In brief
Check the current agreement, confirm the new provider can support the lift and agree exact end and start dates in writing.
Maintenance, emergency response, alarm monitoring and thorough examination may be separate services. Check each one rather than assuming they all transfer together.
Check your agreement before giving notice
Find the signed agreement, equipment schedule and amendments. Identify the contracting organisation and who has authority to act for it.
- Check the term, renewal date and notice deadline.
- Check how notice must be delivered, to whom and what it must contain.
- Identify any early-exit charges or conditions and ask for an explanation of unclear items.
- Check whether alarm services, examinations or other arrangements have separate contracts.
- Keep a record of any notice sent and ask for written acknowledgement of the agreed end date.
There is no universal notice period. If terms are unclear or disputed, get appropriate advice before relying on a proposed cancellation date. The handover message below does not serve as a termination notice.
Use the contract comparison guide to check the new offer, including exclusions, response commitments and extra charges.
Confirm that the new provider can take over
Give the incoming company the lift identification, available technical information, service history, fault history and latest examination report. Arrange a survey or review so it can confirm its ability to maintain the equipment and state any conditions before the start date.
Ask about access to appropriate parts, technical information, tools and support for the specific lift. Do not assume every provider can support every system on the same terms.
Confirm the agreed equipment list, planned visits, breakdown cover, out-of-hours contact and approval limits for repairs. Record the first visit and who will meet the engineer. HSE guidance stresses competent maintenance using suitable information and safe working arrangements.
Source: HSE maintenance guidance .
Check the provider, not just its memberships
LEIA membership records participation in a trade association with membership criteria. It does not, by itself, establish the quality of a company’s service or its suitability for your lift. Equally, non-membership alone is not evidence of poor quality. Ask for relevant experience, references and insurance, alongside the equipment support and handover arrangements above.
Association information: About LEIA ; LEIA membership criteria . Checked 19 October 2026. Assessing the proposed service remains your own comparison.
Check every service across the changeover
Maintenance and breakdowns
Record the exact date and time the old cover ends and new cover starts. Both providers should acknowledge their own responsibilities. Confirm who handles a fault reported before the change but still unresolved afterwards.
Entrapment response and alarm calls
Identify who receives alarm calls and who attends. Check the SIM or telephone line, monitoring agreement, payment and ownership arrangements. Ask competent providers to coordinate any transfer or replacement and verify operation through an agreed safe procedure.
Thorough examination
Confirm the examination provider, next due date and booking separately. If it was arranged through the outgoing contractor, establish who will arrange it now. Maintenance does not replace thorough examination.
Outstanding work
List open defects, deadlines, ordered parts, approved repairs, booked visits and warranty matters. Agree who completes each item, any charges and what evidence you will receive. Changing company does not remove a defect or extend its deadline.
Keys, records and access
Arrange a documented transfer of authorised access and available records. Ask providers to resolve any ownership or release restrictions. Use secure channels for credentials; do not put passwords or entry codes in a general worksheet.
Do not assume the new contract includes an existing alarm or response service. If continuity is unresolved, escalate it to the building owner and providers before the planned change. Do not cancel a supporting service until replacement arrangements are confirmed; agree any interim cover in writing.
Source: HSE guidance on examinations and defects .
For connection types, network changes and provider questions, use the lift alarm and emergency communications guide.
Use one handover list
Assign each task to a named person, set a target date and record the written confirmation or file location. Keep “requested”, “confirmed” and “still unresolved” distinct.
Before the start date, review the list with the incoming provider. Resolve anything affecting safe operation or emergency response through the responsible manager and competent providers. Do not treat a signed contract or completed checklist alone as proof that the lift is safe.
Maintenance changeover checklist
Track contract dates, records, alarm and response arrangements, open work, access and the first visit. Each row has space for an owner, confirmation and unresolved actions.
Maintenance company changeoverChoose Excel to edit, PDF to fill in or print, or CSV for a plain spreadsheet. Add your building details and save a copy on your device.
Send a focused coordination request
Send the relevant questions to each provider and share only the information they need. Complete the dates from the actual agreements. Use your contract’s required process separately for any formal notice.
Coordinate the maintenance handover
Copy this wording and replace the square brackets with your details.
Subject: Maintenance handover arrangements — [building / lift reference]
We are coordinating the proposed change of maintenance provider for [building / lift reference]. Please confirm the items relevant to your organisation below and identify any gaps.
Outgoing provider: [name / contact]
Incoming provider: [name / contact]
Building handover lead: [name / contact]
Proposed end of existing cover: [date / time — subject to written confirmation]
Proposed start of new cover: [date / time — subject to written confirmation]
1. Confirm the agreed cover dates, equipment covered and the contact responsible for the handover. Please flag any mismatch immediately.
2. Confirm who handles breakdowns and entrapment calls before and after the change, including out of hours.
3. Identify who provides the alarm connection, SIM / telephone line and monitoring. Confirm any transfer, replacement or testing needed and who will arrange it.
4. Provide or confirm receipt of the latest examination report and any scheme, open defect actions and deadlines, service history, fault history, outstanding repairs and available technical information.
5. Identify records, keys, access permissions or equipment information still needed, any ownership or release restrictions, and the agreed next step. Arrange sensitive access details through an appropriate secure channel.
6. Confirm who owns each outstanding job, any agreed costs and what happens to ordered parts, warranties and booked visits.
7. Confirm the incoming provider’s acceptance of the lift, first visit and any unresolved conditions. Confirm the examination arrangements separately.
Please reply by [follow-up date] with confirmed items, open actions, owners and target dates. Existing safety instructions and defect deadlines remain in force.
This message coordinates the handover. It is not a termination notice or authorisation for additional work or charges.
Download message template (TXT) ↓Check the first visit and update contacts
- Make the new routine and emergency contacts available to the building team and residents where appropriate. Replace obsolete notices.
- Confirm that the agreed alarm and response arrangements have been checked by competent people; keep the record.
- Collect the first visit record. Ask the incoming provider to distinguish existing issues from new findings and state any recommended actions.
- Review open defects, repairs and examination dates. Keep their original deadlines visible.
- Agree a follow-up meeting to resolve handover gaps, then update your management calendar.
Keep the outgoing records and handover correspondence with the lift file. A new provider should add to the history, not leave you starting again.
Sources & scope
HSE · Maintenance of work equipment HSE · Thorough examinations and inspectionsSource links checked on 16 October 2026. These steps and templates are practical management aids, not HSE-endorsed procedures. Confirm technical and safety arrangements with the relevant competent provider. Contract points are prompts for checking your own agreement, not legal advice on ending a particular contract.