Stairlifts in Condominiums: Rules and Installation

When a lift cannot be built in a condominium for reasons of space or cost, the stairlift and the platform lift become the most concrete alternative for overcoming stairs. These devices follow the run of the flight and carry a person with reduced motor capacity. Their installation is facilitated by Law 13/1989 and technically governed by Decree 236/1989, with reduced meeting majorities and, in certain cases, the possibility for a single owner to act at their own expense.

Difference between platform and seat stairlift

Decree 236/1989 defines the stairlift as equipment with a loading unit fitted to carry people with reduced or impaired motor capacity, running along the side of a staircase or inclined plane, driven by an electric motor and bound to one or more guide rails. In common language two types are distinguished: the platform for those who remain in the wheelchair, and the seat stairlift for those who can sit down. The platform stairlift is designed precisely for the wheelchair, while the seat version suits those who walk with difficulty.

The choice depends on the person's needs and the geometry of the staircase. Curved flights require a custom-shaped rail, while straight flights allow simpler and less expensive solutions.

Technical requirements of Decree 236/1989

To comply, the stairlift and the platform lift must guarantee the safety of the user and of those using the staircase. The regulation requires protective devices and a footprint compatible with emergency transit.

• Anti-fall, anti-crushing and anti-impact systems on board the unit
• Hold-to-run controls that stop immediately when the button is released
• Sufficient remaining stair width for passage and safe evacuation
• Folding platform or seat so the staircase is not obstructed when at rest
• Signals and end stops that halt the unit at the ends of the rail

A sensitive point is compliance with fire-prevention rules: the stairlift at rest must not reduce the usable escape width beyond the permitted limits. For this reason the project must be assessed case by case by a qualified technician.

The resolution at the meeting

Installing a stairlift is an improvement aimed at removing architectural barriers. It therefore falls among the facilitated works of the second paragraph of Article 1120 of the Italian Civil Code and is approved with the majority of those present representing at least half the value of the building. The higher majority for ordinary improvements is not required, precisely because the law considers these works of social utility and not discretionary.

The meeting must nonetheless verify that the equipment does not make the staircase unusable for the other owners and does not impair safety. A stairlift that excessively narrows the passage could be lawfully denied, but only if no less invasive alternative exists.

When the individual owner decides

If the meeting refuses or does not resolve within three months of the written request, the owner with a disability may install the stairlift at their own expense under Article 2 of Law 13/1989, respecting the limits of Articles 1120 and 1121 of the Italian Civil Code. Case law has recognised this right even when the equipment occupies common parts, provided their use remains guaranteed to the other owners.

Cost allocation

If the work is resolved for common benefit, the cost follows the criteria of Article 1124 of the Italian Civil Code, which allocates the cost of stairs and connected equipment half by thousandths (millesimi) of ownership and half according to floor height. If instead the equipment is built by the individual at their own expense, the cost remains their own, subject to the others' right to later ask to use it by contributing pro rata, under Article 1121.

Maintenance and inspections

The stairlift, like any people-lifting equipment, requires periodic maintenance by a qualified firm, with a log of interventions and checks of the safety devices. The manager must schedule the inspections and keep the reports, because in the event of an accident the liability for custody of the equipment falls on the condominium if the work is common.

Coordinating resolutions, allocations under Article 1124 and maintenance deadlines is easier with management software. AmministraPro calculates the allocation of the equipment costs, keeps the schedule of inspections and stores contracts and reports: the features are on /funzioni and the plans for managers and firms on /prezzi.