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The state government is currently consulting on new minimum rental standards that largely target energy efficiency, but also include important safety updates.
Currently in Victoria, blinds that have been installed in any property after 2010 must have their cords secured with either a cord guide or cleat and anchored to a wall or structure. Under the new proposals, blind cords in rentals would be required to meet the modern safety standards no matter when they had been installed.
The new regulation would apply to all rental properties from 30 October 2025 with no exemptions.
In the meantime, rental reforms introduced in 2021 made a provision for renters to be allowed to instal blind or cord anchors without asking permission from their landlord.
Victoria currently also provides free blind cord safety kits to help state residents modify older fixtures. They are available through the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.
Victorian woman Kerrie Shearer has led the campaign to close the loophole that allows unsafe blinds to be present in rental properties. Her grandson, Lincoln, was killed while playing with a blind cord on the windowsill of an unfamiliar rental property.
Victorian Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gabrielle Williams, commented that the reform was necessary “to prevent these tragic accidents happening again. One death is too many, and the safety of children is non-negotiable”.
She described the change as “a small thing rental providers can do to make a big difference to the safety of their properties”.
Melanie Courtney, CEO of Kidsafe Victoria, welcomed the effort, stating it would “help to ensure that Victorian children are kept safe in rental homes and that no other family has to experience the devastating loss of a child from such a preventable injury”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
