Why Lifts Suddenly Jerk in High-Rise Buildings — And Why Residents Should Never Ignore It

Almost everyone living in a high-rise has experienced the jerks during the lift ride, at least once. You enter the lift, press your floor, and suddenly the cabin gives a sharp jerk while starting or stopping. Sometimes it feels like the lift briefly drops before stabilising. Most residents ignore it/complaint it and move on with their daily chores.

But repeated jerks in an elevator are not “normal.”

These are usually an early warning sign that something inside the system needs attention. In residential societies across the country, lift complaints are among the most common technical issues reported by residents. Unfortunately, many RWA or technical teams only address the problems temporarily instead of identifying the root cause behind it.

And when maintenance or preventive maintenance is delayed, repeatedly, the risks becomes serious.

What Causes Sudden Jerks in The Elevators?

Modern lifts are highly engineered systems with multiple moving and electronic components working together in tandem. Even a small fault can affect ride the quality.

1. Worn-Out Guide Rails

Lift cabins move vertically on guide rails installed inside the shaft.

Over time:

. Dust builds up on these rails

. Lubrication reduces due to heat or usage

. Alignment shifts slightly with due time

. Metal surfaces wear unevenly

When the lift cabin moves across these rough or misaligned sections, passengers feel vibration or sudden movement.

This issue is especially common in older residential towers where maintenance schedules are irregular.

2. Brake System Problems

Elevators use electromagnetic braking systems to stop smoothly at each floor.

If:

. Brake pads wear out due to usage

. Oil contaminates components in contact

. Brake release becomes sluggish over time

The lift may stop unevenly or produce a sudden bounce effect as a result of the above conditions. Residents often describe these instances as a “drop feeling” during landing.

3. Overloading the Lift

Most residential lifts are designed for a fixed weight limit, which is mentioned inside the lift. However, overload problems are common during:

. Move In/ Move out or Shifting activity

. Furniture movement

. Festival gatherings

. Delivery movement

Over time, repeated overloading affects:

. Sensors

. Braking systems

. Motor efficiency

. Calibration settings

In some cases, faulty load sensors also misread weight, causing abnormal acceleration or stopping behaviour.

4. Software or Control System Faults

Modern elevators are controlled by electronic drives and software systems. If parameters drift or a fault develops in the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD), the lift may behave erratically:

. Overshoot the door opening slightly

. Correct itself abruptly

. Stops unevenly

. Accelerate irregularly

Residents experience these as jerking or sudden cabin movement. These problems usually require specialised technical diagnostics — not just routine cleaning or resetting. The OEM needs to be duly informed.

5. Rope and Pulley Wear

Traction lifts use steel ropes and pulleys that gradually wear with usage.

As ropes stretch over time:

. Movement becomes uneven

. Traction reduces

. Motor load increases

This creates inconsistent lift movement, particularly during starting and stopping.

6. Poor Lubrication

Sometimes the issue is surprisingly simple. Guide rail lubrication is a basic preventive maintenance task to be undertaken, but in many buildings it is either delayed or poorly executed.

Dry rails increase friction, which creates vibration and uneven movement inside the cabin.

Regular lubrication alone can solve many ride-quality issues before they become major repairs.

Why Lift Jerks Should Never Be Ignored

Many societies make the mistake of treating lift jerks as a minor inconveniences.

But repeated instability usually means:

. A component is wearing out

. Calibration is off

. Preventive maintenance is overdue

. Safety margins are reducing

Ignoring these warning signs increases both safety risk and repair costs later.

In several lift-related accidents reported across India over the years, investigations often pointed toward delayed maintenance, incomplete servicing, or lack of proper oversight.

Who Is Responsible for Lift Safety in Residential Societies?

Many residents assume the lift company or the OEM alone is responsible. In reality, responsibility is shared between:

. The lift AMC vendor

. The RWA

. The facility management company

Once a building is handed over by the builder, operational responsibility generally shifts to the society management and the appointed FM partner.

That includes:

. Ensuring maintenance schedules are followed

. Keeping service records up-to-date

. Responding to the complaints

. Monitoring vendor performance

. Conducting safety checks

Why Basic AMC Visits Are Often Not Enough

Many lift vendors operate on a routine monthly visit model.

The technician:

. Arrives

. Performs standard checks

. Resets faults

. Signs the logbook

. Leaves

But high-rise societies need much deeper oversight today. A professional FM company monitors:

. Complaint patterns, a trend analysis helps using FM software like E-More

. Repeat failures in the same lift, needs a closer look

. If Downtime frequency is increasing, the same needs to be noted and conveyed.

. Spare replacement history

. Emergency response time when stuck should be checked every month

. Safety compliance records

Instead of waiting for breakdowns, the focus shifts toward prevention.

How Professional FM Companies Improve Lift Safety

1. Scheduled Preventive Maintenance

Modern FM systems track maintenance schedules digitally to ensure:

. No servicing cycle is missed, Internal audits help resolve this.

. Inspections happen on time, by adhering to an inspection calendar.

. Records remain accessible to the RWA and FM company higher ups or the Operational Excellence teams

. Escalations are documented with date and resolution undertaken.

This creates accountability across the entire maintenance chain.

2. Faster Complaint Escalation

When residents report:

. Jerking

. Strange sounds

. Delayed door opening

. Sudden stoppage

…the issue should not disappear into a complaint register. Professional FM teams tracks such complaints actively until closure and escalate repeat issues to senior technical teams where required. In most cases, OEM should be looped in.

3. Better Emergency Response

If a resident gets trapped inside a lift, response time matters enormously.

A trained FM agency ensures:

. Immediate communication with trapped passengers, by the tower security guard

. Fast technician dispatch from the technical team

Panic which sets in first, usually reduces when residents know that help is on its way.

What RWAs Should Check in Lift AMC Contracts

Many societies renew lift contracts without reviewing the actual coverage.

RWAs should always verify:

. Visit frequency of the technicians

. Emergency response timelines shared

. Spares coverage and warranty

. Breakdown support availability, is it day time or 24*7

. Digital maintenance records are available digitally or hard copy

. Penalty clauses for delays in spares or resolution

. Licensing and certifications from Govt. entity

A cheaper AMC often becomes more expensive later through repeated breakdowns and downtime.

Warning Signs Residents Should Report Immediately

Residents should never ignore:

. Sudden jerks

. Burning smell

. Unusual vibration

. Lift stopping above or below floor level

. Door closing issues

. Strange noises

. Frequent breakdowns

Early reporting helps prevent larger failures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lift AMC mandatory in India?

Lift regulations vary by state, but many states now require structured maintenance practices and safety compliance for elevators.

Regular AMC support is increasingly becoming essential for both safety and liability protection.

What should residents do if trapped inside a lift?

. Stay calm and breathe. Lifts are always ventilated

. Use the alarm or intercom to speak and identify the lift you are stuck in

. Avoid forcing doors open

. Most lifts have ARD, when electricity goes away, ARD helps in stopping to the nearest floor and doors open.

Most Modern elevators include multiple safety mechanisms, and panic usually creates bigger risks than the stoppage itself.