An elevator maintenance contract is a vital piece to the upkeep of all vertical transportation/elevator equipment. The terms and conditions of a maintenance contract can quite literally make or break the life of the equipment. Elevator maintenance contracts are written by the elevator service provider with terms and conditions in their own favor.
Challenges for Building Owners and Property Managers
Most building owners and property managers have no technical and mechanical elevator knowledge and therefore cannot properly decipher what equipment and parts are covered in their elevator maintenance contract. This commonly results in excessive elevator maintenance charges. It is common to see terms written in such a way that they are intentionally confusing.
Lack of Oversight and Accountability
There is no oversight or accountability for the elevator service provider to ensure that their contractually obligated maintenance is even being performed. The elevator maintenance contracts contain stipulations of elevator components covered for repair and/or replacement and talk about elevator part obsolescence. For example, an elevator stopped running unexpectedly and the elevator service provider was called back to assess the problem. They determined the reason for the shutdown was a part failure due to normal wear and tear and needs to be replaced.
Common Issues with Maintenance Agreements
Instead of reviewing the maintenance agreement, the elevator service provider often charges the client for the full cost of labor and materials for a drive replacement, even though the work falls under the existing contract. The client planned to approve and pay for the work, but the contract already covered it. In this case, the client saved over $55,000. Unfortunately, unnecessary and excessive elevator maintenance charges remain extremely common.