Lift Repairs and Replacement in Sydney Strata Buildings

Planning and funding lift work in Bondi Junction, Randwick, Coogee and Maroubra

A lift failure in an apartment building is never just an inconvenience. For an older resident, a parent with a pram, a person with disability, a courier, a cleaner or anyone carrying groceries, a lift outage can change whether the building is practically accessible at all. When breakdowns become frequent, parts become difficult to obtain or the maintenance contractor begins recommending major expenditure, an owners corporation needs more than a repair quote. It needs an evidence-based plan.

That planning is especially important across Bondi Junction, Randwick, Coogee and Maroubra. Bondi Junction contains busy residential towers and mixed-use buildings where a single lift may complete a very high number of trips. Randwick includes established apartment buildings around the hospital, university and town-centre precincts, where residents may keep irregular hours and reliable access matters. Coogee and Maroubra add coastal exposure, tight sites, sloping access, limited loading areas and many older blocks whose lift shafts, motor rooms, power supplies and finishes were designed decades ago.

A sensible committee does not wait for the lift to fail permanently before discussing replacement. It collects maintenance records, confirms registration, separates immediate safety work from long-term renewal, commissions independent advice where the project is significant, and gives owners a realistic funding and downtime plan. This guide explains how Eastern Suburbs owners corporations can manage that process without being rushed into an unclear scope or delaying until the building has no workable options.

Key point: A lift's age alone does not decide whether it should be repaired, modernised or replaced. Condition, safety, reliability, parts support, usage, accessibility, compliance interfaces and whole-of-life cost must be assessed together.

Why older strata lifts become difficult to manage

A lift is a system rather than one appliance. The car, doors, controller, drive, ropes or belts, landing equipment, safety gear, buffers, communications, electrical supply, shaft, pit and machine space must work together. A contractor may be able to replace a failed door roller or contactor quickly, but recurring faults across several subsystems usually indicate a broader reliability problem.

Older equipment can also be affected by obsolescence. A component may still operate but no longer be manufactured. The service company may rely on refurbished parts, salvage stock or a custom workaround. That does not automatically make the lift unsafe, but it can lengthen outages and make future costs unpredictable. Proprietary control systems can further limit who can diagnose faults, supply software access or source compatible components.

Usage matters. A heavily used Bondi Junction lift serving many floors, deliveries and mixed residential-commercial traffic may wear differently from a lower-rise residential lift in Coogee. Coastal air and moisture can contribute to corrosion of exposed landing-door components, fixtures and equipment in damp or poorly sealed spaces. Water entering a lift pit is a separate building defect that should be investigated rather than treated only as a lift-service issue.

Repair, modernisation or full replacement?

The three labels are often used loosely, so the owners corporation should insist on a defined scope. A repair addresses a particular defect and generally leaves the system architecture intact. Modernisation replaces selected major systems - commonly controls, drive equipment, door operators, fixtures, wiring or communications - while retaining suitable elements such as the shaft, guide rails, car frame or counterweight. Full replacement usually renews substantially more of the lift installation, although the existing shaft and parts of the building structure may remain.

Targeted repair

This may suit an isolated fault where the wider system is sound and parts remain supported. The main risk is that repeated repairs can disguise broader system-wide decline.

Modernisation

This may suit a lift whose core structure remains suitable but whose major systems are obsolete or unreliable. The key risk is unclear responsibility at the interfaces between retained and new components.

Full replacement

This may suit a lift where multiple systems are at the end of support or where reliability, safety or access objectives require a comprehensive solution. The owners corporation must plan for higher cost, longer downtime and greater coordination of building works.

A quotation headed 'modernisation' is not enough. Ask exactly what will be removed, retained, refurbished, reprogrammed and excluded. Clarify whether the car interior, landing doors, door frames, indicators, emergency phone, electrical switchboard, ventilation, pit waterproofing, fire-service functions and builder's works are included. Two proposals with similar prices can transfer very different risks back to the owners corporation.

