Owners and managers of buildings with elevators that have not been declared and certified face heavy fines. The new deadline for this process is June 30. However, the directly involved parties (certification bodies, federation of property owners) have officially requested an extension, as it is estimated that fewer than half of all elevators in the country have undergone the necessary inspection to receive certification. Moreover, even the requested six-month extension is considered insufficient.

The obligation to declare and certify every elevator has been in force since 1988. The law has been revised several times in parts, deadlines have simply passed, and the state does not even know, nearly 40 years later, how many elevators exist.

Now, the hefty fines threatening owners have caused disputes in apartment buildings about the cost of complying with safety standards. Certification companies are overwhelmed with queues of appointments, while desperate requests for another extension aim for the government itself, at least at its limits, to fulfill its duty to operate the digital elevator registry established in 2022, which remains only on paper.

The Deadline

The 17 companies certified by the National Accreditation System (ESYD), which perform the certification process — not the maintenance companies — have been booking appointments since April for as late as September, well past the current deadline. So far, 250,000–300,000 elevators have been inspected and declared, but it is estimated that 600,000–700,000 elevators are installed and operating nationwide. Given this, in one week hundreds of thousands of elevators will have to cease operation, and a corresponding number of property owners face fines of 1,500 euros for uncertified elevators.

“In reality, no one knows how many elevators are operating and how many remain to be checked,” says Mr. Spyros Liakos, representative of the Hellenic Association of Accredited Inspection and Certification Bodies (HellasCert) for elevators, noting that even a new six-month extension might be too short because longstanding problems must be resolved.

Legal Framework

The safety operation rules for elevators and the certification inspection obligation were established in 1988 with Government Gazette 664/B/88, harmonizing Greek law with a directive from the then EEC. Among other things, it required elevators to be declared, have a specific operating framework, and comply with safety and maintenance rules. Although 37 years have passed, what has happened is simply setting new dates and extensions that expire.

The legal framework was updated and modernized in 2008 with Law 2604. At that time, the obligation to declare elevators was given to the prefectural authorities, and later to the technical services of municipalities, each of which must keep a relevant record. However, where such registries exist, they have not been unified, and no one has an accurate picture of the number and operational condition of elevators. Mr. Liakos points out that since 2022, the state is obliged to create an electronic registry of elevators, where their operation history would be recorded — but this still does not exist.

Legislation

As HellasCert points out, elevators—public and private—are complex electromechanical and/or electrohydraulic constructions and daily transport means used by millions, making their safe and legal operation essential.

“The legislation has been clear and in effect for many years. Consider that elevators have mechanisms, it’s like having cars without license plates. No authority would inspect or certify a vehicle without plates, yet elevators undergo maintenance and checks even though they are uncertified,” says Mr. Liakos. He stresses that the digital registry is the foundation for real supervision, emphasizing that currently, it is impossible to complete the certification process within the running deadlines.

Fines and Enforcement

Beyond the €1,500 fine for those who do not certify their elevators — single-family homes with elevators are not exempt, nor are they exempt from maintenance rules — the law requires periodic re-inspection to renew the certification. In case of an accident, beyond other penalties (criminal, civil), the fine for the person responsible for managing an undeclared or uncertified elevator can reach up to €60,000.

The frequency of re-inspection depends on the elevator’s use and location: annually for elevators in public buildings, and every 4 to 6 years for elevators in residential buildings (depending on the number of floors).

Already, in hundreds if not thousands of apartment buildings that proceeded with certification, safety deficiencies have been found, causing costs to soar because certification cannot be issued until deficiencies are corrected. Importantly, certification is not performed by the maintenance companies working with the building’s management but exclusively by the 17 ESYD-licensed bodies across Greece.

Certification for an 8-apartment building typically costs about €200, while a re-inspection costs about €120. Any discovered deficiencies add to the total cost.

They Can’t Keep Up

“You understand that each of these 17 companies has limited personnel. For example, one company may need to inspect about 5,000 elevators annually, and suddenly that number shoots to tens of thousands. It is obvious that we can’t keep up, even if technicians work superhuman hours, including nights, writing technical reports to serve as many as possible,” says Mr. Liakos.

The cost of meeting safety standards, especially in older buildings, causes friction among tenants and owners and delays certification, as funds are often hard to gather. “Each elevator must meet operation standards based on its safety specs. A 1960s elevator is not the same as one in a newly built or 20-year-old building,” he clarifies.

The Situation and Future Outlook

“As things stand over time, it is absolutely impossible to register all elevators not only by 30.06.2025 but for a much longer period,” states a recent HellasCert announcement, which stresses the urgent need to activate the electronic Unified Elevator Registry established by Law 4691/2022, to be supervised by the Ministry of Development.

However, the law has remained on paper for nearly three years… HellasCert continues: “We believe it is initially necessary to activate the electronic Unified Elevator Registry, obliging owners and/or building managers to at least declare unregistered elevators by 31/12/2025.” This means basic data on each elevator in the country must be declared so at least the number of elevators is known.

The Panhellenic Federation of Property Owners (POMIDA) also requests an extension of the certification deadline and calls for a subsidy program, as compliance costs can be burdensome. POMIDA highlights that the current municipal registration system is bureaucratic and time-consuming, requiring, among others, maintenance certificates, building permits, and mechanical plans.

How can owners avoid fines if no extension is granted (something the market sees as unlikely)? By sealing off the elevator.

The Fines

According to the current deadline for elevator certification, the fines for non-compliance are:

• €1,500 for each owner or manager who does not renew the elevator certificate.
• €15,000 to €60,000 for illegal operation of an elevator shut down due to non-compliance if an accident occurs.
• €1,500 to €15,000 for maintenance omissions or non-compliance with mobile maintenance crew requirements.
• €6,000 to €9,000 for illegal electrical connection of an elevator.

New Legislation Facilitates Elevator Installation in Apartment Buildings

• Decisions for elevator or platform installation can now be made by 51% majority of co-owners.
• In cases where building adaptation is mandatory, installation proceeds without co-owner consent, at the expense of the responsible parties.
• For buildings where adaptation is not mandatory, the Central Accessibility Committee can approve installation after a request.
• Ramps or platforms to aid disabled persons can be installed even without the majority consent of co-owners.