New Lift Safety Rules Make Monthly Servicing, Annual Audits Mandatory For Housing Societies
Mumbai, 14th November 2026: Housing societies across Maharashtra will have to step up lift maintenance and safety measures, with the state govt notifying new rules that make monthly servicing by approved contractors, annual safety audits and third-party insurance mandatory.
The Maharashtra Lifts, Escalators and Moving Walks Rules, 2026, which came into effect on Nov 1, were notified by the state energy department on Oct 28, nine years after the parent Act was enacted in 2017. The rules prescribe standards for the installation, operation, inspection and maintenance of lifts, escalators and moving walkways.
Under the new provisions, managing committees of housing societies will have to ensure that lifts are inspected and serviced at least once a month by approved contractors. They will also have to maintain service records, monitor maintenance schedules and ensure that identified defects are rectified. Annual safety audits will be compulsory, with reports submitted to the electrical inspector.
Societies with existing lifts have been given time until Oct 28, 2027, to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, automatic rescue devices (ARDs) and overload protection devices (OLPDs). All newly installed lifts must have these safety features. Third-party insurance will also be mandatory for lift installations.
An ARD automatically brings a lift to the nearest floor and opens its doors during a power failure, preventing passengers from getting trapped. An OLPD prevents a lift from operating when its permitted weight capacity is exceeded, while CCTV cameras help record incidents inside the lift.
The rules also make lift maintenance contractors accountable for providing round-the-clock complaint and emergency helplines. Contractors servicing more than 50 installations in a city, or those maintaining installations located beyond 100km from their headquarters, will have to establish an additional service centre in the area.
The new regulations assume significance amid recurring lift accidents across the state. On Tuesday, a woman was injured in Nashik’s Satpur area after a lift reportedly plunged as she was stepping out on the fourth floor of a residential building. The technical cause of the incident is yet to be established.
The rules empower electrical inspectors to stop the operation of unsafe lifts and seal installations if necessary corrective measures are not taken. All accidents involving lifts, escalators and moving walkways must be reported to the electrical inspector and local police within 24 hours. Installations that remain non-operational for six months or longer will require prescribed safety tests by an approved contractor before being restarted.
Other provisions prohibit children below 12 years from using lifts or escalators without adult supervision. Lift operators must be at least 18 years old.
Until now, lift operations in the state were governed by the Bombay Lift Rules, 1958, as the rules under the 2017 Act had not been notified. Citizen activists had repeatedly demanded stricter regulations following several accidents.
Housing societies with older lifts will now have to get their equipment assessed by approved contractors and make budgetary provisions for the required upgrades. The cost will depend on the age and technical specifications of the lifts, society representatives said.
