Is there any assistance regarding ADA compliant elevators?

[The Grinder]

What is the name of your state?IL
I'm asking on behalf of my landlord, he bought the commercial building that I rent my business in, the orginal elevator is not automated, its gotta be 60 yrs old plus, is operated manually by using a hand lever. It very functional, this building is only 3 floors high and to date, every tenant knows how to operate it, the challenge is figuring out which floor its on. But the place sold a couple months ago and the landlord is worried the ADA will make him put in new elevator, at least one thats automated

My fear is he will raise rent on us tenants if required to upgrade, so my question is is there any agency that would help pay the big BIG $$ needed for new elevator? thanks

 

[adjusterjack]

is there any agency that would help pay the big BIG $$ needed for new elevator?

I don't think so.

As long as it works and people in wheel chairs can get in and out and operate it, it's probably ADA compliant.

As a matter of fact, I found the ADA elevator requirements and learned that the standards apply to existing elevators that are altered.

In other words, if the LL does nothing to alter the existing elevators, he's fine.

The minute he starts making changes he has to meet the standards for that particular change.

Refer him to this:

https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/buildings-and-sites/about-the-ada-standards/guide-to-the-ada-standards/chapter-4-elevators-and-platform-lifts

 

[The Grinder]

Many thanks, I pasted this to email to him, it works just fine, just older than dirt

 

[The Grinder]

The more I think about it I'm a bit skeptical in this situation, you see its a lever where you have to guage where to stop the elevator at certain floor so its not a push button deal, all us tenants just use it mostly for cargo but the dance studio uses it to haul up grand parents to see kids dance. All the dance studio would do is send employee to use elevator and pick up disabled parents, what few there was

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I don't understand you skepticism. Until it is updated it doesn't have to meet ADA standards.

 

[The Grinder]

I just thought that if it was old and antiquated it wasnt in compliance. But yr saying it gets grandfathered in??

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Right up until they start any update on it.

 

[adjusterjack]

Right up until they start any update on it.

But the way I read it they would only have to update the update. For example, if they replaced the lever with push buttons, it would only be the push button panels that have to meet the standards, they wouldn't have to do anything else.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I agree. But I've never seen one of those old elevators that could be updated with just adding buttons.

 

[HRZ]

Sometimes it's best not to kick a sleeping dog. And if it's safe that's 99% of the issue . The more likely problem is that 99% of the folks in your area have no clue how to operate some of this old stuff... and a few basic signs outsideything and inside the elevator might abate a lot of confusion ....and a simple please call ##. If you need help might also help.

I'd be real nervous about updating anything absent a very solid understanding of the issues involved ...I do NOT know your elevator issues ...but I know in some other jurisdictions what is a logical simple repair could trigger having to redo some massive building system at whopper costs.....( I've sent in service crews for elevators in other jurisdictions )

 

[cbg]

I just thought that if it was old and antiquated it wasnt in compliance. But yr saying it gets grandfathered in??

That's exactly right.