we will have to pay this new unexpected obligation

2024-10-06 08:44:10

Several million French people will not be able to escape it.

This is news that millions of homeowners weren’t expecting. It must be said that at first glance it didn’t worry them too much. Or even not at all. Nevertheless. Looking more closely, this will result in new costs for some property owners. An additional invoice that must necessarily be paid to comply, for a safety issue. Enough to further increase the financial burden on many homeowners.

This unexpected deadline affects buildings. Every quarter, the co-owners pay expenses to cover cleaning costs, electricity in the corridors, safety equipment but also, for some of them, the maintenance of the elevator(s). From around ten to 50 euros, depending on the size of the condominium and the number of lifts installed.

In the next cost calls a new line will appear: that of the cost of updating the warning systems present in the elevators. You know, that little yellow button with a bell on it that allows you to call for help in the event of a breakdown. In thousands of elevators it will soon be unusable. At issue: the end of the fixed telephone network, 2G and 3, foreseen by the various operators. It is through these systems that the alarm is connected to the intervention teams.

“It is therefore necessary to change the installation of the remote alarm communication in the elevator. This is important for the safety of users. If it doesn’t work, I can’t call,” explains Jérôme Féré, director of repairs in France, Belgium. and Luxembourg for Kone, one of the leaders in the elevator market.

If the end of the networks is staggered from 2025 to 2029, this industry professional advises not to delay in making the necessary changes. Already when the company works on a model not equipped with 4G, it is installed Indeed instead of the old system.

For the co-ownership this is not painless: the intervention, which lasts from 2 to 4 hours depending on the nature of the alarm in place, costs between 800 and 1500 euros. A bill that the owners will therefore have to share. For some, the switch from wired to 4G will even allow you to save on the subscription paid to the operator.

Owners do not need to urgently contact the company that maintains their lift(s): this intervenes regularly throughout the year, the proposal to carry out the update will come from the professional. “All our elevators are referenced: we are the age of every remote alarm and every elevator”, reassures Jérôme Féré.