How to report a broken elevator
A decision-tree guide for tenants, office workers, and transit riders. Report to the building first, then escalate to the right public channel, then add the outage to the public record.
How to report a broken elevator
Report it to the building first, then escalate to the right public channel, then add the outage to the public record. Tenants go through the landlord and, if that fails, city housing enforcement. Office and hospital workers route through facilities. Transit riders use the agency feed and accessibility line. Always include a timestamp, building address, and which elevator.
Decision tree: which path is yours?
If you're a tenant in a residential building
Start with the landlord or building management. Send a text or email, not a voicemail, so you have a timestamp. Include the building address, which elevator (left / right / north / south / cab number if posted), the time you noticed, and what the elevator is doing. Ask for an expected repair window.
If you or anyone in your household is disabled, pregnant, elderly, has a newborn, or has a medical reason to avoid stairs, say so explicitly in the same message. Landlords in most jurisdictions owe reasonable accommodation, and the obligation starts when they know you need it.
If the landlord doesn't respond within 24 hours, or the repair drags past what your lease or local housing code allows, escalate:
- New York City: file a complaint through NYC311 (call 311 or use the online portal). The complaint is routed to New York City's Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for residential buildings and DOB for commercial.
- Other US states: most state labor departments have an elevator safety division that accepts public complaints. Search "[state] elevator complaint." For disability-access issues, file a fair-housing complaint with HUD or the state fair-housing agency.
- UK: for council housing, the local authority housing officer. For housing associations, the Housing Ombudsman accepts complaints under its statutory jurisdiction over social landlords. For private landlords, the local authority's environmental health team. For any disability-access issue, the Equality Act 2010 provides rights to reasonable adjustments.
- Canada: the provincial technical safety authority — the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) in Ontario, Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) in Quebec, Technical Safety BC, and equivalents in other provinces.
If you're a worker in an office or hospital building
Route through facilities first. Office tenants usually have an office manager or operations lead who owns the landlord relationship; let them escalate rather than contacting the landlord directly. In a hospital, tell the nurse station or charge nurse so clinical workflows can be rerouted, then notify facilities. Hospitals with Joint Commission accreditation are required to document elevator outages as part of their utility management plan.
If you're a transit rider
Check the agency's real-time feed first — many outages are already known and being worked. Links:
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) (NYC)
- Transport for London (TfL) — step-free access
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
- Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
- Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
- Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
- Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
If the outage isn't on the feed, call the agency's accessibility or reduced-mobility hotline. They usually have staff who can help you navigate between stations, arrange alternative transport, or escort you through.
What to include in every report
- Full street address of the building (or the station name and agency for transit)
- Elevator identifier: bank, car number, or position (the number or letter is usually posted inside the cab and on the hoistway door frame)
- Date and time you first noticed the outage
- What the elevator is doing: stopped, stuck between floors, doors open but not moving, doors not closing, intercom not working, posted out-of-service sign
- Your contact information if you're willing to be reached; anonymous reports are accepted by most public systems but landlords sometimes require identification
- Photos of the posted sign, the cab, or the hoistway if you have them
Put it on the public record
File a report on Elevator Uptime so the outage appears in the building's public history. The form takes about 15 seconds, no account or email required. This is in addition to the channels above, not a replacement for them — the building or agency is where the repair gets ordered, but the public record is what lets future tenants, advocates, journalists, and inspectors see whether this building's elevator is a one-off problem or a pattern.
Frequently asked questions
What information should I include when I report a broken elevator?+
Include the building's full street address, the elevator's bank or car number if posted inside the cab, the date and time you noticed the outage, what the elevator was doing (stopped, stuck between floors, doors not closing, intercom dead), and your contact information if you're willing to be reached. Photos or video of the posted out-of-service sign help too.
Can I report a broken elevator anonymously?+
Yes, in most cases. NYC311, state labor department hotlines, and most transit agency accessibility lines accept anonymous reports. Building management may ignore anonymous complaints from tenants, so if you're reporting to the landlord, use a method (text, email, tenant portal) that creates a timestamp. Our own outage tracker accepts anonymous reports with no account required.
How long does a broken elevator complaint take to resolve?+
It depends on the channel. A report to building management or the front desk usually triggers a mechanic call the same day or next morning. A 311 or state housing complaint can take 1 to 5 business days to open a case file, plus however long the repair takes. Transit agencies update their internal outage feeds in near real time and typically resolve station elevator outages in hours, not days.
What if the building ignores my complaint?+
Escalate to the public channel for your jurisdiction. In New York City, that's NYC311 and HPD. In most other US cities, it's the state labor department's elevator unit or the local housing agency. For disability-access issues, file a fair-housing complaint with HUD or the state equivalent. Keep copies of every message to the landlord — the timestamped paper trail is what matters if the case goes to enforcement.
Do I need to be a tenant to report a broken elevator?+
No. Visitors, workers, delivery drivers, contractors, disability advocates, and neighbors can all file reports. Public records systems (NYC311, state agencies, transit accessibility lines) accept reports from anyone. Our tracker does too.