Who keeps a finished building safe?
Once a building has its commissioning act, safety passes from the developer to the people who own and run the common parts. In a block of flats that is the homeowners' association, often with a management company. The association owns the lift as common property, so the lift duties below fall on it, and through it on you.
This checklist covers lifts, fire protection, gas and cameras in any Georgian city. The structure is covered by our guides to the earthquake building code and earthquake safety in Tbilisi; heating by the page on heating in a new apartment.
What does Georgian law require for a lift?
Three government resolutions apply to every fixed lift with a rated load of 180 kg or more, whatever the city or the age of the building.
| Duty | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Registration | Entered in the state register of objects of increased technical danger before first use (Res. 446, Art. 9; Res. 317) |
| Maintenance | Servicing by a properly qualified operator, arrangements for freeing trapped passengers, a repair log (Res. 446, Art. 3 and 6) |
| Annual tests | Static and dynamic tests every year, per the maker's documentation (Res. 446, Art. 5(2)) |
| State inspection | Scheduled technical inspection every third year; lifts are risk category III (Res. 173, Art. 3(5) as reworded by Res. 383 of 30 July 2015) |
The owner of the lift arranges all four. Resolution No 446 took effect on 1 January 2014, and the Legislative Herald lists no amendment to it. How the association decides and pays is in our guide to the homeowners' association.
Can you look up a lift in the state register?
Not online, as far as we could find on 3 November 2026. Under Resolution No 317 the register is kept by the Technical and Construction Supervision Agency, and in Adjara and Abkhazia by the autonomous republic's authorised body, so a Batumi lift appears to be registered in Adjara; a lawyer can confirm. Each entry records the owner, the lift's data and location, the inspections carried out and any accidents.
So ask the association or manager for three papers: the registration number, the last three-yearly inspection report and the latest annual test record. The rules we read require no inspection sticker in the cabin, and a sticker does not replace the report.
What can you check inside the lift at a viewing?
- Capacity plate. Clearly visible, with the load in kg and the maximum number of passengers.
- Maker's plate. Manufacturer, type, serial number and year of manufacture. The year shows how old the machine is, whatever the age of the building.
- Alarm and light. A two-way link to a rescue service and an emergency light, both working without mains power. Older lifts whose maker never provided these may be exempt.
- Doors. A lift that moves with a landing door open or unlocked has a critical non-conformity of grade I under Resolution No 446: report it and do not ride it.
Add these to the wider list in our apartment handover checklist.
How old are Georgia's lifts, and who replaces them?
There is no published official figure for registered lifts or for the share that fails inspection. The director of one inspection body, quoted by Publika on 21 June 2023, estimated about 15,000 lifts in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi and Rustavi, mostly old Soviet models, put an inspection at about GEL 200-300 per lift and said the three-yearly inspection rarely happens in practice. That is one expert's view, not a statistic.
On 14 January 2023 a couple died in a lift pit in Vazisubani, Tbilisi; on 15 February 2023 a lift collapsed in a residential block on Agmashenebeli Avenue in Batumi, injuring three people. In June 2025 Tbilisi City Hall reported that around 2,000 lifts had been replaced under its GEL 285 million programme for associations, without giving the period. On 25 September 2025 the mayor pledged that within four years no lift in the city would remain in emergency condition; that is a pledge, not a result. Batumi's cost split is on our page about the homeowners' association as a term.
Our conclusion from the Legislative Herald: the accidents changed how the city pays, but the national lift rules are unchanged since 2015.
Which fire rules apply to your building?
Two resolutions are in force side by side:
- Design and construction: Resolution No 41 of 28 January 2016 on building safety rules, in force since 1 January 2017 and amended many times; the latest consolidated version is dated 4 September 2026. It covers buildings of Class III, IV and V.
- Use and upkeep: Resolution No 370 of 23 July 2015 on fire safety rules and conditions, last amended on 28 March 2025. It binds everyone, including owners of older and smaller buildings.
The key date is 16 November 2017. Under Article 2(2) of Resolution No 41, the current design rules do not apply to a building whose architectural project was agreed or applied for, or whose permit was issued, before that day and which was not yet commissioned, unless the applicant asked for the more favourable new rules. Ask which edition the permit followed. Our page on Batumi high-rises covers towers in more depth.
