Low-to-Mid-Rise Residential Building Elevators About to Be Added to Hamilton Property Standards Bylaw

UPDATE: The bylaw amendment passed at Planning Committee.

Further Reading: City’s New Elevator Bylaw is an Interesting Stretch of Municipal Property Standards Powers

The Hamilton Seniors Advisory Committee is getting one of their priorities onto the Council agenda as the Planning Committee looks to add the operation of elevators in low-to-mid-rise buildings into the Property Standards Bylaw.
However, they are not getting their full request of Council. The Seniors Committee asked for elevators to be added to the Vital Service Bylaw, the same bylaw which requires building owners to provide heat, water and other essential services.
The Ontario Building Code does not require buildings of six-stories or less to have elevators. Buildings greater in height than six stories are required by the Fire Code to have at least one operational elevator at all times.
This left a gap in regulation as many residential buildings with elevators in Hamilton are six storeys or less. Occasionally, a building will have a non-operational elevator and the property owner fails to repair it in a timely manner. This, obviously, causes hardship for some residents who call the City for assistance.
As the City had no regulations for these elevators – and they are not covered by the Fire Code -, the City was left with no options to require repairs.
The bylaw amendment will require:

for residential buildings of six storeys or less where elevators are provided, that at least one elevator always be maintained in operable condition; and
for any multi-storey residential building where elevators exist, that all operating elevators be kept clean and that all lighting, elevator buttons, floor indicators and ventilation units be maintained.

The bylaw will be considered as part of the February16, 2016 Planning Committee meeting (TPR Meeting Coverage) and will be subject to ratification at the February 24, 2016 Council meeting.

Related Documents: