Man Builds Private Elevator to Apartment in China to Stop Complaining Son-in-Law

The apartment resident, surnamed is Xiong, wasn’t bothered with making his way up to his own apartment in a seven story building in Chongqing.

However, Xiong’s son-in-law constantly complained to him about getting “too tired” whenever he had to go all the way up the 6th floor to visit him.

In order to address his son-in-law’s dilemma, Xiong planned to build a personal elevator to his apartment in 2016.

The personal lift might have solved the problems of Xiong’s son-in-law, but it’s now garnering some criticism after neighbors started referring to it as the “dumbest elevator,” according to South China Morning Post.

While residents in older buildings that don’t have elevators are legally allowed to install personal lifts, they would still the require approval from local planning authorities before doing so.

Xiong’s personal elevator was completed several months ago before he went through the process of asking permission, according to Shanghaiist. Local authorities are now deciding whether or not to remove the personal elevator from the premises.

The elevator truly is a private lift since its entrance can only be accessed from the ground floor. Those who use the elevator can only enter the complex through one opening in the building found on the 6th floor leading straight to Xiong’s apartment doors.

City regulations during the 1980s and 1990s didn’t consider elevators to be mandatory even when it came to high-rise buildings, according to Zhou Yunxu, a local planning bureau official.

Most older buildings utilized stairs, which could be cumbersome for people who live on the top floors.