Condo fire safety and lifts in Malaysia (2026): what owners and tenants should know

中文 · Bahasa Melayu · Bahasa Indonesia

By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 10 November 2026

This guide is for condo owners, landlords and tenants in Johor and Malaysia, including buyers from Singapore, Indonesia, India, China and MM2H. The short answer: a condo’s fire-fighting systems and lifts are common property, so the management body must keep them in good and serviceable repair, paid for from maintenance charges and the sinking fund. Every lift needs a certificate of fitness from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), valid for 15 months. Bomba can inspect any building and order fire hazards fixed, while its yearly Fire Certificate applies only to designated premises.

Who is responsible for fire safety and lifts in a condo

Lifts, fire pumps, hose reels, alarms, fire doors and staircases are common property. The Strata Management Act 2013 (Akta Pengurusan Strata) makes whoever manages the building responsible for them:

Stage	Who manages	What it means for you
From vacant possession until the JMB is set up	Developer	The developer maintains the common property and collects charges and sinking fund.
Before strata titles are issued	Joint Management Body (Badan Pengurusan Bersama, JMB)	Must keep the building and common property “in a state of good and serviceable repair”, insure it and follow any notice from a public authority (section 21).
After strata titles are issued	Management Corporation (Perbadanan Pengurusan, MC)	The same duties (section 59).
Every stage	Parcel owners	Pay charges and sinking fund on time. If an owner or their tenant damages common property, the JMB or MC can recover the repair cost from that owner (section 21(4)).

Tenants must follow the by-laws too. For how the stages work, see my guide to strata titles in Johor Bahru.

Fire safety: what the law says, in plain English

Bomba can inspect any building and order hazards fixed

The Fire Services Act 1988 (Akta Perkhidmatan Bomba) defines a fire hazard (bahaya kebakaran) broadly: missing or faulty fire-fighting equipment, too few exits, alterations that make escape harder, overcrowding, and anything else that materially raises the risk or hampers firefighters.

For any of these, the Fire and Rescue Department (Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia, JBPM) can serve a fire-hazard abatement notice (notis mengurangkan bahaya kebakaran, MBK) on the occupier or owner under section 8. Deadlines run from 24 hours to 180 days depending on the work. Ignoring a notice can mean a fine of up to RM5,000, up to three years in prison, or both, plus RM100 for each day it continues after conviction (section 10, as reported by Malay Mail in January 2026).

From 2023 to 2025 JBPM carried out 1,537 such inspections of high-rise homes and issued 7,648 notices; its 2026 target is 850 apartment premises (Bernama, February 2026).

The Fire Certificate (Perakuan Bomba)

Section 28 of the Act requires a Fire Certificate, renewed every year, for designated premises listed in a ministerial order. A house occupied as a single private dwelling is exempt. In August 2025 JBPM said the list covers nine categories, including hospitals, hotels and factories, that 9,321 premises nationwide need a certificate, and that 2,288 of them are in Johor, with full enforcement from early 2026 (Bernama via The Sun).

Many purely residential condos are not designated: in March 2026 The Star reported that no law yet requires residential high-rises to have an emergency response team, which applies only to designated premises such as larger commercial buildings and underground car parks. In mixed developments, a retail podium, offices, hotel suites or a large basement car park can be designated. Ask the management whether any part of your building holds a Fire Certificate.

Parliament passed the Fire Services (Amendment) Bill 2025 in March 2025, and from 1 April 2027 designated premises renewing their certificate must have a fire safety manager and fire safety officers (Berita RTM, October 2026).