Warning signs that justify a formal condition review

Breakdowns, passenger entrapments or door faults are becoming more frequent.

The same fault returns after repeated call-outs or several different components fail within a short period.

Parts are obsolete, available only on exchange, or subject to long and uncertain lead times.

Residents report poor levelling, rough starts or stops, unusual vibration, noise, unreliable doors or intermittent buttons.

The emergency communication system is unreliable or cannot consistently connect passengers with assistance.

The maintenance contractor has issued exclusions, major repair recommendations or warnings about continued support.

Energy use, heat, ventilation or equipment-room conditions are poor and cannot be resolved through minor maintenance.

The capital works plan contains no realistic allowance despite known age, faults or contractor advice.

One symptom does not prove that full replacement is necessary. Poor levelling may have several causes; water in the pit may come from common-property drainage or waterproofing; door damage may reflect misuse. The value of a condition review is that it links symptoms to evidence and creates a prioritised pathway instead of allowing each breakdown to become a separate emergency.

Who is responsible for the lift in a strata scheme?

In most apartment schemes, the shared passenger lift and its associated infrastructure form part of the common property or are assets of the owners corporation. The registered strata plan, by-laws, easements, building-management arrangements and any stratum or community-title structure must still be checked. Mixed-use Bondi Junction developments can have more complicated cost-sharing arrangements than a conventional residential scheme.

Section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 requires an owners corporation to properly maintain and keep common property in good and serviceable repair, and to renew or replace common-property fixtures and fittings when necessary. A lift that is unreliable, unsafe or no longer reasonably maintainable cannot simply be ignored because replacement is expensive. The decision should be supported by technical evidence, meeting resolutions and a funding plan.

The owners corporation may delegate administrative tasks to the strata manager, but technical certification belongs with competent lift professionals and formal spending decisions belong with the body authorised under the legislation, delegations and scheme resolutions. The strata manager's role is to keep the process documented, bring decisions to the right meeting, coordinate advisers and contractors, and ensure owners receive understandable information.

SafeWork NSW registration, inspection and maintenance records

Lifts are registrable items of plant in NSW. SafeWork NSW states that the person with management or control must register the plant item, and a lift without current registration must not be used. Registration is renewed annually. During renewal, the applicant confirms that the plant has been maintained, inspected and tested by a competent person who can confirm it is safe to operate.

SafeWork NSW also requires inspection and maintenance records to be kept. Every lift must have an emergency communication system that allows passengers to obtain assistance if trapped. If the lift malfunctions, the service company should be called and the lift should be taken out of service until repaired. These requirements make record control important: the owners corporation should know the registration number and expiry date, who holds the registration, what evidence supports renewal, and where service and inspection records are stored.

A routine service contract does not remove the owners corporation's need for oversight. Ask for legible service reports, fault codes or descriptions, call-out history, entrapment records, outstanding defect lists and confirmation that required safety tests have been completed. Vague reports such as 'checked lift' do not help a committee identify a reliability trend or verify whether recommendations were closed out.

Start with an independent lift condition assessment

For a major decision, consider appointing an independent lift consultant who is not bidding for the installation contract. The consultant can review the existing equipment, maintenance history, current safety and performance issues, parts support, expected scope, building interfaces and procurement options. Independence is particularly valuable when the incumbent maintenance company is recommending a proprietary modernisation that only it can maintain.

The assessment should not be a generic age-based report. It should identify the major components, their condition, remaining supportability and consequences of failure. It should distinguish urgent safety or compliance actions from reliability improvements and longer-term renewal. It should also state what could reasonably be retained, what cannot be verified without further testing, and what builder, electrical, fire, communications, waterproofing or hazardous-material investigations are required.

A schedule of the lift's principal systems, manufacturer, model, approximate installation or modernisation date and known proprietary restrictions.

Review of maintenance, call-out, entrapment and repair records over a meaningful period.

Assessment of ride quality, levelling, doors, controls, drive system, safety components, fixtures, communications and plant-space condition.

