In the Balearic Islands, a lift is inspected every 2 years if it is in an industrial building or one open to the public, every 4 years if the building has more than twenty homes or more than four floors served, and every 6 years in all other cases. You can check the exact date for your lift free of charge on the CAIB web service, using the RAE number on the plate inside the lift car. If the inspection expires, the lift must be taken out of service within 24 hours.
Almost no community of owners knows when its lift inspection is due until the letter arrives. And since Royal Decree 355/2024, this is no longer a minor oversight: if the periodic inspection falls due without being carried out, the maintenance company is obliged to take the lift out of service within 24 hours, with no leeway. In the Balearic Islands, the authorities have also been writing to owners before the due date for some time now. This guide explains how often the inspection is due depending on your building, how to find out the exact date in two minutes, which bodies can carry it out on the islands and what happens if the deadline is missed.
How often does a lift need to be inspected in the Balearic Islands?
The frequency of periodic lift inspections in the Balearic Islands depends on the building's use and size, not the age of the lift. It is set by ITC AEM 1 of Royal Decree 355/2024, which maintained the deadlines of the previous regulation and is applicable throughout Spain.
| Installation type | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Buildings for industrial use and places of public assembly | Every 2 years |
| Buildings with more than 20 dwellings or with more than 4 floors served | Every 4 years |
| Other properties (small communities, single-family homes) | Every 6 years |
One detail that confuses many communities in Mallorca: “floors served” means the floors the lift actually stops at, not the number of storeys the building has. A five-storey block whose lift starts on the first floor and stops at four floors only falls into the four-year group if it has more than twenty homes. If you are unsure which group your building falls into, do not guess: check it with the RAE number.
How to find out when your lift inspection expires using the RAE number?
You check it by entering the Lift Registration Number (RAE) into the web service of the Directorate General of Industry of the Balearic Government (CAIB). It is free, requires no login and returns the inspection frequency that applies to that particular lift. The RAE is on the identification plate inside the cabin, usually next to the button panel or on the ceiling.
The complete process consists of three steps:
- Enter the cabin and write down the RAE number on the identification plate.
- Put it in the CAIB lift registry lookup service.
- Compare the date with the certificate of the last inspection, which should be in the lift documentation kept by the community.
If you cannot find the plate, or the number does not appear in the register, it is a sign that the lift has an earlier paperwork problem —an unregistered modification, a change of ownership never notified— and it is worth sorting out before an inspection picks it up. You can write directly to the Directorate General of Industry at industria.caib.es or call 971 17 65 70.
Which inspection bodies can inspect lifts in the Balearic Islands?
The inspection can be carried out by any inspection body authorised and accredited by ENAC for the regulatory field of lifts. According to the list published by the Directorate General of Industry of the CAIB itself, these are the ones operating in the Balearic Islands:
| Inspection body | Location | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Applus Organismo de Control | ParcBit, Palma | 971 011 300 |
| Balear de Inspección y Control | Palma | 971 909 904 |
| Bureau Veritas Inspección y Testing | Son Valentí, Palma | 971 761 492 |
| Control Técnico Pitiuso | Eivissa | 971 199 109 |
| Eurocontrol | Son Castelló, Palma | 971 756 375 |
| Ingeniería de Gestión Industrial (INGEIN) | Son Fuster, Palma | 971 213 935 |
| Laboratorio de Certificaciones Vega Baja | Balearics | — |
| OCA Global Inspecciones Reglamentarias | Son Rossinyol, Palma | 971 750 695 |
| OCAMallorca | Palma | 971 904 425 |
| SCI Servicios de Control e Inspección | Son Oms, Palma | 971 226 727 |
| SGS Inspecciones Reglamentarias | Palma | 971 783 141 |
| TÜV SÜD ATISAE | Son Fuster, Palma | 971 706 191 |
The list is updated according to the accreditations of the Spanish National Accreditation Body (ENAC), so it's advisable to check the validity period before signing up. And there's one rule that admits no exceptions: the inspection cannot be contracted or carried out by the lift maintenance company. Royal Decree 355/2024 expressly prohibits this to ensure that whoever inspects the lift is not whoever maintains it. Your maintenance company can help you schedule the appointment and be present on the day of the visit, but the certificate is signed by an independent third party. In the Pitiusas, we also carry out lift modernisation in Ibiza.
What happens if the lift's periodic inspection expires?
If the inspection has not been carried out by the deadline, the maintenance company must take the lift out of service within 24 hours and notify the owner in writing. This is not a recommendation, nor is it at anyone's discretion: it is a legal requirement, and any maintenance company that fails to comply will be held liable.
The consequences go beyond the lift standing idle. A lift with an expired inspection leaves the community exposed in the event of an accident, can complicate insurance cover and constitutes an infringement of industrial safety rules, with the penalty regime set out in the Industry Act. And in a building with elderly residents or people with reduced mobility, leaving the lift out of service for weeks until an inspection body has a slot is a real problem, not an administrative one.
