The NSW Government has developed a range of measures to help prevent the incidence of falls from windows and balconies. These measures include:

• requiring strata schemes with residential lots to install safety devices on all windows that present a risk to young children
• allowing individual strata owners to install window safety devices regardless of their scheme’s by-laws
• changes to the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2010 to include window safety devices in the prescribed condition report for rental premises

The child window safety requirements for owners corporations commenced on 11 December 2013. If the window safety requirements have not been met by 13 March 2018, owners corporations will risk being fined.

Generally, all openable windows above the ground level that are accessible to children from inside the building must have safety devices fitted. The details of the new laws are explained in the regulations, but you can check your windows by taking two simple measurements.

An openable window will need a safety device installed if:

1. the lowest part of the window is less than 1.7m above the floor; and
2. the internal floor under the window is 2m or more above the outside surface.

The safety devices must be able to limit the maximum window opening to 12.5cm, must be robust, and must be childproof. Suitable window safety devices would include window locks or safety screens, but not ordinary insect screens.

Click here for further information from NSW Fair Trading.