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For Immediate Release
July 6, 2017

DOB LAUNCHES NO-PENALTY LEGALIZATION PROGRAM FOR UNREGISTERED PRIVATE ELEVATORS
*Program Launched After Serious Elevator Accident*
New Yorkers are encouraged to request no-penalty, no-cost inspections of unregistered elevators

New York, NY – Today, Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler announced that Owners of private homes with unregistered elevators can legalize the units with no-penalty for the next 90 days. In addition, DOB will perform initial inspections and tests of any unregistered elevators free of charge. This amnesty period is intended to encourage Owners to be in compliance with Department safety regulations by ensuring their elevators are mechanically sound, and to remind Owners to have their elevators inspected regularly – as required by law.

Every elevator device in NYC, including dumbwaiters, platform lifts, and stairway chair lifts, is legally required to be registered and have a certificate of compliance from the Department of Buildings to ensure they can be operated safely.

In May, a woman suffered serious injuries after an unregistered elevator in a Manhattan private residence plummeted more than four floors to the basement. The elevator was illegally installed in the 1940s, was never registered with the Department, properly inspected, nor maintained, which created a serious hazard for the residents. This preventable accident could have been avoided.

Under the Department’s No-Penalty Elevator Legalization Program, Owners of these elevators will need to retain a registered design professional or licensed elevator inspection agency to file an application with DOB to obtain an NYC device ID and Certificate of Compliance. The Department will not issue any penalties or violations to the Owner if the application is filed within this 90-day grace period. If DOB inspectors determine repairs are needed, the Department will allow property owners sufficient time to make corrective repairs.

Owners of unregistered elevators who wish to legalize and register their unit should email the Department’s Elevator Unit at PrivateResidenceElevator@buildings.nyc.gov to schedule an inspection appointment or call (212) 393-2555.

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