Rochester, NY Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)

Under the Conveyance Code (Chapter 50), every elevator, dumbwaiter, escalator, moving walk or other conveyance in the city must be inspected by a licensed inspector at intervals no longer than six months, unless it sits inside a single- or two-family dwelling unit, and the Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development can order a shorter interval under Section 50-15(D) where a prior report flagged unsafe conditions. 1 must also be witnessed by a licensed inspector. Owners file an inspection certification form with the Commissioner before the last day of the month the current certificate expires, and each filing carries a $150 fee per conveyance (Section 50-13(A)); missing the deadline adds a $100 late charge on top of the filing fee (Section 50-13(B)).

A certificate of inspection is valid for one year and must be posted in the conveyance machine room (Section 50-14(B), (H)). If code violations exist but pose no life-safety concern, the Commissioner can issue a 30-day conditional certification, renewable once for another 30 days on proof of unique circumstances (Section 50-14(C)). The Commissioner may take a noncompliant or unsafe conveyance out of service immediately without notice, or on five days' written notice for one that merely lacks a valid certificate (Section 50-14(F)). Owners must report any accident causing injury or damage to the Commissioner within 24 hours, and the conveyance must stay out of service until the Commissioner approves its return (Section 50-18). Tampering with a conveyance's electrical or mechanical safety devices is separately prohibited (Section 50-17).