Passenger Lift Maintenance Checklist
Keep passenger lifts safe and reliable — door, safety gear, rope, and control checks, levelling and emergency-alarm testing, and LOLER examination compliance.
Also available as editable Excel and Word — with asset, sign-off and findings columns.
What is a passenger lift maintenance checklist?
A passenger lift maintenance checklist is a structured list of the 11 preventive maintenance tasks — covering visual, functional, safety and record-keeping checks — that keep a passenger lift running safely and reliably. It groups routine checks by frequency, from daily inspections to annual servicing, so FM teams and building engineers can plan and evidence preventive maintenance.
Core passenger lift checks
- Inspect ropes/suspension or hydraulic ram and check for wear
- Test landing and car door operation, interlocks, and reopening devices
- Test the emergency alarm and two-way communication to a manned point
- Confirm LOLER thorough examination is current and any defects closed
What is a passenger lift?
A passenger lift transports people between floors and is one of the most safety-critical and heavily regulated assets in a building. It combines mechanical (traction or hydraulic drive, ropes or ram, safety gear), electrical (controls, motor, door operators), and safety systems (interlocks, overspeed governor, buffers, emergency alarm). Passenger lifts require regular servicing by a competent lift company and a separate thorough examination under LOLER — typically every six months — by an independent competent person. Maintenance keeps the lift safe, reliable, and compliant, and minimises entrapments and breakdowns that directly affect building users.
This checklist is one of 5 in our lift maintenance checklists, covering passenger, goods and platform lifts and escalators — LOLER thorough examination, entrapment release and door safety.
Typical Passenger Lift maintenance checklist
A practical starting point for planned preventive maintenance. Always refer to the manufacturer's O&M manual and site-specific requirements.
Visual Checks
- Inspect ropes/suspension or hydraulic ram and check for wear
- Inspect the car, guides, and counterweight in the shaft
Functional Checks
- Test landing and car door operation, interlocks, and reopening devices
- Check levelling accuracy at each floor
- Check the drive, motor, brake, and controller operation
Safety Checks
- Test the emergency alarm and two-way communication to a manned point
- Verify the overspeed governor and safety gear arrangement
- Confirm buffers, final limits, and pit/headroom safety devices
- Test the emergency/manual lowering or rescue procedure
Record Keeping
- Confirm LOLER thorough examination is current and any defects closed
- Record service findings, defects, and examination status in the log
Download the free Passenger Lift maintenance checklist PDF
Get all 11 tasks as a printable PDF — free, no signup needed. Keep a copy in the plant room, attach it to work orders, or share it with your maintenance contractor.
The PDF is free and needs nothing. The Excel and Word versions add asset details, sign-off and findings columns so you can record the work as you do it — we ask for an email address for those.
Typical maintenance frequency
Suggested intervals for passenger lift maintenance. Actual frequencies should follow manufacturer guidance and site-specific risk assessments.
Monthly
- •Routine service by lift company
- •Door, levelling, and alarm checks
- •Lubrication and adjustment
Every 6 Months
- •LOLER thorough examination by competent person
- •Safety gear and governor checks
- •Review and close defects
Annually
- •Detailed service and rope/suspension inspection
- •Controller and drive checks
- •Buffer and limit verification
Common faults and issues
Issues to be aware of when maintaining passenger lift equipment.
Safety and compliance notes
Key safety considerations for passenger lift maintenance. This is general guidance only — always follow OEM instructions, statutory requirements, and your organisation's safe systems of work.
Reference standards and frameworks
- United Kingdom
- LOLER 1998 statutory examinations and the BS EN 81 series
- North America
- ASME A17.1 / CSA B44 (safety code for elevators and escalators)
Frameworks commonly referenced when planning passenger lift maintenance programmes. Always confirm the requirements that apply to your site and jurisdiction.
Managing Passenger Lift documentation with PM Assist
PM Assist helps FM and building operations teams search their O&M manuals and building drawings in seconds. Upload your passenger lift documentation and ask questions like “When is the next LOLER examination due?” or “Who is the lift maintenance provider?” — and get source-cited answers instantly.
The checklist tells you what to check. The manual tells you the numbers.
Ask a passenger lift manual a question and get the answer back with the page it came from. No signup, and you can drop in your own PDF instead of the sample.
“When is the next LOLER examination due?”Runs against a sample chiller manual so you can see the shape of the answer — then try it on one of yours.
Take this checklist with you
Download the branded PDF, generate a custom version for your asset, or run AI search across all your building documentation.
Related free tools
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Inspection checklists for this asset
Maintenance keeps the asset working; a statutory inspection records whether it currently passes. Both usually apply.
Further reading on passenger lift maintenance
Compliance & CAFM
Run passenger lift maintenance in PM Assist
This checklist is also a planned maintenance programme in PM Assist, included in every paid plan alongside the compliance register and mobile inspections.
- Add a passenger lift to a building's asset register and this maintenance programme is created for you, with each task on its frequency in the planner.
- LOLER Thorough Examination — Passenger Lift, Lift Maintenance and Lift Emergency Alarm Test are tracked on the compliance register, with the date last done, the date next due and the certificate.
- Contractors can be given a login to see their jobs and upload certificates.
Frequently asked questions
How often must a passenger lift be examined?
What is the difference between lift servicing and a LOLER examination?
What causes most lift breakdowns?
Manage your building documentation with AI
PM Assist gives FM teams instant access to O&M manuals, drawings, and maintenance knowledge — all searchable with AI.
- Upload and organise building documentation
- AI-powered search across all your manuals
- Source-cited answers for maintenance queries
- Team collaboration and access control
- No credit card required to start