Should you book an elevator for moving and how to do it?

When moving in or out of a high-floor apartment, the elevator is your best friend – it allows you to take your belongings up to (or down from) the umpteenth floor quickly and easily, without any effort or risk. The use of an elevator saves a lot of time and hassle on moving day – and most importantly, it makes things much safer (carrying heavy items up or down stairs is very difficult and can easily result in damages and/or personal injuries).

The only problem is that the elevator is not “at your personal service” – other residents have the right to use it as much as you do. Competing with others for the use of the elevator during your move, however, won’t do – you need to find a way to ensure constant access to the lift for yourself and your movers.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to do that – all you need to do is reserve the elevator for the time of your move.

But how can you book an elevator for moving? When do you need to do it and what requirements there are? Will you need to pay a fee or comply with time limits?

Read on to find out:

Why is it a good idea to book an elevator for moving?

Booking an elevator will make your apartment move smoother and faster as you won’t need to compete with others for its use.

If you don’t reserve the elevator, other residents will use it during the time of your move and you and your movers will spend a lot of time waiting for it. This will slow down your move, will cause a lot of frustration, and, if you’re using professional moving services, will cost you – you will have to pay the movers for the wasted time.

What’s more, the elevator doors may unexpectedly close on your items while they’re being loaded or unloaded (because the elevator has been called elsewhere) – and this may easily result in damage to your belongings or even personal injuries. In the best case scenario, the elevator will simply depart with your items in it and you (or your movers) will have to chase it up or down the building.

If you book the elevator, on the other hand, none of this can happen. You and your movers will have exclusive use of the lift – no one else will be able to use it, so the elevator will stay on the floor where you need it and the doors will stay open as long as necessary.

Booking elevator for moving will greatly speed up your move and will save you a lot of headaches and hassle – and even some money on your final moving cost.

See also: How to cut down moving costs

How early to book an elevator for moving?

It is essential to reserve the elevator well ahead of time – two to four weeks in advance of your move date (earlier if you’re moving on the first or last day of a month, when most apartment moves take place and more people are likely to need the elevator for moving).

If you wait until too late, the elevator may be all booked up and you may need to change the time – or even the date – of your move as it will be extremely difficult (or downright impossible) to move in or out of your high-floor apartment without using an elevator. Needless to say, having to rearrange your moving plans around the availability of the elevator will be very difficult and extremely nerve-wracking. 

Good to know: If there is more than one request to book the elevator for the same day, the property manager will assign the use of the elevator on a “first come, first served” basis.

See also: How far in advance to book movers

For how long to reserve the elevator?

Timing is extremely important when booking an elevator for moving – you need to make sure you have ample time to complete the move and you need to comply with any existing time restrictions:

• Unless the building has a dedicated service elevator, you will usually only be allowed to reserve an elevator within the regular working hours (from 9 am to 5 pm), when most of the residents will be away – to avoid heavy tenant traffic;
• Many buildings have time limits on elevator reservations – typically you can only reserve an elevator for two to four hours. Some building managements set time limits for moving based on the size of the apartment (2 hours for a one-bedroom apartment, 4 hours for a two-bedroom apartment, etc.);
• Depending on the number and type of items you have for moving and the number of people on the job, your move may take from a couple of hours to 6-8 hours. You need to think about for how long you will need constant access to the elevator and make your reservation accordingly. If you’re working with professional movers, remember to discuss the matter with them – the pros will be able to make a very accurate estimation about the time needed for the elevator. Be sure to reserve the lift for the time estimated by your moving company.

Good to remember:

1. If there are any time restrictions (or other requirements or rules) on the use of the elevator, let your moving company know ahead of time so that accommodations can be made;
2. Keep in mind that there may be a considerable distance between the elevator and the place where your moving truck can park. In such a case, you will need to account for the extra time needed to transport your items between the moving vehicle and the lift – and, therefore, book the elevator for a longer time;
3. Inadequately planned elevator booking that doesn’t allow enough time to complete the job can result in big delays and increased moving costs – especially if another resident has an elevator reservation following yours. If you (or your movers) don’t manage to take all your items to (or down from) your high-floor apartment within the time you have booked the elevator for, you will have to stop and wait for the other resident to finish before you can resume your move. Needless to say, such a situation will be extremely nerve-wracking and will incur additional costs, as you’ll need to pay your movers for the waiting time (or, in case you have rented a moving truck, you will need to pay for more rental hours);
4. Timing is a great challenge when moving into a new building – no matter how carefully you have planned the elevator booking, there may be unforeseen delays during the pickup or the travel to your new home and the moving truck may arrive at your new address much later than anticipated. If you miss the booked time for the elevator (or part of it), you may need to wait for a long time until you can get access to the lift and take your belongings to your new apartment (particularly if another resident has booked the elevator after you). As detailed above, such a scenario will cause great inconvenience and extra costs;
5. If you cannot reserve the elevator for as long as you want to, you may need to hire additional movers (or ask more friends) to help you move more quickly (hiring additional movers will, of course, add to your moving costs). Alternatively, you can devise a plan on how to best use the time you have – transport your heavier items first (so you can use the elevator for them) and, if there is no time left for your lighter things, take them up or down the stairs. This strategy will also work if the moving truck arrives a little later than planned and you have only a part of the booked time remaining.

