LOLER for Property and Facilities Managers

Last updated: 2026-03-31

LOLER compliance guide for property managers covering lift inspections, legal duties, and thorough examination requirements.

LOLER Compliance for Property and Facilities Managers

If you manage commercial, residential, or mixed-use buildings, you are almost certainly a duty holder under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). This means you are legally responsible for ensuring that all lifting equipment in your buildings receives regular thorough examination by an independent competent person.

This guide explains what property and facilities managers need to know about LOLER compliance.

What Lifting Equipment Exists in Your Buildings?

Many property managers underestimate the amount of lifting equipment present in their portfolio. Common items include:

• Passenger lifts — the most obvious item, present in virtually every multi-storey building
• Goods lifts and service lifts — used for deliveries, waste removal, and back-of-house operations
• Platform lifts — providing disabled access (DDA compliance) in public and commercial buildings
• Dumbwaiters — food service lifts in hotels, restaurants, and care facilities
• Stairlifts — in commercial premises where they serve a work function
• Loading bay equipment — dock levellers and powered loading platforms

All of these are lifting equipment under LOLER and require thorough examination at prescribed intervals.

Inspection Intervals for Property Managers

The required frequency depends on what the equipment lifts:

• Every 6 months — passenger lifts, platform lifts, stairlifts, and any equipment that carries people
• Every 12 months — goods-only lifts, dumbwaiters, dock levellers, and equipment that only lifts loads

Missing an examination deadline means the equipment must be taken out of service until a valid examination has been completed. For a passenger lift in a residential tower block, this can cause significant disruption to tenants.

Who Is the Duty Holder?

In property management, the duty holder is typically:

• The building owner or freeholder for common parts
• The managing agent if contractually responsible for maintenance and compliance
• The facilities management company if they have operational control of the building

In multi-tenanted buildings, responsibility usually falls on whoever controls the common parts — including the lift. The duty holder cannot delegate legal responsibility to the lift maintenance company.

Thorough Examination vs Maintenance

A common source of confusion is the difference between a maintenance contract and a thorough examination:

Maintenance focuses on keeping the lift running smoothly — adjusting door mechanisms, lubricating guides, replacing worn parts. It is carried out by the lift maintenance company.

Thorough examination is a statutory safety inspection carried out by an independent competent person. It specifically looks for defects that could lead to dangerous failure — structural deterioration, safety device malfunction, suspension rope wear. It must be independent of the maintenance provider.

You need both. One does not replace the other.

What Happens When Defects Are Found

If the competent person identifies a defect during thorough examination:

• Immediate danger — the lift must be taken out of service until the defect is rectified. The competent person must notify the duty holder immediately and may report to the HSE under LOLER Regulation 10.
• Non-immediate defect — noted in the report with a recommended timeframe for remedial action. The duty holder must arrange repair before the defect worsens.

Failing to act on a defect report is a breach of LOLER and can result in HSE enforcement action.

Planning Your Compliance Schedule

For a property portfolio, maintaining compliance means:

1. Maintaining a register of all lifting equipment across your buildings
2. Recording examination due dates for each item
3. Scheduling examinations before the due date (not after)
4. Retaining all examination reports for HSE inspection
5. Acting on defect reports within the specified timeframe

Related Services

We provide thorough examinations for property and facilities managers across the South East:

• Passenger and Goods Lift Inspections — our core service for building managers
• Firefighting and Evacuation Lift Inspections — for high-rise buildings
• Lifting Equipment Inspections — dock levellers, hoists, platform lifts

Coverage areas: Kent, London, Essex.