Window safety locks required in apartments
To prevent a tragic incident where a child is injured or killed after falling from a window, locks are now mandatory on windows in strata buildings if a child could fall two metres or more.
Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, strata building windows must have child-proof locks:
- where the internal floor is more than two metres above the external surface outside and within a child's reach (less than 1.7 metres above the internal floor)
- to ensure the maximum window openings is less than 12.5 centimetres.
Owners' corporations will be fined up to $550 for non-compliance. Owners who obstruct an owners’ corporation can also be fined.
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said property owners and owners’ corporations have had plenty of time to install window locks to ensure their building complies with the law.
“With more people living in apartments it is vital we have the measures in place needed to keep children safe,” Mr Kean said.
“If your building should have child safety window locks, and doesn’t, you need to get that fixed straight away,” Mr Kean said.
Learn more about window safety requirements in NSW on the Fair Trading website