Safety Awareness Week - November 9-13

Manhattan, NY This National Elevator and Escalator Safety Awareness Week (November 9–13), the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) is reminding New Yorkers that while elevators and escalators are among the safest ways to get around our vertical city, following a few simple safety practices can help keep everyone moving safely.

Providing safe access to elevators is an important priority for the Mamdani administration. As a part of the Rental Ripoff Report, released in July, DOB has issued a new rule related to alternative accommodations for tenants when a building’s elevator is out of service. The rule, which DOB will start enforcing next year following extensive outreach and education, establishes the need for a clear timeline for repairs and requires landlords to provide alternative accommodations to tenants when elevator service is not restored within 14 days of receiving a violation and repairs are not being actively made. This will not apply to elevators undergoing modernization. The rule strengthens DOB’s ability to hold landlords accountable when all residential elevators serving a building or building section are out of service.

“Elevator access and safety can be the difference between a New Yorker being stuck at home or being able to work, see family, and enjoy all our city has to offer. We’re working to expand access to elevators and speed repairs when elevators are broken, including at NYCHA, where we are supporting a targeted initiative to modernize elevators and drive down outage and response times,” said Leila Bozorg, deputy mayor for Housing and Planning. This is an important part of creating a city where everyone can live with dignity.”

“In a city where millions of New Yorkers rely on elevators every day, access to working elevator service is more than a convenience and can be a critical quality-of-life issue,” said buildings commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Our new rule gives DOB inspectors an additional enforcement tool to help ensure landlords address elevator outages and that tenants are not left without reasonable alternatives while repairs are pending.”

“Elevators are more than a convenience; for many New Yorkers, they’re a lifeline,” said Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) commissioner Dina Levy. “Thanks to DOB’s new rules, elevators in residential buildings will be repaired sooner and go out-of-service less often. At HPD, we’re excited to collaborate with DOB and the Affordable and Efficient Code Reform (AECR) task force to bring smaller European-style elevators to walk-up buildings. When it comes to accessibility, it’s time we elevate our expectations.”

New Rules for Alternative Accommodations

Earlier this year, DOB finalized an agency rule 1 RCNY 103-19 establishing additional enforcement measures for residential buildings experiencing elevator outages. The rule gives DOB inspectors a stronger tool to compel landlords to begin necessary repairs and, when service is not restored within a specified timeframe, and repairs are not being made or modernization efforts being undertaken, provide alternative accommodations for affected tenants.

When DOB receives a report of an out-of-service elevator in a residential apartment building, the Department will dispatch an inspector to investigate. Once the inspector confirms that the elevator is not operating and that repairs or modernization work are not underway, the landlord will be issued a Class 1 OATH violation, which carries a maximum civil penalty of $25,000. The issuance of that violation will officially start a 14-day clock, after which if elevator service remains unavailable and repairs have not begun, the landlord will be legally required to provide alternative accommodations to affected tenants and post a notice next to the elevator informing residents of their rights to alternative accommodations.

Alternative accommodations can include:

• Giving tenants the option to temporarily relocate to a different apartment in another building that does have elevator service.

• Temporarily relocating tenants to portions of the building where an elevator is not required.

• Reimbursing tenants for a hotel room until elevator service is restored.

• Installing a temporary vertical transportation device in the building.

Landlords who fail to start making repairs or provide the required alternative accommodations may face additional violations and associated penalties each day DOB inspectors return to the property and find that neither accommodations nor repairs have been provided or initiated.

Elevator and Escalator Safety: Use Common Sense to Stay Safe

Thanks to decades of technological improvements, rigorous safety standards, and regular oversight, elevators and escalators have become an extraordinarily safe way to travel throughout New York City.

With more than 70,000 passenger elevators and over 2,800 escalators in DOB’s jurisdiction that make over a billion safe trips every year, most New Yorkers are accustomed to the gentle hum and vertical pull that accompanies their regular use throughout our vertical city.

Still, a little awareness and common sense goes a long way. DOB encourages all New Yorkers to follow these simple tips to help protect themselves and their fellow riders.

Elevator Safety Tips:

• Do not exit the elevator if it stops and the doors open in between floors.

• Be patient and don’t crowd an elevator, too many people crowding into an elevator can cause it to get stuck.

• Never lean on elevator doors.

• Look down and make sure the elevator is level with the floor before entering or exiting.

• To hold the door open for a fellow passenger hoping to catch a ride, press and hold the designated door open button instead of using a body part to physically hold the door.

• Keep clothing items like ties and scarves clear of closing elevator doors.

• Avoid jumping, it can make an elevator uneven with the floor and cause it to get stuck.

• If you do get stuck in an elevator, the number one rule is ring the alarm button and wait for help. Never try to escape from a stuck elevator car before first responders arrive.

• Escalators are likewise extremely safe to ride, but users can help ensure a safe ride by practicing the following steps.

Escalator Safety Tips:

• Step on and off the escalator with purpose. Don’t drag your feet when riding an escalator.

• Hold the handrail, and don’t touch the sides below the handrail.

• Help young children and seniors on the escalator. Make sure to hold the hand of any young children while riding.

• Always face forward when riding the escalator.

• Don’t take a child’s stroller on to an escalator.

• Make sure your shoelaces are tied before riding an escalator.

New Yorkers who have concerns about the safety or operation of a passenger elevator or escalator in their building are encouraged to report them by filing a complaint with 311.

Improving Rides for New Yorkers

As a part of the Mamdani administration’s Block by Block Housing Plan, DOB is convening the Affordable and Efficient Code Reform (AECR) Task Force, bringing together industry professionals and subject matter expert to discuss changes to New York’s Building and Construction Codes. AECR will explore how to expand elevator access without compromising safety, including access to smaller elevators in new buildings or existing walk-up buildings that don’t have space for full-size elevators - AECR is running parallel to the ongoing multi-year Code Revision Cycle process also spearheaded by the Department, which is a more comprehensive refresh of the city’s regulations for buildings and construction sites.

DOB is also working to get elevators back in service faster, through the establishment of a Third Party Elevator Inspection Pilot Program, which allows third-party re-inspections following elevator work, rather than requiring a DOB inspector to return to the building. This helps reduce the length of elevator outages and frees DOB inspectors to respond more quickly to complaints and other inspection requests. DOB is continuing to analyze and improve the effectiveness and scope of this program.

The administration is also prioritizing speed in getting elevators repaired in court cases. Housing Court cases involving out-of-service elevators can drag on for months or even years, delaying repairs and tenants’ ability to safely occupy their own homes. A new fast track will expedite court dates in Housing Court more quickly, with the goal of delivering repairs and justice to New Yorkers without unnecessary delay. The administrative order creating the fast track applies to buildings or building sections where all elevators are out of service.