AN ACT ESTABLISHING VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS REGARDING ELEVATORS.

Stronger elevator protections, new owner duties

Beginning October 1, 2026, owners of covered Connecticut residential buildings must keep elevators working under building, housing, and elevator safety codes. Coverage includes buildings used partly or wholly for housing with elevators serving floors above or below ground, including garages. Buildings on state or municipal property and buildings undergoing work under a current building permit are excluded. Owners bear maintenance, repair, and reporting duties; residents gain stronger access and notice protections. Owners must post English and Spanish signs near elevator call buttons, no higher than 60 inches from the floor. Signs must direct people to call 911 for emergencies. For non-emergency outages, signs must direct people to contact the municipality after 48 consecutive hours without another working elevator. Each tenant must receive written notice at least 24 hours before scheduled maintenance affecting elevator access. An elevator counts as inoperable when its operation materially and consistently limits reliable access to the homes it serves. If it remains inoperable, owners must notify affected tenants in writing within 24 hours after the first report. Notices must give the cause and expected restoration time, if known, plus contacts for updates and the local building official. Within 48 hours after the first report, owners must send that notice and a licensed elevator contractor's repair plan to the official. The plan must state the cause, needed repairs, and expected completion date. Owners must follow the plan and provide periodic updates until service returns. Local officials must set an update schedule within two business days, investigate complaints, and report outages and noncompliance to the state. Written compliance requests require owners to comply within five business days. State enforcement can include fines up to $250 for a first offense and $500 for each later offense. The state can also use existing inspection and elevator-operation enforcement powers.