A broken communal lift is your landlord's or managing agent's responsibility, and matters most if you are disabled, elderly or live high up. Here is what to do.
Direct answer
A broken lift in a block of flats is your landlord's or managing agent's responsibility to repair. It matters most if you are disabled, elderly, pregnant, have young children, or live high up. Report it, push for urgency if you are stuck, and if it is ignored for a long time, call us free on 0800 030 4669.
Your landlord's duty
The landlord or managing agent must keep the shared parts of the building, including lifts, in working order and repair them within a reasonable time. A lift that is out for weeks, leaving people trapped on upper floors, is a serious problem.
What to do
- Report it in writing and keep a copy.
- Tell them if you or someone in your home cannot manage the stairs. This makes it more urgent.
- Ask when it will be fixed, and keep their replies.
- Use the landlord's formal complaints process if there is a long delay. See how to write a complaint letter.
How we can help
If a long-broken lift is part of wider disrepair, or it is badly affecting a disabled or vulnerable person in your home, call us free on 0800 030 4669 and we will tell you what we can do and who else can help.
Free call: 0800 030 4669 | Start your claim
Sources
- Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Equality Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) guidance (GOV.UK)
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 25 May 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only and not guaranteed; every case is different.
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Still stuck?
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