Fire audit, lift licence and structural audit for housing societies
Fire audit and Form B, lift licence and yearly inspection, structural audit cycles and water tanks: a safety guide for Maharashtra housing societies.
Updated 2026-09-23
Safety compliance is the part of running a society that nobody notices until something goes wrong. A fire in a lobby full of shoe racks, a lift that has not been inspected in years, a slab that gives way: in each case the first question will be what the committee did. Three separate laws set the duties: the Fire Act, the Lifts Act and the society’s own bye-laws.
This guide sets out what each requires, and in what cycle.
Fire safety: Form B in January and July
The Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act 2006 makes the owner or occupier do two things:
- provide the fire-fighting and life-safety systems the building’s fire approval requires;
- keep them “in good repair and efficient condition at all times” (s.3(1)).
Section 3(3) requires a certificate from a Licensed Agency that the systems are maintained. This is Form B, and it must be furnished twice a year, in January and July, to the Chief Fire Officer.
In practice the society hires a licensed agency. The agency tests the extinguishers, hydrants, pumps, sprinklers and alarms, fixes the defects and issues the certificate, which the society files with the fire authority. SocietyAxis diarises Form B for buildings of 15 metres and above. Whether the local fire authority insists on it for low-rise buildings varies, so confirm with your Chief Fire Officer.
Penalties and inspections
- The Chief Fire Officer may inspect after three hours’ notice (s.5).
- The officer may serve a notice to comply (s.6), and may seal the premises if the notice is ignored (s.8).
- Failing to provide and maintain fire systems is an offence under s.36, punishable with imprisonment and fines.
Residential buildings taller than 70 metres also need a two-yearly Fire and Life Safety Audit by a licensed auditor (s.45A, inserted in 2023).
Keep escape routes clear
Staircases, landings, corridors, lift lobbies and refuge areas are escape routes. BL 168(a) of the 2014 bye-laws bars members from occupying them for their own use. The draft 2026 bye-laws forbid obstructing fire exits and refuge areas (dBL 174). BL 75(c) requires a periodic fire audit and a record of it.
Lift licence and yearly lift inspection
The Maharashtra Lifts, Escalators and Moving Walks Act 2017 sets these rules:
- Licence: a lift needs a licence to work it, valid for 20 years. Before expiry the owner applies for renewal, granted for up to five years at a time, subject to proper maintenance (s.8). No lift may be worked except under its licence (s.11).
- Yearly inspection: every lift must be inspected by the Electrical Inspector (Lifts) at least once a year (s.17(1)).
- Maintenance contract: a contract with an approved lift contractor is compulsory (s.18).
- Accidents: an accident that caused, or could have caused, injury or death must be reported to the Inspector. The lift must not be touched or restarted without the Inspector’s written permission (s.15).
- Insurance: third-party insurance for passengers is required (s.23).
BL 75(d) and dBL 75(c) require periodic inspection and a record. Lift costs are shared equally by the flats in the building the lift serves, whether or not the occupants use it (BL 66).
Structural audit cycles
BL 75(a)–(b) of the 2014 bye-laws set the structural audit cycle by building age:
| Building age | Structural audit |
|---|---|
| 15 to 30 years | once every 5 years |
| More than 30 years | once every 3 years |
In municipal corporation areas the audit must be done by an engineer on the corporation’s panel. Elsewhere, a Government-approved structural engineer or architect does it. The society keeps the record.
The draft 2026 bye-laws add that the committee appoints the engineer with the general body’s prior approval. The report goes to the general body, which decides the repairs, and the records are kept permanently (dBL 75(a), 138). That is draft text. Municipal law may add its own requirements, such as a structural stability certificate for old buildings when the corporation calls for one.
Water tanks and emergency planning
Overhead and underground water tanks, pumps and external pipelines are society repairs (BL 158). No statute fixes a cleaning interval. The common municipal advice is twice a year by a registered contractor, with one cleaning before the monsoon. Record each cleaning and keep tank lids locked.
BL 159 requires insurance of the building and an emergency plan that is discussed at the general body and displayed on the notice board. The draft bye-laws expand this into a plan reviewed every year (dBL 162).
Safety compliance checklist
- Form B from a licensed agency filed in January and in July.
- Fire-audit defects fixed and entered in the register.
- Staircases, lobbies and refuge areas kept clear; written notices to offenders.
- Lift licence number and expiry noted; renewal applied for well before expiry.
- Yearly lift inspection by the Electrical Inspector (Lifts); report on file.
- Lift AMC with an approved contractor; passenger insurance current.
- Structural audit date and next due date tracked by building age.
- Audit report placed before the general body; repairs decided and recorded.
- Water tanks cleaned twice a year, with records.
- Building insurance renewed; emergency plan displayed.
What the law says
- Fire Act 2006 ss.3(1), 3(3), 5, 6, 8, 36, 45A: maintenance, Form B in January and July, inspection, notice, sealing, penalties, high-rise audit.
- Lifts Act 2017 ss.8, 11, 15, 17(1), 18, 23: 20-year licence, renewal of up to 5 years, yearly inspection, compulsory maintenance contract, accidents, insurance.
- BL 66, 75, 158, 159, 168 (2014): lift charges, the structural, fire and lift audit duties, tanks, insurance and emergency plan, common areas.
- dBL 75, 138, 162, 174 (draft 2026): general-body approval of structural audits, permanent records, yearly emergency plan, clear escape routes. These are draft only.
Confirm local requirements with your municipal fire and building departments. For the lift licence, check with the Electrical Inspector (Lifts).
More questions on fire, lifts and safety are answered on the fire, lift and safety FAQ page.
Sources
- Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act 2006 (India Code)
- Maharashtra Lifts, Escalators and Moving Walks Act 2017 (India Code)
- Model Bye-laws of Co-operative Housing Societies 2014, flat-owner type (official PDF)
- Draft Model Bye-laws 2026 for housing societies (official draft PDF)
General information, not legal advice. Your society's registered bye-laws may differ; for a dispute or a decision with legal or financial consequences, consult the Registrar's office, an advocate or a chartered accountant.