The fire systems a condo should have

What a building needs depends mainly on its height, under the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 (UBBL) that apply when it is approved:

System	When it is required	By-law
Portable fire extinguishers	All buildings	227
Hose reels on each floor	Placed so a hose can reach every room	225(2)
Dry riser (an empty pipe firefighters fill)	Top occupied floor more than 18 m but less than 30 m above fire engine access level	230(1)
Wet riser (a pipe kept full of water)	Top occupied floor more than 30 m up	231(1)
Fire lift with backup power, for firefighters	Top occupied floor more than 18 m up, or a basement more than 9 m below	243(1)
Fire-rated doors with self-closing devices	Protected staircases and lobbies	162 to 164
Sprinklers, hose reels, fire alarms, fire intercom and a fire control centre	Apartment buildings above 40 floors or 120 m	UBBL (Amendment) 2021

Emergency lighting and alarms must also work: the Kuala Lumpur fire director listed them with sprinklers, exit routes and fire-fighting equipment in February 2026 (Sinar Harian).

What Bomba finds most often

Bomba’s director-general told Malay Mail in January 2026 that most notices in strata buildings concern unmaintained systems or missing equipment, and that faulty lifts and water pumps are the most serious, because firefighters depend on access and water. He named unpaid maintenance charges as the main reason systems go unmaintained, along with vandalism such as stolen hose heads, pumps left on manual, and equipment locked away.

What residents can do: owners and tenants

• Keep fire doors closed and know where the nearest staircases, hose reel and extinguisher are.
• Keep corridors and stairs clear. Shoes, bicycles and boxes in an escape route are a fire hazard under the Act.
• Grilles that open from inside. JBPM advises quick-release grilles and at least one exit with no padlock or code (Bernama via FMT, September 2025). My home security guide covers this in more detail.
• Renovate with approval. Do not move fire doors or block risers (see my renovation permit guide).
• In a fire, use the stairs. Leave quickly and call 999. Do not shelter in a bathroom; officials stress that most victims die from smoke, not flames (Berita RTM, March 2026).
• Report faults in writing and pay charges on time.

Landlords should tell tenants about the building’s rules and note in the tenancy agreement who reports faults to the management; see my landlord tenancy agreement guide.

Lifts: the rules since June 2024

The Factories and Machinery Act 1967 was repealed on 1 June 2024. Lifts now come under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514), as amended in 2022, and the Occupational Safety and Health (Plant Requiring Certificate of Fitness) Regulations 2024 (P.U.(A) 99/2024), enforced by DOSH (Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan, JKKP).

Rule	What it says	Where it comes from
Certificate of fitness (perakuan kelayakan)	Every lift needs a valid certificate before it operates. It is issued after the lift passes inspection and testing.	Act 514, section 27D
Validity	15 months from the date of inspection, then a periodic inspection and a new certificate	Regulations 5 and 6
Maintenance	Owner keeps the lift safe at all times; servicing by a competent person under an agreement of at least one year	Regulation 8
Servicing frequency	DOSH says monthly servicing and a comprehensive inspection at least every three months	DOSH, September 2026
Marking and notices	Registration number displayed on the lift; a notice inside with a contact for breakdowns	Regulation 18; Thirteenth Schedule
Inspection fee	About RM650 to RM1,900 per lift, by travel distance	JKKP fee schedule for the 2024 regulations
Penalty	Operating without a valid certificate: fine up to RM100,000, jail up to one year, or both	Section 27D, as reported in September 2026

DOSH counted 83,174 registered lifts in Malaysia in July 2026. It recorded 5 lift-related accidents in 2024, 16 in 2025 and 5 in the first half of 2026 (The Star, September 2026). Hiring a maintenance company does not end the owner’s duty, and for a condo the owner is in practice the developer, JMB or MC.

Changing the maintenance company

Under JKKP’s 2026 guide, a new competent company must apply to the JKKP state office at least one month before taking over a lift’s maintenance. The guide also requires maintenance manuals and trapped-passenger rescue procedures to be handed to the owner, so ask your management whether it has them.