Does a residential tower need sprinklers?
A building is high-rise when an occupied floor is more than 23 m above the lowest level a fire engine can reach. Most high-rises then need sprinklers throughout, but Resolution No 180 of 2 April 2019 added an exception for apartment buildings.
| Highest occupied floor above fire-engine access | What the current rules require |
|---|---|
| More than 23 m | Smokeproof exit stairs, smoke detection, fire alarm, standpipes, voice alarm, smoke removal, standby and emergency power |
| Up to 37 m | No building-wide sprinkler system required |
| More than 37 m | Sprinklers in the building, a fire command centre and at least two firefighter lifts |
| Inside the flats of a high-rise | Sprinklers not required until 1 April 2028 |
| More than 130 m | An extra exit stair, but only for non-residential buildings such as hotels and offices |
So a block with no corridor sprinklers can be legal if no occupied floor is above 37 m, and in a taller tower heads inside the flats are not required before 1 April 2028. Resolution No 131 of 30 March 2023 moved that date from 2023 to 2028. If a developer advertises sprinklers, ask where the heads are.
Should the flat have smoke and CO alarms?
In an apartment building designed under the current Resolution No 41, yes. Section 907.2.11 requires smoke alarms outside each sleeping area, in every bedroom and on every storey of the flat, interconnected where there are several, and in new construction mains-powered with battery backup. Section 908.7 requires a carbon monoxide alarm to UL 2034 in flats of buildings with fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage; a building-wide CO detection system is an accepted alternative.
The Georgian wording of the CO exceptions is unclear, so ask a fire engineer whether a flat without its own boiler is covered. On our reading, a flat with a gas boiler in a building permitted after 16 November 2017 should have one. At the viewing, count the smoke alarms, press one test button to see whether the others sound, and look for a CO alarm near the boiler.
Is the facade allowed to burn?
Section 1406.2.1 of Resolution No 41 limits combustible coverings on exterior walls of construction types I to IV: no higher than 12 m above the ground, about four storeys on our estimate, or 18 m for fire-retardant-treated wood. Where the fire separation distance is 1.5 m or less, they may cover no more than 10% of the wall. Section 1407 requires metal composite panels to pass a full-scale facade fire test (NFPA 285) or stay within alternative limits ending at 23 m. Ask the developer for the facade specification and fire test certificates, and have a fire engineer read them.
Which everyday habits break the fire rules?
Resolution No 370 forbids, among other things:
- Fire doors wedged open or stripped of their closers, unless held by a device that releases in a fire.
- Storage in lift halls, on landings and stairs or under the flights; flammable liquids, gas cylinders or fireworks in basements and attics.
- Air-conditioner outdoor units in staircases, and glazing the open-air passage into a smoke-free stair.
- Fixed window bars that cannot be opened on rooms where people stay.
- Switching off fire alarms, sprinklers, smoke control or voice warning except for maintenance; a faulty detector loop may be bypassed for no more than 5 days.
Under Article 177 of the Code of Administrative Offences (consolidated text of 13 October 2026), the general fine is GEL 500; breaches on escape routes, exits, sprinklers, alarms, warning and smoke control cost GEL 1,000-5,000, and a repeat after such a fine GEL 2,000-7,000. Resolution No 370 (Art. 11(1)) puts the duty to keep systems working on the heads of the object, which appears to mean the association or its manager, but a lawyer should confirm. An aparthotel run as a hotel must post evacuation plans in Georgian and English in each room (Resolution No 370, Art. 15(2)); we found no such duty for ordinary flats.
How are gas boilers and cookers checked?
Article 6 of GNERC Resolution No 12 of 9 July 2009, the natural gas supply and consumption rules, sets the checks:
- Before a new or repaired appliance is used, the customer must have its connection checked by the gas distributor, which must do so on request.
- The distributor must refuse or cut supply if the flat's internal network is faulty or a boiler, water heater or cooker lacks conformity papers and technical documentation.
- It may inspect without notice, and supply returns only after it has checked the meter and the system.
We found no fixed interval for routine household gas inspections. These rules lose force on 1 January 2027, when the Natural Gas Retail Market Rules adopted by GNERC Resolution No 60 of 28 December 2021 take over. Their original text has no comparable appliance-check article; we have not reviewed GNERC's network rules. We found no national rule making a gas leak detector mandatory in flats. Ask for the distributor's connection check and each appliance's conformity papers.
