For residents of one Highbridge apartment building, the elevator outage is not some minor inconvenience. They say they have been without a working lift for 10 weeks, and the daily climb is turning their lives upside down.
Older tenants and neighbors with walkers, canes and hip replacements are either hauling themselves up multiple flights of stairs or staying inside altogether, according to residents. Carlos Angel, who contacted local reporters, called the situation “ten weeks, 10 weeks too long” and said people are struggling with basic tasks like getting groceries and making medical appointments. Tenants also say the building is down to a single porter, which they argue is nowhere near enough to help residents who cannot safely manage the stairs.
The building is owned by Atlantic Development Group. In a statement to News 12 New York, the company said the elevator troubles started in February and that “the scope of the required repairs is quite substantial.” Atlantic said the necessary materials and components have been ordered and that the work will include some system modernization intended to improve reliability. The company added that repairs require coordination among multiple parties and that an evacuation chair is on site for residents with mobility issues.
Residents say what they see from their side is slow progress and paper notices that feel more like legal cover than actual help. “My refrigerator is half empty because I cannot carry all of these groceries,” one tenant said, describing the grind of lugging food upstairs after shoulder surgery. Neighbors worry that thin staffing and an unreliable elevator create serious risks for older and chronically ill tenants if there is an emergency.
City rules and inspections
Elevators in New York City fall under the oversight of the Department of Buildings, which handles inspections and can issue violations or a Cease Use Order when a device is deemed unsafe, according to the agency’s published guidance from the Department of Buildings. Before an elevator can legally return to service, a certified inspection and re-certification are required.
The DOB’s rules outline annual Category 1 and periodic Category 5 tests, reinspection procedures and the paperwork that must be filed to lift a Cease Use Order. It is the responsibility of owners and their elevator contractors to schedule these tests and file the required documents so that service can be restored.
Why repairs can stall
City audits have found that backlogs and timing gaps in DOB re-inspections can slow the return of elevators to service, especially when parts must be replaced or when a certified re-inspection is required. A follow-up audit by the City Comptroller's Office flagged weaknesses in the DOB’s timeliness on elevator re-inspections and in tracking overdue inspections, a combination that can stretch outages for tenants.
Those bureaucratic snags help explain why ordering parts and lining up contractors does not always translate into a quick fix for residents staring up several flights of stairs.
Not an isolated problem
Elevator failures have been hitting tenants across the Bronx in recent months, leaving residents scrambling and prompting city inspections in some buildings. Earlier this year, ABC7 New York reported that residents at a Concourse Village West building were climbing nine flights after water damage knocked elevators out of service, leading DOB inspectors to issue violations.
Housing advocates say a pattern of drawn-out outages points to gaps in maintenance and oversight at some privately managed properties, where tenants often feel they are left to fend for themselves while they wait out repairs.
What residents can do
Tenants coping with elevator outages are urged to file an elevator or escalator complaint through NYC 311, which routes urgent safety concerns to DOB inspectors. Residents are also advised to keep a detailed record of missed medical appointments, health impacts and all communications with building management.
The city’s 311 guidance explains how to request inspections or an appointment with an elevator inspector. If service is not restored, residents can seek help from HPD, tenant-advocacy groups or their elected officials. Documenting harm and looping in local representatives often helps escalate attention to long-running outages.
Legal note
If DOB inspectors determine there is an “immediately hazardous” condition, they can issue a Class 1 violation or a Cease Use Order. Owners may then face civil penalties and hearings under city rules, and they must certify that conditions have been corrected and obtain a re-inspection before elevators can legally return to service, according to the NYC Department of Buildings.
Enforcement can include OATH/ECB penalties and daily fines for uncorrected hazardous conditions, depending on how the violation is classified and the specific circumstances. Tenants with disabilities may also have separate accommodation rights under federal and local law when elevator outages make their homes effectively inaccessible.
For now, Highbridge residents say they will keep pressing Atlantic Development Group and city agencies until the elevator is fixed and reliably back in service. The company has said it expects its modernization work to improve reliability once completed, and tenants say they will be watching for repair crews and official re-inspections in the weeks ahead.
