December 28th, 2025Victorian rental properties safe for children with new blind cord safety minimum standards

The state government is making sure Victorian rental properties are safe for children with new blind cord safety minimum standards in effect.

Unsecured blind or curtain cords claim the lives of up to two Australian children every year – that’s why it’s now mandatory to secure all internal window coverings with a cord guide or cleat fixed to a wall or structure.

Blind cord installation standards are already in place under national product safety laws. However, these standards only apply to blinds installed after 2015, with those installed prior exempt from these standards.

The changes, which took effect from Monday 1 December, supersede these exemptions, by requiring all Victorian rental properties to meet this critical safety standard for curtains or blinds, regardless of installation date.

Tenants now have the right to request urgent repairs to non-compliant blind cords and give tenants the right to install blind cleats or guides themselves, without permission from the rental provider or agent.

It is also an offence for providers to allow tenants to move into a property that does not meet minimum standards, including blind cord safety requirements. There are now 15 categories of minimum standards for rental properties in Victoria, and it is law that all rental properties meet these standards.

Free curtain and blind cord safety kits are available from Consumer Affairs Victoria and include a device that tensions looped cords to a window frame, so they are no longer loose, reducing the likelihood of strangulation.

From 25 November 2025, it also became an offence for a rental provider or agent to advertise or offer a property to let that does not meet minimum standards.

For more info or to order your free curtain and blind cord safety kit, visit consumer.vic.gov.au/blindcordsafety.