Identification of obsolete or unsupported equipment and realistic parts-supply risks.

Options for repair, staged modernisation or replacement with indicative downtime and budget ranges.

A recommended procurement scope and list of investigations needed before tender.

Build a scope that produces comparable tenders

The biggest procurement mistake is asking several lift companies for 'a quote to replace the lift' and assuming the results are comparable. Each bidder may choose different retained components, performance assumptions, exclusions, maintenance periods and proprietary systems. The lowest headline price can become the most expensive outcome once essential builder's works, electrical upgrades, asbestos management or after-hours attendance are added.

A consultant-prepared performance specification can give all tenderers the same baseline. It should nominate desired capacity, speed, stopping accuracy, door operation, controls, communications, finishes, energy features, accessibility outcomes, fire and emergency interfaces, noise criteria, warranties, defects periods, maintenance during and after the works, documentation, training and testing. It should also require tenderers to identify proprietary tools, passwords, remote monitoring subscriptions and long-term parts restrictions.

NSW Government strata guidance says an owners corporation approving work valued above $30,000 must obtain at least two independent quotes, subject to the stated emergency-repair exception. Even below that threshold, competitive and genuinely comparable proposals are prudent for a lift project. The committee should evaluate scope, exclusions, programme, capability, service response, financial stability, contract terms and long-term maintainability - not price alone.

Do not overlook the building works around the lift

Lift companies commonly exclude work outside their specialist package. In an older Randwick or Maroubra building, the project may expose an undersized electrical supply, poor machine-room ventilation, damaged pit waterproofing, corroded steel, non-compliant access, deteriorated fire stopping or hazardous materials. If these items are discovered after the lift is dismantled, the programme and budget can move quickly.

Electrical switchboard, submain, isolation, metering or temporary-power work.

Shaft, pit, machine-room, structural opening, support-steel and access works.

Waterproofing and drainage where water is entering the pit or plant space.

Fire stopping, detection, recall, warning, emergency-power or fire-service interfaces where applicable.

Asbestos and other hazardous-material investigation before drilling, demolition or disturbance in an older building.

Landing-door frames, lobby finishes, patching, painting, floor protection and making good.

Hoisting, craneage, traffic control, parking permits, loading-zone access and storage.

Security, keys, resident access and separation of work areas from occupied common property.

For Coogee and Maroubra schemes, allow early time to plan loading and deliveries on narrow or busy streets and to protect common areas from coastal weather. In Bondi Junction, coordinate loading docks, retail interfaces, building-management systems and high resident traffic. In Randwick, consider shift workers, older residents and medical appointments when programming noisy work and shutdowns. These are not technical extras; they are part of whether the project can be delivered safely and with reasonable disruption.

Approvals, standards and professional certification

Lift work can engage several regulatory systems. The applicable pathway depends on whether the project is a like-for-like repair, an alteration to registrable plant, substantial building work, a change to fire-safety systems, structural work or a change affecting access. The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025, relevant Australian Standards including the AS 1735 series, the National Construction Code, planning and certification requirements, and the building's existing approvals may all be relevant.

Do not assume that work inside an existing shaft needs no planning or building approval. Before signing, ask the lift consultant, contractor and an appropriately qualified certifier to identify required approvals, design documentation, inspections and certificates. Where the scope alters the plant design or control measures, confirm the SafeWork NSW registration implications. Where fire-safety measures are affected, coordinate with the building's fire contractor and the person managing its fire safety schedule and annual statement.

Older buildings also require a hazardous-material check before intrusive work. SafeWork NSW guidance requires an asbestos register and management plan in relevant workplaces, and NSW asbestos guidance warns that buildings constructed before 1990 may contain asbestos. Lift motor rooms, electrical backing boards, linings, fire doors, service risers, flooring and mastics should not be disturbed on assumption alone.

