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Inspection of lift installations

Approved supervisory body · BetrSichV

Operator’s dutyOn siteOnly by a ZÜS

Unlike with vehicles, there is no authority at the start here, but a duty: lifts count among the equipment subject to monitoring obligations within the meaning of the Industrial Safety Ordinance (Betriebssicherheitsverordnung, BetrSichV), and § 16 BetrSichV obliges the employer or operator to ensure that they are inspected “for their safe condition on a recurring basis, in accordance with the requirements set out in Annex 2”. No one invites you to do this — the responsibility lies with the operator.

The second point surprises many owners’ associations: the intervals are not set out as a flat rule. § 16 expressly requires the operator to check “whether the intervals for the next recurring inspections have been correctly set under § 3 Abs. 6”. They therefore follow from Annex 2 and from the risk assessment of the installation. Anyone looking for a generally applicable number of years is looking for something the ordinance deliberately does not provide.

Not everyone may inspect. For equipment subject to monitoring obligations, the approved supervisory body (ZÜS) is provided for — a separate, state-approved role that TÜV and DEKRA fill alongside their work in the vehicle sector. A maintenance company is not a ZÜS: maintenance and inspection are two different things, and one does not replace the other.

For residents, the practically most important piece of information follows from this: anyone who notices a defect contacts the owner or management company, not TÜV — the ZÜS is instructed by the operator. And anyone who wants to know whether an inspection has taken place asks for the inspection record that belongs to the installation.

Last updated29 August 2026
Legal basis§ 16 BetrSichV
VerificationChecked against StVZO, FZV, FeV and BetrSichV
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not TÜV, DEKRA or any other testing organisation, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Duty holderThe operator§ 16 BetrSichV
Inspection byA ZÜSNot the maintenance company
IntervalsAnnex 2 and § 3 Abs. 6No flat rule
BasisRisk assessmentSpecific to the installation
Required documents

What you need

The installation’s risk assessment

The inspection intervals follow from it, among other things. Without it, you cannot show that the intervals were correctly set — yet that is exactly what § 16 requires of the operator.

The previous inspection records

They document the inspection history and the condition. When the owner or managing agent changes, they are the first thing missing — and the first thing asked for.

The maintenance documentation

Maintenance does not replace the inspection, but is part of it: it shows whether the installation was kept in good repair between inspections.

Documents on modifications to the installation

Alterations, control-system changes or modernisations can trigger an inspection before the installation is put back into service and can change the intervals.

The appointed responsible person

In owners’ associations it is often unclear who carries out the operator’s duties. Clarifying this question before the appointment avoids disputes over responsibility if a defect is found.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Clarify who the operator is

    The duty falls on the employer or operator of the installation — for residential complexes, usually the owners’ association, represented by the management company. Without this clarification, the duty remains unfulfilled.

  2. 2

    Determine the inspection intervals

    What is decisive are the requirements of Annex 2 together with the risk assessment under § 3 Abs. 6. § 16 expressly requires checking that this setting is correct.

  3. 3

    Instruct an approved supervisory body

    Only a ZÜS may carry out the recurring inspection of equipment subject to monitoring obligations. The maintenance company cannot replace it, however thoroughly it works.

  4. 4

    Keep the inspection record with the installation

    It is part of the documentation and, in a dispute, the only proof. Keep it somewhere it will not be lost when the managing agent changes.

  5. 5

    Have defects remedied without delay

    Defects identified must be remedied; depending on severity, an inspection before the installation is put back into service may be required. The operator does not decide this alone.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Duties and responsibilitiesNot an administrative fee, but a commission
Legal basis§ 16 BetrSichV
Duty holderEmployer or operator
Inspection byApproved supervisory body
Intervals fromAnnex 2 and § 3 Abs. 6
MaintenanceDoes not replace the inspection
PriceCommission, not a tariff

The inspection is a commissioned service, not an administrative act. There is no official tariff; the operator bears the cost and, for residential complexes, apportions it under the rules of tenancy law and the law on residential property ownership (Wohnungseigentumsrecht).

Good to know

Important notes

The most common confusion is between maintenance and inspection. The maintenance company keeps the installation in good repair; the recurring inspection of equipment subject to monitoring obligations is reserved to an approved supervisory body. A maintenance contract does not satisfy the duty under § 16 BetrSichV.

There is no generally applicable number of years for the inspection interval. § 16 refers to the requirements of Annex 2 and at the same time requires checking whether the intervals have been correctly set under § 3 Abs. 6 — the risk assessment of the specific installation also plays a part.

With jointly owned residential property, the operator’s role is the sensitive point. If it is not clearly assigned, the duty remains outstanding — and if damage occurs, the question of responsibility arises under more difficult conditions.

Anyone who, as a resident, notices a defect contacts the owner or management company. The ZÜS is instructed by the operator and does not accept reports from third parties as an inspection order.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Mistaking maintenance for inspection. The recurring inspection is reserved to a ZÜS.

Looking for a flat-rate interval. It follows from Annex 2 and the risk assessment.

Leaving the operator’s role open. Without a named responsible party, the duty remains unfulfilled.

Not keeping inspection records with the installation. Otherwise they get lost when the managing agent changes.

Calling TÜV as a resident. The ZÜS is instructed by the operator.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Who must arrange the lift inspection?

The employer or operator of the installation. § 16 BetrSichV obliges them to ensure that equipment subject to monitoring obligations is repeatedly inspected for its safe condition in accordance with the requirements set out in Annex 2. For residential complexes, this is usually the owners’ association, represented by the management company.

May the maintenance company carry out the inspection?

No, these are two different things. The recurring inspection of equipment subject to monitoring obligations is reserved to an approved supervisory body. Maintenance keeps the installation in good repair and is important, but it does not satisfy the inspection duty.

How often must the inspection take place?

Deliberately, no flat figure is given here. The intervals follow from the requirements of Annex 2 of the BetrSichV together with the risk assessment; § 16 expressly requires the operator to check whether the intervals have been correctly set under § 3 Abs. 6. The specific installation therefore also plays a part.

What happens if the inspection is not carried out?

The duty remains, and with it the operator’s responsibility. Besides regulatory consequences, the question of liability if damage occurs is the main issue: without an inspection record, it cannot be shown that the installation was kept in a safe condition.

I am a tenant and the lift seems to be malfunctioning — who do I contact?

The owner or the property management company. The approved supervisory body is instructed by the operator and does not accept reports from third parties as an inspection order. It makes sense to report the matter in writing and to ask about the most recent inspection record.

How much does the examination cost?

It is not an administrative service and has no official tariff: the ZÜS is instructed and bills for its service. The operator bears the cost; for residential complexes, the apportionment follows the rules of tenancy and residential property ownership law.

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