How to book an elevator for moving?

Once you know your move date and how much time you’re going to need the elevator for, it’s time to make the booking:

Step 1. Consider the type of the elevator

Some buildings have service elevators, especially designed for transporting large items and dedicated to residential moves and maintenance use.

Other places, however, don’t have a dedicated service elevator – if that is the case with your building, you will have to use the main elevator in the lobby.

When you reserve the elevator, the concierge will put it into “individual service mode”. This means that you and your movers will have exclusive use of the elevator – other people will be prevented from calling the lift to another floor, so it will stay with you and the doors will remain open for as long as you need.

2. Check the moving policy and the elevator policy of the building

Different apartment complexes have different rules and regulations regarding moving and the booking of elevators, so you need to check your building’s policies first:

• Time restrictions – Moving may only be allowed during certain times of the day (to prevent noise from early morning or late-at-night moves). Elevator booking may also only be allowed during specific time periods and for a limited number of hours (as detailed above);
• Height restrictions -If the elevator connects to a loading dock, you need to consider the loading dock maximum height in order to make sure the moving truck can fit next to the elevator;
• Building entrance requirements – Some buildings require that movers never use the main entrance – they have a special room next to their dedicated service elevator that must be used for moves;
• Required documents – In most cases, professional movers will be required to provide a Certificate of Liability and a Certificate of Workman’s Compensation Insurance;
• Elevator protection – Most building managements demand special padding (foam padding or moving blankets) to be installed on the elevator walls to protect them from scuff, scratches, dents, and other damage during the move. If you’re working with professional movers, they will take care of this task;
• Post-move clean-up policy – You may be required to clean the elevator and the moving room after your move;
• Fees – When reserving an elevator, you may be billed by the hour for the booked time;
• Damage deposit – When booking an elevator for moving, you will usually be charged a damage deposit. The building management will carry out a pre-inspection and post-inspection of the elevator, the moving room, and the adjacent areas – any damage noted during the post-inspection and not noted on the initial inspection will be deemed your responsibility and the cost of repairs (and/or cleaning, if necessary) will be deducted from the damage deposit. If the repair/cleaning cost is less than the deposit, the balance will be returned to you. If the cost exceeds the amount of the deposit, you will have to cover the difference. 

Step 3. Request an elevator reservation

Once you’re aware of all the relevant rules and regulations and have thought over all the details, it’s time to make the elevator reservation with the building management.

To reserve an elevator for moving, you will typically need to fill out an application form, outlining the day and time period when you will need the elevator.

Keep in mind that the application may take some time to process, so you need to make the request well in advance.

Pay any necessary deposits and fees and be sure to follow all pertinent rules and regulations.

Bonus tips for booking an elevator for moving

There are a few more things to keep in mind when booking elevator for moving:

1) Whether you’re required to install padding on the elevator walls or not, be sure to use protective materials to keep the lift surfaces safe and clean during your move. Moving blankets are your best bet.

2) Use a moving dolly to load and unload your belongings on and off the elevator – it will speed up the process and will make your move safer and easier.

3) Make sure an item will fit in the elevator before you try loading it inside:

• Service elevators are specifically designed to transport large items, so if you’re using a service elevator all your belongings (including large furniture and appliances) will easily fit inside;
• Standard elevators may not be big enough to accommodate your larger items:
  • Measure the height of the elevator doors and the inside of the unit to see if your bulkier items will fit in;
  • Partly disassemble larger furniture pieces to make them fit. If necessary, take the furniture completely apart;
  • Bulkier items that cannot be disassembled may need to be taken up or down the stairs;
  • When moving extremely large and extremely heavy items to or from a high-floor apartment, you may need to hoist them through a window (See also: How to hoist furniture when moving).

4) Keep in mind that the elevator may break – hopefully, this won’t occur on your moving day, but you need to have a backup plan, just in case (See also: How to move into a building with no elevator)

5) Don’t forget to reserve a parking place for the moving truck – Most apartment buildings have special rules and regulations about parking, so you need to check them in advance and book the loading dock – or the most convenient possible parking place for your moving truck – for the time of your move. The parking place needs to be big enough for the large truck and as close to where the elevator opens (or to the entrance, or to the moving room) as possible.

Booking an elevator for moving is a little thing that can make a big difference on moving day – be sure to reserve the elevator and up your chances of a fast, safe, and smooth relocation!