Senate Bill S8100

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8100

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN-SIGAL
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the multiple dwelling law, in relation to requiring
records of elevator maintenance, operation issues and repairs be made
available

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill will mandate that owners of buildings with multiple dwellings
shall maintain records of elevator repairs and shall make these records
available to tenants.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amended section 51 of the multiple dwelling law to add subdi-
vision 8, which mandates owners keep an up to date record of all eleva-
tor maintenance, operation issues, instances of elevators going out of
service, and mechanical repairs. Section 1 also mandates that copies of
such records are made available for the relevant municipal department as
              

well as for tenants for review.

Section 2 establishes the effective date of the bill.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Elevators are routinely inspected across New York State according to a
patchwork of city or municipal statutes, rules, and regulations.  While
inspections are typically conducted unannounced to ensure that they
yield an accurate appraisal of an elevator's status, a single inspection
cannot evaluate the elevator's condition throughout the rest of the year
while carrying passengers. Without a record of all elevator issues,
maintenance and repairs, there is no accurate report of an elevator's
condition available to riders.

This limited record of elevator safety issues leaves riders at risk.
Riders deserve to have a comprehensive understanding of an elevator's
history of defects and repairs in order to make informed decisions.
Passenger elevators incur damage over time that can degrade the eleva-
tor's safety. They should be routinely serviced and maintained.  Eleva-
tor riders should have a mechanism that enables them to understand the
condition of the elevators they trust their lives with regardless of
whether it has been one hour, one week, or one month since the most
recent inspection. By mandating that building owners keep an available
record of repairs, New York State can provide integral information and
agency to all residents in multiple dwelling buildings.

Tenants of multiple dwelling units are often left without recourse if
the single annual inspection does not reflect safety concerns that may
endanger riders throughout the rest of the year. In this circumstance,
multiple dwelling owners may be eligible to seek MCIs in buildings where
residents face immediately hazardous conditions, regardless of whether
these conditions are verified by violations.  This bill enables resi-
dents to access a more comprehensive record of elevator conditions.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become law.