The way to avoid it is simple: the maintenance company is obliged to notify you three months in advance of the date it falls due. If it does not, that is a breach worth documenting in writing.
Who hires and pays for the inspection: the community or the maintenance company?
The inspection is contracted and paid for by the owner of the lift, which in a community of owners is the community itself. The cost of a periodic lift inspection in the Balearic Islands usually ranges from 100 to 250 euros, depending on the inspection body and the type of lift, and it is paid directly to the inspection body.
It's an expense that many communities discover too late because it's not included in the maintenance fee. It's wise to budget for it: if your property is inspected every four years, it's about fifty euros annually that no one misses until it arrives all at once with the bill for repairs. If your property is in Menorca, here's our service for lift maintenance in Menorca.
What documentation do I need to have prepared for the inspection?
The inspection body will request four things on the day of the visit, and failure to have them may require a repeat inspection:
- The RAE number of the lift and its legible identification plate.
- The technical file of the lift: project, declaration of conformity and documentation of modifications if any.
- The certificate of the last periodic inspection, with the previous defects corrected and justified.
- The maintenance log up to date, signed by the maintenance company.
That record is the one most likely to be missing. If your maintenance company doesn't keep a written record of each visit, you have a latent problem that will surface during the inspection. It's one of the points that should be reviewed when choosing a lift company in Mallorca.
What does Annex VII require of older lifts and what is the deadline?
Annex VII of Royal Decree 355/2024 requires specific safety measures to be added to existing lifts, and the deadline for each one starts counting when the periodic inspection finds that it is missing: one year for the door detector, two-way communication or load control, and three to ten years to replace old guide rails and counterweights. Lifts listed as historical heritage are dealt with separately.
It mainly affects lifts installed decades ago, of which there are many in Mallorca: buildings in Palma's Eixample district, blocks from the 1960s and 70s in Inca or Manacor, hotels with their original lifts. The periodic inspections over the next few years will gradually point out which measures each lift is missing, and that certificate is the best guide for planning the investment. Many communities take the opportunity to carry out a complete modernisation of lifts in Mallorca instead of patching defect by defect, which usually costs more and leaves the lift just as old.
Frequently asked questions about periodic lift inspections in the Balearic Islands
How often is a lift inspected in a residential building in Mallorca?
Every four years if the building has more than twenty homes or the lift serves more than four floors, and every six years in smaller buildings. This is the frequency set by ITC AEM 1 of Royal Decree 355/2024 according to the use and size of the building, not the age of the lift. You can find the specific date for your lift using its RAE number on the website of the General Directorate of Industry of the Balearic Islands (CAIB).
Where is the RAE number for a lift?
On the identification plate inside the cabin, usually next to the button panel, on the door frame or on the ceiling. It is a code that identifies the lift in the regional register and it is the detail you need in order to check when the inspection falls due. If the plate is missing or illegible, the maintenance company must replace it, and it is worth sorting out before the next inspection.
Can the maintenance company perform the periodic inspection of the lift?
No. Royal Decree 355/2024 expressly prohibits the periodic inspection from being contracted or carried out by the maintenance company. It must be performed by an authorised and independent inspection body, accredited by ENAC for the regulatory field of lifts. The maintenance company can coordinate the appointment and accompany the inspector, but the certificate is issued and signed by the inspection body.
What happens if the lift fails its periodic inspection?
The inspection body classifies defects as minor, serious or very serious and sets a deadline for correcting them in the certificate itself. Very serious defects mean the lift must be stopped immediately until they are put right. Serious defects allow it to stay in use but with a deadline for correction and a follow-up inspection afterwards. Minor defects are corrected in routine maintenance and verified at the next inspection.
How much does a periodic lift inspection cost in the Balearic Islands?
Between €100 and €250, depending on the inspection body, the number of stops and the type of lift. The community of owners pays it directly to the inspection body, and it is not included in the monthly maintenance fee. On top of that amount comes, where applicable, the cost of correcting any defects found in the certificate, which is work carried out by the maintenance company. In the Pitiusas, we also cover the maintenance and repair of lifts in Ibiza.
We Let You Know Before It Falls Due
An expired inspection is one of the few lift problems that can be avoided with a timely call. At Eleva Balear, we keep track of the expiration dates of the lifts we maintain, notify the community well in advance, coordinate the appointment with the inspection agency, and are present on the day of the visit to resolve any issues that may arise. We are lift company in the Balearic Islands with our own technicians and over one hundred lifts installed across the islands. If your lift inspection is due soon, or you are not sure when it falls due, call us on 971 17 81 51 and we will look at it with you. You can see what is included in our lift maintenance service throughout the Balearic Islands.