Who may put cameras in the entrance?
Under Article 10(6) of the Law of Georgia on Personal Data Protection, in force since 1 March 2024, monitoring a residential building's common entrance or common space needs the written consent of more than half of the owners. A sign with a camera symbol and the controller's name and contacts is required. Breaches bring a warning or a fine of GEL 1,000, or GEL 2,000 for a business with annual turnover above GEL 500,000 (Art. 69).
Ask who the controller is and whether the written consent exists. Who gives consent while the developer still owns most flats is unclear; ask a lawyer. Cameras inside a flat are covered in our guide to remote property management.
What can you find publicly, and what must you ask for?
| Item | Public? | Ask whom |
|---|---|---|
| Owner, and registration of the flat after commissioning | Yes, Public Registry extract | - |
| Tbilisi permit and commissioning decisions | Yes, in the Tbilisi Architecture Service decision search | - |
| Lift and fire-system test acts at commissioning | No | Developer |
| Lift registration number, inspection report, annual tests | No public search found | Association or manager |
| Fire inspection results | No public register found | Association or manager |
| Sprinkler, alarm and generator service records | No | Association or manager |
| Facade materials and fire tests | No | Developer |
| Gas connection check, appliance papers | No | Seller or gas distributor |
| Camera controller and owners' consent | Sign only | Association or management company |
| Association debts | Over GEL 500 they can be registered on the flat | Association |
These papers sit alongside the 20 questions in our guide on how to check a developer. Their upkeep is paid from the building maintenance fee; the yearly total is in the cost of owning an apartment.
Risks and exceptions
- Assuming every tower has the 2017 systems. A project agreed or permitted before 16 November 2017 may follow older rules.
- Reading "sprinklers" as sprinklers in your flat. In apartment high-rises they are not required in flats until 1 April 2028.
- Taking a new lift for an inspected one. Registration, annual tests and the three-yearly inspection are separate duties.
Frequently asked questions
How often must a lift be inspected in Georgia?
A scheduled technical inspection every third year, plus static and dynamic tests every year and continuous qualified maintenance.
Do apartment towers need sprinklers?
Throughout only when an occupied floor is more than 37 m above fire-engine access; inside the flats of high-rises not until 1 April 2028.
Is a smoke alarm required in a new flat?
Under the current design rules, yes: in each bedroom, outside sleeping areas and on every storey, interconnected and mains-powered with battery backup.
Is a gas leak detector mandatory?
We found no national rule requiring one in flats. A CO alarm is required in flats of newer buildings with fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage.
Sources
- Government Resolution No 446 on the safe operation of lifts, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 31 December 2013 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Government Resolution No 173 on inspection of objects of increased technical danger, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 10 July 2013 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Government Resolution No 383 amending Resolution No 173, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 30 July 2015 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Government Resolution No 317 on the register of objects of increased technical danger, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 31 July 2012 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Government Resolution No 41, Building Safety Rules (consolidated 4 September 2026), Legislative Herald of Georgia, 28 January 2016 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Government Resolution No 370 on fire safety rules and conditions, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 23 July 2015 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Government Resolution No 131 amending Resolution No 41, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 30 March 2023 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Code of Administrative Offences of Georgia, Article 177 (consolidated 13 October 2026), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 3 November 2026)
- GNERC Resolution No 12, natural gas supply and consumption rules, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 9 July 2009 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- GNERC Resolution No 60, Natural Gas Retail Market Rules, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 28 December 2021 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Personal Data Protection (consolidated 10 June 2026), Legislative Herald of Georgia, 14 June 2023 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- No one knows when dangerous lifts will fall, Publika, 21 June 2023 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Two people die in elevator pit, First Channel, 14 January 2023 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Three injured in Batumi as elevator collapses, Front News, 15 February 2023 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- GEL 1.815 bln spent on Tbilisi infrastructure projects, BM.ge, 23 June 2025 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Kaladze: no emergency lift in the capital within four years, Front News, 25 September 2025 (accessed 3 November 2026)
Change log
- - Checklist published from the lift, fire safety, gas supply and personal data rules in the Legislative Herald, the Code of Administrative Offences and news reports.