Consumer Affairs ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ is urging all families to keep their home safe for young children by checking they have curtain and blind cords secured.
Looped curtain and blind cords can quickly become deadly if a child places one over their head and becomes entangled. Tragically, unsecured cords are responsible for the strangulation deaths of 1 to 2 Australian children each year.
How to make your home safe
Install a curtain and blind cord safety kit to keep cords tensioned and out of reach.
Order a free kit from Consumer Affairs ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ or buy one at a hardware store.
Check every room for looped cords, especially if blinds or curtains were installed before 2015. Older products may not meet current mandatory safety standards.
Renters can install safety kits without needing approval from their rental provider.
New reforms to keep children safe in rental properties
From 1 December 2025, all residential rental properties must have secured cords on internal window coverings to prevent them forming loops.
Renters will have the right to request an urgent repair if cords are not secured. It will also become an offence for a rental provider (landlord) to allow a new renter to move into a rental property that does not meet this mandatory minimum rental standard.
The new rules will close the gap left by the existing Commonwealth Safety Standard, which only applies to blinds and curtains installed from 2015 onwards.
Consumer Affairs ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Director Nicole Rich says loose and looped curtain and blind cords pose an unacceptable risk to children.
‘The new standards will ensure that all rental properties meet this essential safety standard with no exemptions.’
For more information, visit .