Elevator Availability FAQs for Elevator Owners

Here are the questions most frequently asked by elevator owners about elevator availability.

• Why do I need to report elevator outages?

  Ontario Regulation 209/01: Elevating Devices Section 38.1 requires owners to report elevator outages to TSSA. As of Summer 2022, owners are required to report elevator outages lasting 48 hours or longer within 30 days of the elevator being returned to service.

• When do I need to report an elevator outage?

  An elevator outage report must be submitted within 30 days following the elevator’s return to service if the outage was 48 hours or longer.

• How do I report an elevator outage?

  Use TSSA’s Residential Elevator Availability Portal to report an elevator outage. You will need to create a user ID and password using the information found on a recent invoice from TSSA.

  Only elevator owners—not elevator contractors or elevator users—can report an outage.

• Why was the requirement to report and publish elevator outages established?

  The requirement to report elevator outages was established to measure elevator availability in Ontario. TSSA, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (MMA) commissioned Retired Superior Court Justice Douglas Cunningham to author an independent study to define and assess the state of elevator availability in Ontario. The requirement stems from the study which states that “the first step in any amendment to policy and/or regulation is a definition and measurement process for (elevator) ‘availability.’”

• Why are my elevator’s outages displayed on TSSA’s website?

  Ontario Regulation 209/01 Section 38.1 includes a requirement for TSSA to publish specific items from the reported data on its website.

• Are there penalties for not reporting elevator outages?

  Report outages is a regulatory requirement. Failing to report an elevator outage constitutes a violation of the regulation. TSSA may issue orders requiring the elevator owner or licensee to report the outage. If inspection orders are needed due to non-compliance with reporting requirements, TSSA will bill the elevator owner or licensees for the inspection.

• My elevator is being modernized. Do I need to report this outage?

  Yes. All elevator outages lasting 48 hours or longer must be reported to TSSA within 30 days following the elevator’s return to service. This applies to projects to upgrade, replace, or modernize an elevator.

• My elevator was involved in an incident and shut down. Do I need to report this outage?

  If the shutdown lasted 48 hours or longer, it must be reported. The incident will also need to be reported to TSSA separately as the data collected for outages and incidents are different. Refer to the Elevating Device Incident Reporting Guidelines or Elevating Device Incidents Involving Floods.

• My elevator was removed from service by TSSA. Do I need to report this outage?

  Yes, if the elevator shutdown lasted 48 hours or longer.

• I chose to remove my elevator from service. Do I need to report this outage?

  Yes, if the elevator shutdown lasted 48 hours or longer.

• Can my contractors report the outage after they have completed the repair?

  No, contractors cannot report elevator outages. Only the owner or licensee can report an elevator outage.

• Can I control who reports an outage on my property?

  Outages can only be reported by a person who has a user ID and password to access the TSSA Residential Elevator Availability Portal. You can control who reports an outage by deciding who has an ID and who doesn’t.

• Can I designate someone other than myself who is associated with my property to be eligible to submit outage reports?

  Yes, the owner can control who is granted a user ID and password to access the Residential Elevator Availability Portal.

• The elevator will be used for moving. Is this considered an outage?

  An elevator that is used for moving or is on service for other reasons is not considered an elevator outage, provided it is serving its intended function.

• I reported an outage, but I think some of the TSSA data about my elevator was incorrect. What should I do?

  When you report an elevator outage, TSSA provides some of its data to assist with the reporting requirement. A link is provided to allow you to change some of this data. If you did not use the link, you can search for your outage report and make the required changes. If you are unable to change the data, please email us at customerservices@tssa.org.

• I tried reporting an outage, but the system would not accept the installation number. What should I do?

  The system will not allow anyone but the device owner or licensee to report an outage for the device. If you recently purchased the building or took over the property management, TSSA’s records might not have been updated to reflect the change in owner or licensee. Please contact TSSA at customerservices@tssa.org to confirm that the ownership change has been processed.