Landlords warned to install window restrictors on every floor to prevent tragedy

A landlord legal firm is calling on landlords to fit window restrictors across every floor of their rental properties, after recent data shows the dangers of failing to install them.

Landlord Licensing & Defence has made the plea after statistics reveal 13 children under the age of 11 have died from falls out of windows between April 2019 and May 2025.

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) identifies small children as the primary high-risk group for falls from windows, but Landlord Licensing & Defence warn the “danger extends far beyond that.”

Severity of falls from windows is highly height-dependent

While legal obligations mandate window restrictors only on windows from the second floor upwards, unless the sill height is 800mm or less, the legal firm warns of the risks of leaving lower-floor windows unprotected.

Phil Turtle, a Director of Landlord Licensing & Defence, said: “Although it is only a legal requirement to have restrictors on the second floor and above unless the sill is 800mm or less, we strongly recommend fitting restrictors on all first-floor windows as well.”

Mr Turtle emphasises the seriousness of such incidents cannot be overstated, as outcomes vary dramatically depending on the height of the fall.

He said: “The severity of falls from windows is highly height-dependent. A fall through a ground-floor window might result in minor bruising; from a first-floor window, it could lead to broken bones; and from higher floors, it is most likely to cause life-changing injuries or death.”

The landlord legal firm points to the tragic death of a toddler who sustained severe head injuries after falling from a third-storey window in July.

Landlords should also install window restrictors on the ground floor of a property

Landlord Licensing & Defence has come up with a list of recommendations to help landlords install window restrictors for different window types.

Mr Turtle explains: “We recommend changing the hinges on double glazing to the type with inbuilt restrictors.

“On opening sash windows, the hook and pin type available from outlets such as Screwfix and Toolstation to stop the accidental opening by children and impaired people whilst still allowing deliberate wide opening, for example, for summer ventilation.”

Mr Turtle adds landlords should also install window restrictors on the ground floor of a property.

He said: “Windows where the sill is 800mm or less must also have either safety glass or safety bars to stop people falling when non-safety glass shatters when fallen against, often cutting blood vessels and tendons as well as allowing a fall out of the window.

“Although the 800mm sill is normally measured from the floor, where beds or furniture that people or kids might be on top of, the 800mm needs to be considered to be from the top of the bed/furniture.

“We also recommend restrictors on ground-floor windows, not to avert falls, but for security, so that windows can be safely kept ajar for ventilation.”

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