Funding lift renewal through the capital works plan

A lift modernisation or replacement is exactly the kind of major expenditure that should appear in the 10-year capital works fund plan. NSW strata guidance says the plan must forecast major repairs and be reviewed at least every five years, with new and revised plans prepared in the prescribed standard form. The capital works fund may pay for replacing or upgrading common property and for related project management and supervision.

The practical difficulty is timing. A capital works plan may carry a generic lift allowance that has not been updated for current condition, inflation, consultant costs or building works. A committee should replace the placeholder with a project-specific budget once a condition assessment is available. Include contingency, consultant and certification fees, temporary works, hazardous-material work, communications, making good, and maintenance during the defects period.

Funding options may include existing capital works funds, increased regular contributions, a special levy, borrowing or a combination. Each has different cash-flow and approval implications. Owners need to see the total project budget, expected payment milestones, contingency and consequences of delay. A lower levy today is not a saving if repeated emergency repairs consume funds while the replacement price rises and the lift becomes less supportable.

Resident communication and planning for lift downtime

The lift may be unavailable for weeks during major works. The exact duration depends on the scope, equipment lead times, site access, building works, testing and defects. Committees should never publish the contractor's best-case installation period as a guaranteed reopening date. Communicate a realistic range, the dependencies and how updates will be issued.

Begin with a confidential resident needs survey. Identify people who use mobility aids, cannot safely manage stairs, receive in-home care, require regular medical treatment or depend on deliveries. The owners corporation and strata manager are not health-care providers, and they should not promise services beyond their authority, but early information allows affected residents and families to make personal arrangements and helps the project team plan reasonable access measures.

Give clear notice of the anticipated shutdown, noisy periods, delivery days and temporary access changes.

Provide one project contact and a regular update rhythm, even when the programme has not changed.

Explain how emergency access, waste collection, removals and large deliveries will operate.

Protect privacy: circulate practical access information without identifying a resident's medical condition.

Plan for dust, noise, barriers, lighting, security and safe stair access throughout the outage.

State how delays, after-hours emergencies and contractor complaints should be reported.

If the building has two lifts, ask whether works can be staged so one remains available. If it has only one, the social impact is much greater and may influence programme, procurement and contingency decisions. A short programme with poor preparation is not necessarily better than a slightly longer, realistic programme that accounts for resident access and building interfaces.

Contract controls that protect the owners corporation

Major lift contracts can contain deposits, progress payments, long equipment lead times, price-adjustment clauses, access obligations, broad exclusions and long post-completion maintenance commitments. Obtain legal review appropriate to the contract value and risk. Confirm who carries design responsibility, who coordinates the certifier and other trades, and what happens if hidden conditions or delays arise.

Clear scope, drawings, performance requirements and a complete exclusions schedule.

Programme milestones tied to design approval, manufacture, delivery, installation, testing and handover.

Payment milestones linked to evidence, not merely dates or broad percentages.

Insurance, licences, safety documentation, site supervision and incident-reporting obligations.

Rules for variations, extensions of time, liquidated damages where appropriate and dispute resolution.

Warranty, defects rectification, maintenance inclusions and service response after completion.

Ownership and delivery of manuals, drawings, software access, passwords, test records, keys and spare parts.

The maintenance agreement after modernisation deserves separate scrutiny. A discounted project price can be offset by a long, restrictive maintenance term. Compare coverage hours, call-out inclusions, consumables, major-parts exclusions, annual increases, response targets, entrapment response, remote monitoring, termination rights and access to diagnostic tools.

Testing, handover and the first year after completion

Practical completion should not mean that the lift moves and the final invoice is paid. The consultant or contract administrator should verify performance and close defects. The owners corporation should receive the documentation needed to operate, maintain, insure and later tender the lift without depending on one employee's inbox.

Commissioning, inspection and test records, including confirmation by competent persons.

Updated SafeWork NSW plant registration information and any altered-design documentation required for the project.

As-built drawings, equipment schedules, manuals, wiring information and maintenance instructions.

Fire, emergency communication, alarm, recall and building-management-system test results where applicable.

