Elevator and Building Rules

Moving into or out of a building with an elevator or loading dock? Your move will go better and easier for everyone if you follow the rules.

Don’t assume that just because you’ve paid the rent and are moving in or out of a building with an elevator that you can access the elevator whenever you like. If you think you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to, you could end up with moving cost overruns and costly fines.  I’ve seen many a move derailed when they have the mover show up and they didn’t reserve the elevators.  It can be a very costly mistake if you need to move and your mover can’t get access to the elevator!

Most buildings, especially condominiums, have hard and fast rules when it comes to elevators, loading zones and moving in general.  Here are a few of the basics:

Elevator & Building Rules

1. 1. Reserve the elevator in advance. You generally need to reserve the elevator in advance so the building management can lock it off and hang pads inside to protect the elevator walls.  If you cannot lock off the elevator for the purposes of moving then you are at the mercy of calling it every time the mover has a load up or down. This is a very slow process that can extend your move time dramatically.
   2. Confirm which elevator to use. There may be specific elevators that can only be used for moving.  Regular passenger elevators might be off limits.  If you try to use a passenger elevator without authorization, you could get hit with stiff penalties.
   3. Reserve elevator use in advance. There will be specific days and specific hours when moving is authorized.  You can’t sneak a truck in at 10:00 o’clock at night and think you can casually start moving.  Well, I suppose you could try, people try just about anything.  Sometimes people get away with things, most times they don’t. It’s best to plan ahead and reserve your time as needed.
   4. Reserve loading dock and parking. If the building has a loading dock or designated parking area, you need to reserve that too. Most buildings do not allow loading and unloading through the front lobby so find out where the truck needs to park and the path they must follow.
   5. Verify paperwork requirements in advance. Your building may have check in procedures for the movers.  Many require that they sign in and provide ID before the building will give them access.  Some of the larger condominiums or retirement communities may also require that the mover present a Certificate of Insurance before they can move a resident in or out. All of this is for liability purposes.

Rules are there for a reason: to protect the rights of other residents, to protect the building and to insure that residents moving in and out can do so as efficiently as possible.  Find out what your building’s rules are and follow them. It will make your life so much easier.

Starting to realize that there is more to moving than hiring a truck and two guys? Having a move management company like NextStep Transitions as your advocate will help you navigate the moving process. We don’t take short cuts. We will coordinate all the details associated with your move to make sure that every aspect is dealt with so that your move happens without a hitch.