New Haven, CT Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Repair deadline
- 48 hours out-of-service
- Advance notice
- 24 hrs before maintenance
- Max fine
- $250/day
- Enforced by
- Livable City Initiative
Summary
New Haven requires owners of residential elevator buildings to keep elevators running, post repair signage, and fix an out-of-service elevator within 48 hours or face fines up to $250 a day.
(c) Violations: ... any one (1) of the following constitutes a violation of this section: ... (4) Failure to repair elevators within forty-eight (48) hours of the elevator being out of service. ... an elevator that is the only means of access for persons with disabilities to a floor above or below a ground floor shall be deemed in violation of this subsection if it is out of service for more than forty-eight (48) consecutive hours or more than two (2) times in any consecutive thirty (30) day period...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Owners and operators of residential elevator buildings where the elevator is the only accessible means of access for people with disabilities must give 24 hours' written notice before scheduled maintenance, perform maintenance to industry and manufacturer standards, install a Fire Department-approved Knox box outside each elevator, and repair an out-of-service elevator within 48 hours (or after two outages in 30 days) unless the delay is beyond the owner's control and tenants are compensated. Bilingual signage with a repair-line number must be posted at the call buttons.
Violations & Fines
Fine up to $250 per day per violation (or the maximum allowed by state statute) for each day a violation continues after a written citation; unpaid fines become a lien on the property and can be converted to a court judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast must a New Haven landlord fix a broken elevator?
What's the fine for an unrepaired elevator in New Haven?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Haven
Compare New Haven to another location·View the Connecticut building safety overview
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