Old lifts, breakdowns and modernisation

A lift overhaul or replacement is one of the largest bills a condo faces, and costs vary too much by building for a reliable typical figure. What matters to owners:

• The sinking fund pays. Section 24 limits it to capital spending such as renewing or replacing fixtures and upgrading common property, which covers lift replacement. See my maintenance fee and sinking fund guide.
• Owners decide the rate. The sinking fund defaults to 10% of the charges and can be raised, but not lowered below 10%, at a general meeting (section 25(4)). A building planning lift works may need a higher rate. My guide to condo AGMs and voting explains how decisions are made.
• Alterations need approval. Changing a lift’s design requires JKKP approval, so modernisation is planned, not rushed.

Stuck in a lift? Press the alarm, call the number on the notice inside or 999, and do not force the doors.

When fire systems or lifts are not maintained

Most problems are solved by asking early and in writing. If they are not, the usual order in Johor is:

1. Write to the management. Describe the fault with dates and photos and ask for the lift’s certificate of fitness, the maintenance agreement and recent service reports.
2. Raise it at the AGM, or ask for an extraordinary general meeting if it cannot wait.
3. Go to the Commissioner of Buildings. The COB at your council (MBJB, MBIP or MPKu) supervises JMBs and MCs under the Strata Management Act.
4. File at the Strata Management Tribunal. Owners can claim against a developer, JMB or MC that fails a duty under the Act, such as repairing common property, for up to RM250,000 (section 105). A residential claim costs RM100 to file online. See my Strata Management Tribunal guide.
5. Report safety risks to the authorities. Blocked exits, missing or broken fire equipment go to Bomba; an uncertified or unsafe lift goes to the JKKP state office in Johor.

Not legal advice: confirm your situation with the COB, the tribunal or a lawyer.

Checking a condo before you buy or rent

Lift and fire-safety records show how a building is run. Check:

What to check	How	Why it matters
Lift certificate and registration number	Look inside each lift, or ask the management office	An expired certificate means the lift should not be operating
Lifts per block and breakdowns	Count them; ask residents and read the last two years of AGM minutes	Long waits and frequent breakdowns affect daily life, especially for older parents
Lift age and planned works	AGM minutes and sinking fund balance	A replacement may need a higher sinking fund rate
Bomba notices	Ask whether any were received and whether they were closed	Shows how the management responds
Fire doors, stairs, hose reels and extinguishers	Walk a staircase and one floor’s corridor	Doors should close by themselves; stairs should be clear
Maintenance arrears	Audited accounts or AGM minutes	High arrears often mean deferred maintenance
Building insurance	Ask for the policy summary	The JMB or MC must insure the building (sections 21 and 59)

My guide to checking condo management before buying lists the documents to ask for, and high floor vs low floor covers lift waits and escape routes by level. For parents, see aged care in JB; for your own unit, home insurance.

Where to buy if this matters to you

Judge each building on its own records. Area guides:

• JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: towers near the CIQ and RTS Link station.
• Mount Austin: mid-rise and high-rise condos popular with families.
• Tebrau, Setia Indah and Molek: older and newer condos; check lift age.
• Danga Bay: tall waterfront towers.
• Iskandar Puteri: newer buildings, some still under the developer or a JMB.
• Permas Jaya and Senibong: east-side condos of different ages.

Compare them on my JB property map, or weigh up condo vs landed vs SOHO if you would rather avoid lifts altogether.

More Johor living guides: Water leaks from the unit above · Maintenance fees and sinking fund · Renting out rooms in JB · Managing JB property from overseas

Frequently asked questions

Does my condo need a Bomba Fire Certificate?

Only if the building, or part of it, is a designated premises under the Fire Services Act 1988. The list covers categories such as hospitals, hotels and factories, and the certificate is renewed yearly. Many purely residential condos are not on it, but mixed developments can have designated parts, so ask the management. Bomba can inspect any building.

Who pays to repair or replace condo lifts?

All owners, through the management. Lifts are common property, so routine servicing comes out of the maintenance charges and major replacement or upgrading usually comes out of the sinking fund, which must be at least 10% of the charges under the Strata Management Act 2013.

