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Window safety in your council home

If your council home is above the ground floor, your windows must have restrictors fitted. These safety devices limit how far a window can open and help prevent falls.  

Open windows can be a hazard for unsupervised children and vulnerable adults.

How to replace missing or broken restrictors  

If you’re a council tenant or leaseholder and your windows have missing or broken restrictors, you should report this to our repairs service as soon as possible. You should also report damaged window restrictors, locks or frames in communal areas. 

For any other window issues, council tenants should check the tenant responsibility for repairs page before reporting a repair. 

Window safety tips  

To keep you and your family safe:  

  • keep your window restrictors locked in place and in good working order   
  • only unlock a restrictor if you’re cleaning a window and lock it afterwards   
  • if you unlock a window restrictor, do not leave it unattended    
  • do not allow children or anyone else to tamper with window restrictors   
  • do not place furniture under a window that young children can climb on  
  • shut open windows before working underneath them  
  • be careful not to trap fingers between the window and the exterior frame when using the windows 
  • avoid having tall objects near the window opening over the ledge 

Keeping cool on hot days 

In the morning, before midday, close your windows and blackout curtains or blinds. In the evening, once the outside air has cooled, open your curtains or blinds, and open your windows with the restrictor in place to help keep cool.