Why Compliant Lift Maintenance Still Isn’t Enough
- Belift Pte Ltd
- Jun 4
- 4 min read

In Singapore, lift maintenance isn’t just good practice, it’s the law. Yet even with regular servicing in place, breakdowns, delays and complaints remain common across commercial buildings. For property owners, that often means mounting costs, frustrated tenants and short-notice call-outs that disrupt daily operations.
The truth is, compliance only guarantees the minimum. In this post, we explore why ticking the boxes isn’t enough, and what building owners can do to stay ahead of the curve.
Compliance Is the Floor, Not the Ceiling
In Singapore, lift maintenance isn’t optional. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) requires property owners to engage a registered lift contractor for monthly servicing, alongside periodic testing and inspections. These checks are designed to ensure safety, with contractors required to submit maintenance records and attend regular audits.

But while this framework helps prevent outright negligence, it often only scratches the surface. Statutory servicing tends to focus on immediate safety and operational requirements. It confirms that brakes work, doors close, and alarms function. But it doesn’t account for the long-term wear and tear building up behind the scenes.
At BELIFT, we see compliance as a starting point, not an endpoint. It ensures your lift passes the test, but not that it performs at its best. It won’t catch ageing hoist systems, worn sensors, or motors quietly straining under load. And it certainly doesn’t prevent the creeping cost of frequent call-outs, frustrated tenants, or last-minute repairs.
The Real Costs of Reactive Maintenance

Left unchecked, these issues surface when it’s already too late. The lift jolts. The doors misalign. And suddenly, it’s a scramble. Reactive maintenance often means longer downtime, higher emergency costs, and the need for parts that are harder to source, especially in older systems.
From working with property owners, door systems are the most common point of failure, responsible for up to 60% of service disruptions. Control systems and hoist mechanisms follow close behind. These aren’t cosmetic faults. They’re critical components, and when they fail, the impact is immediate.
It’s why a one-size-fits-all approach to lift servicing often falls short. Not every building operates the same way, and not every lift faces the same wear. We wrote about this in more detail in our post on Why One-Size-Fits-All Lift Maintenance Doesn’t Work, where we explore how tailored plans lead to better outcomes.
When lift servicing is approached reactively, minor wear turns into major faults. These escalate quickly, leading to costly repairs or full-blown modernisation far earlier than expected. Compliance might keep your building legal. It won’t keep it running smoothly.
Predictive Maintenance Isn’t a Buzzword
So, what’s the alternative? If compliance alone doesn’t cut it, and reactive servicing leads to costly breakdowns, where do building owners go from here?
The answer lies in predictive maintenance.
Predictive maintenance is not about doing more. It’s about doing it smarter. At BELIFT, we use IoT sensors and data analytics to continuously monitor how lifts are performing, well beyond what the eye can see during a routine check.
These sensors track everything from how often doors open and close to the temperature of motor components. They detect abnormal vibrations, slight delays in door response, or minor electrical fluctuations. On their own, these might seem harmless. But when analysed over time, they point to specific issues before they develop into faults.
For example, a slight delay in door operation might signal a worn sensor or misaligned roller. Left unchecked, that’s a breakdown waiting to happen. With predictive servicing, it’s flagged early and fixed in minutes.
This approach works. Buildings that have adopted predictive maintenance have seen up to an 80% reduction in unplanned lift downtime. Service visits become faster and more targeted, cutting repair times by half. And over the lifespan of a lift, predictive maintenance can reduce total servicing costs by as much as 25%.
Case in Point: New Bridge Road
Consider a six-storey office building along New Bridge Road. Its passenger lift, installed decades ago, had become a source of frequent disruptions. The building management grappled with the creeping cost of frequent call-outs, frustrated tenants, and last-minute repairs.
BELIFT was engaged to address these persistent issues. The solution involved replacing the ageing control system, updating the signalisation, and installing a new door operator. Additionally, a card access system was integrated for improved security, allowing controlled access within the building.
The transformation was not merely functional. Aesthetically, the lift received a black stainless steel finish, offering a striking contrast to the white marble finishes of the lift lobby. This modernisation not only improved the lift’s reliability and safety but also elevated the building’s design.
Regulations set the floor. But if you’re managing a commercial property in Singapore, your lift strategy should go further. Because the real risk isn’t just a failed inspection, it’s the long-term cost of doing the bare minimum.
At BELIFT, we believe in maintenance that does more than keep you compliant. We spot issues early, act before faults escalate, and help you extend the life of your lift. When your lifts run better, so does your building. If you’re looking to future-proof your lift system or reassess your current maintenance plan, get in touch with our team. We’re here to help you make the smarter move.
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