Warranties, defects list, completion dates and contacts for urgent post-handover faults.

Keys, access devices, passwords, diagnostic access arrangements and remote-monitoring details.

Training for building staff or nominated representatives and a clear passenger-entrapment procedure.

Track faults carefully during the defects period. New equipment can require adjustment, particularly doors and levelling. Record the date, symptoms, outage duration and contractor response. Hold formal reviews before the defects period or warranty expires, and do not let unresolved items drift into the paid maintenance period.

A practical lift renewal roadmap for Eastern Suburbs strata

Secure the current plant registration, maintenance contract, service records, repair history, original drawings and recent quotations.

Confirm immediate safety issues and complete any urgent repair or isolation recommended by a competent lift professional.

Commission an independent condition assessment and options report for significant or recurring problems.

Update the capital works plan and obtain a realistic project budget including consultants, builder works and contingency.

Approve the procurement pathway and a common tender specification at the appropriate strata meeting.

Obtain genuinely comparable tenders and evaluate long-term maintenance, parts access and contract risk as well as price.

Confirm approvals, registration, fire, access, asbestos, electrical and certification requirements before contract execution.

Plan resident communications, shutdown arrangements, deliveries, security and support for vulnerable occupants.

Administer the works with documented variations, programme updates, testing and independent quality checks.

Complete handover, update records and registration, close defects and review maintenance performance during the first year.

Common mistakes that make lift projects harder

Treating each breakdown as an isolated event without reviewing the full service history.

Allowing the incumbent maintenance contractor to define the problem, scope, price and acceptance criteria without independent review.

Comparing headline tender prices when inclusions, retained equipment and maintenance terms differ.

Forgetting builder, electrical, fire, waterproofing, asbestos, certification and making-good costs.

Renewing a long maintenance agreement immediately before testing the market for modernisation.

Setting levies from an old capital works allowance rather than a current lift-specific budget.

Promising residents a fixed reopening date before equipment, approvals and site conditions are confirmed.

Paying final amounts before test results, documents, defects and registration matters are complete.

Leaving passwords, drawings, manuals and service data with the contractor instead of the owners corporation.

Assuming a new controller alone will resolve water ingress, power quality, door damage or building movement.

Frequently asked questions

How often must a strata lift be registered in NSW?

SafeWork NSW states that plant item registration must be renewed before it expires each year. The renewal process requires confirmation that the lift has been maintained, inspected and tested by a competent person who can confirm it is safe to operate. A lift without current required registration must not be used.

Does an old lift automatically need full replacement?

No. Age is an indicator, not the decision by itself. A condition assessment should consider safety, reliability, parts support, usage, retained component condition, accessibility, compliance interfaces and whole-of-life cost. Some lifts suit targeted modernisation; others need a more comprehensive replacement.

Can the owners corporation keep repairing the lift instead?

It can approve repairs where they are safe and economically sensible, but section 106 requires common property to be maintained and necessary fixtures and fittings to be renewed or replaced. Repeated emergency work is not a sound strategy when evidence shows the system is unreliable or no longer reasonably supportable.

Should we use the lift maintenance company to write the replacement scope?

The maintenance company can provide valuable information, but for a significant project an independent consultant can separate the owner's requirements from a bidder's preferred product. A common specification also makes competing tenders easier to compare.

Do we need two quotes for lift work?

NSW Government strata guidance says work valued above $30,000 requires at least two independent quotes, subject to the emergency-repair exception described in that guidance. For a planned lift project, a competitive tender based on a common scope is generally prudent regardless of the minimum legal threshold.

Can a lift replacement be paid from the capital works fund?

Yes, major repair, renewal and replacement of common property and related project-management costs are typical capital works fund expenses. The budget and proposed funding should be incorporated into the 10-year plan and approved through the appropriate owners corporation process.

How long will residents be without the lift?

There is no universal period. It depends on the extent of retained equipment, builder works, access, equipment delivery, testing, defects and whether another lift can remain in service. Obtain a detailed programme with assumptions and communicate a range rather than an unsupported guarantee.

