How Long Can An Elevator Be Out Of Service

Waiting 45 minutes for an elevator, getting stuck in one or having to walk down 16 floors — this is the reality for Myra Piat, who says at that place'southward rarely a total complement of elevators at her 26-floor building almost St. Clair and Spadina.

"There are three elevators and sometimes in that location aren't any that are working, sometimes at that place is one," she says. "Information technology's a chronic problem."

Relief for those bug could soon exist on the way with the Reliable Elevators Deed, a private members neb introduced past Trinity-Spadina MPP Han Dong.

Here'due south what the proposed legislation encompasses:

elevators in residential buildings would accept to be fixed within 14 days
elevators in seniors' homes and long-term care facilities would take to be fixed within seven days
applications for new building permits would have to include an elevator traffic assay

Currently, any building over vii storeys is only required to have 1 lift. In that location are also no regulations or bylaws in place to make sure elevators are repaired in a timely mode.

Under the proposed legislation, elevator contractors could be penalized for non completing repairs on time. (CBC News)

Dong conducted months of consultations with residents in his riding, which he said is undergoing "unprecedented growth."

"1 resident told me that when the elevator goes out of service, seniors in his building, who cannot use the stairs, become trapped in their apartment. They cannot go out for groceries and they sometimes have to surrender their medical appointments," he said.

Ontario bill aims to hold elevator contractors responsible for fixing outages

Piat has also witnessed this in her building, and said the problem is nigh more than than just convenience.

"It creates a lot of stress for people and I think it's a real condom outcome for elderly people, for intendance going in," she said.

Piat believes the beak'southward thought is practiced in principle, but the 14 and 7-day timeframes should be shorter.

"We've gone weekends without elevators," she said, arguing 24 hours would be a more reasonable timeframe for repairs.

Dong agrees with Piat'due south sentiment, proverb "two weeks is a long time for any condo possessor to endure" but adds that he came upwardly with the timeframes after consulting with industry experts.

How the legislation would work

The neb would meliorate the definition of a consumer under the Consumer Protection Act, finer making the building possessor a consumer and the contractor a service provider.

The approach would subject contractors to a broad range of punitive measures — such equally black-listing, public shaming, or prosecution — that exist under the Consumer Protection Act and which the Consumer Services Ministry already enforces. They could also face fines ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.

The current grade of the proposed legislation only covers residential buildings, long-term care facilities and seniors' homes merely Dong believes information technology will "start a chain of modify that volition ultimately impact commercial buildings also."