How long is a lift certificate of fitness valid in Malaysia?

Fifteen months from the date of inspection, under the Occupational Safety and Health (Plant Requiring Certificate of Fitness) Regulations 2024, in force since 1 June 2024. The lift is then inspected again and a new certificate issued if it passes.

What can I do if my condo’s lifts keep breaking down?

Report each breakdown to the management in writing, ask for the certificate of fitness and maintenance records, and raise it at the AGM. If nothing happens, go to the Commissioner of Buildings, the Strata Management Tribunal, or the DOSH state office for an unsafe or uncertified lift.

What happens if management ignores a Bomba fire hazard notice?

Bomba gives a deadline, from 24 hours to 180 days depending on the work. Failing to comply is an offence under the Fire Services Act 1988, with a fine of up to RM5,000, up to three years in prison, or both, plus RM100 for each day it continues after conviction.

Should I use the lift during a fire?

No. Use the stairs. Ordinary lifts can stop when power fails, and fire lifts are for firefighters.

Buying or renting a condo in Johor Bahru?

Tell me which buildings you are considering. Before you commit, I check the lift and fire-safety records with the management, through the seller where needed, and we look at the lifts, fire doors and staircases together on viewings. You can also book an appointment, or a Zoom consultation if you are still abroad.

Sources: Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), section 21 (duties of the JMB), checked November 2026; Act 757, section 24 (sinking fund account), checked November 2026; Act 757, section 25 (charges and sinking fund contributions), checked November 2026; Act 757, section 59 (duties of the MC), checked November 2026; Act 757, section 105 (tribunal jurisdiction), checked November 2026; KPKT, Soalan Lazim Tribunal Pengurusan Strata, updated 9 July 2025; MBJB, Info MBJB (Bahagian Pesuruhjaya Bangunan), June 2018; Fire Services Act 1988 (Act 341), sections 2, 8, 10 and 28, reprint to 1 January 2006 (copy hosted by Universiti Malaya), checked November 2026; The Sun (Bernama), “Full fire certificate enforcement for designated premises starts 2026”, 7 August 2025; The Star, “Onus on owners to adopt fire safety measures”, 6 March 2025; Berita RTM, “Pemilik bangunan diwajibkan lantik FSM, FSO mulai 1 April 2027”, 6 October 2026; Malay Mail, “Nearly half of strata properties fail fire safety checks”, 25 January 2026; Malay Mail, on unpaid maintenance fees and fire risk in strata buildings, 24 January 2026; Malay Mail, “From hose reels to risers: Fire safety systems every condo resident should know”, 26 January 2026; Bernama, deputy housing minister on high-rise fire safety enforcement, 24 February 2026; Sinar Harian, on fire safety in strata high-rises in Kuala Lumpur, 12 February 2026; The Star, “Residents must take fire safety lead”, 31 March 2026; Berita RTM, “Peningkatan kebakaran bangunan strata membimbangkan”, 9 March 2026; Bernama via FMT, “Permanent grilles: safety barrier or fatal trap?”, 22 September 2025; Occupational Safety and Health (Plant Requiring Certificate of Fitness) Regulations 2024, P.U.(A) 99/2024, regulations 5, 6, 8 and 18 (copy hosted by UPSI), in force 1 June 2024; JKKP, FAQ on the Factories and Machinery (Repeal) Act 2022, 18 May 2024; JKKP, fee schedule for the 2024 certificate of fitness regulations, published February 2025; JKKP, Panduan Ambil Alih Senggaraan Lif, Eskalator dan Laluan Gerak 2026, March 2026; JKKP, guide to approval for lift design alterations, August 2025; The Star, “Keep lifts in working order” (DOSH), 11 September 2026; MyGOV, MERS 999 emergency line, updated 21 October 2026

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 10 November 2026, not legal advice. Fire safety and lift laws are changing; confirm with the Commissioner of Buildings at your council, Bomba, the JKKP (DOSH) state office or a lawyer before you act.