What if water is entering the lift pit?

Treat the source as a building issue as well as a lift issue. Arrange appropriate investigation of drainage, groundwater and waterproofing, protect the lift equipment, and coordinate the lift contractor with the relevant building consultant or waterproofing specialist. Replacing lift equipment without addressing the water source can damage the new installation.

How can ETSM help with a lift modernisation or replacement?

ETSM can organise the records, committee and owners corporation decisions, consultant engagement, tender communications, funding resolutions, owner updates, contractor access, insurance notifications and project administration. Technical design and certification remain with the appointed specialists, while ETSM keeps the governance and communication moving.

How ETSM supports ageing apartment buildings

Lift projects test a strata manager's ability to coordinate people, documents, money and deadlines. Owners need clear explanations rather than a bundle of technical proposals. Residents need timely notice. Consultants need decisions and access. Contractors need one authorised point of contact. The committee needs a reliable record of why each decision was made.

ETSM understands the different pressures facing Bondi Junction towers, established Randwick apartment buildings and coastal schemes in Coogee and Maroubra. We manage a diverse Sydney portfolio of buildings from 3 to 100 lots and provide responsive, transparent management without insurance commissions. Where specialist lift, engineering, fire, access, asbestos, certification or legal advice is required, we help the owners corporation appoint the right professionals and keep the resulting actions accountable.

If your building's lift is breaking down more often, the maintenance contractor has raised obsolescence, or the capital works plan carries an outdated allowance, the best time to act is before the next extended outage. ETSM can help the committee turn scattered reports and quotes into an organised pathway from condition assessment to funding, tender, resident communication and handover.

Suggested calls to action

Is your Bondi Junction, Randwick, Coogee or Maroubra apartment lift becoming unreliable? Ask ETSM to help organise an independent condition review and a clear committee process.

Does your capital works plan underestimate lift modernisation or replacement? Speak with ETSM about updating the budget before another major breakdown.

Considering a change of strata manager in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs? Send us your latest AGM agenda and management information for a tailored proposal and confidential discussion.

Authoritative references

NSW Legislation - Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, including section 106: https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-2015-050

NSW Government - Strata repairs and maintenance: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/living/repairs-and-maintenance

NSW Government - Managing strata finances and insurance: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/serving-on-a-committee/finances-insurance

NSW Government - Capital works fund planner: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/strata-hub/capital-works-fund-planner

SafeWork NSW - Lifts, escalators and moving walkways: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/lifts-escalators-and-moving-walkways

SafeWork NSW - Plant item registration and annual renewal: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/licences-and-registrations/plant-registrations/plant-item-registration

NSW Legislation - Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025: https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/inforce/current/sl-2025-0440

SafeWork NSW - Managing the risks of plant in the workplace Code of Practice: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/52156/Code-of-practice_Managing-the-risks-of-plant-in-the-workplace_2022.pdf

SafeWork NSW - Asbestos registers and management plans: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/asbestos-publications/asbestos-registers-and-management-plans-fact-sheet

NSW Asbestos Coordination Committee - Asbestos in the home: https://www.asbestos.nsw.gov.au/safety/safety-in-the-home/asbestos-in-the-home

NSW Government - Safety rules for strata common property: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/serving-on-a-committee/safety

Waverley Council - Development applications and planning controls: https://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/planning/development_applications

Randwick City Council - Planning and building: https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/planning-and-building

Australian Building Codes Board - National Construction Code: https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/

Standards Australia - AS 1735 series, Lifts, escalators and moving walks: https://www.standards.org.au/

General information only. This article is current to 5 September 2026 and is not legal, lift engineering, work health and safety, building, access, fire safety, insurance or financial advice. Lift installations, strata plans, approvals, maintenance contracts and site conditions differ. Owners corporations should obtain advice from appropriately qualified lift consultants, competent persons, certifiers, contractors, insurers and lawyers for the particular building and act immediately where safety or access may be at risk.