Stella settles dozens of new
families each year; in fact, 80 per cent
of her clients have children. She says,
in the excitement of a new move and
looking for property, certain safety
aspects can be overlooked.
“It is always advisable to walk
around the entire apartment before
signing a lease to decide on which
windows require lock installations.
That information can then be
presented to the landlord as part of
the offer letter,” says Stella. “I suggest
to all my clients that they secure their
apartments, as even those without kids
may have children visit at some stage.”
Stella has never had a landlord
refuse her application for locks. In my
own experience at Deep Water Bay,
it took several applications from us,
and other families in the building,
before the landlord conceded to install
a particular type of lock – at the
tenants’ expense. It would have been
much better to have it sorted out by
our leasing agent before we moved in.
Decidedly secure
When the McAuliffe family purchased
an apartment on the 46th floor of a
Hong Kong Island high-rise, their
children were three months, 15
months and 30 months old. Mum,
Simone, made securing the windows
and balcony her first priority.
“I was particularly concerned
because my eldest was a big climber;
she was climbing out of her cot at nine
months old,” she says.
Simone looked at several different
options, such as attaching chains to
the windows so they could only open
a couple of inches. She also considered
installing locks that would require a
key to open, which would be hidden
out of reach of small hands.
She eventually decided the best
and safest choice for her family was
to place internal bars on all the
windows, so while they could still be
opened wide for fresh air, nothing
larger than a hand could fit through.
These bars, when designed properly,
prevent accidents and falls, but are not
indestructible: a fire rescue team, for
example, should they be able to reach
the window, would have the tools to
break the bars.
“It was also the easiest option, as
there were several local companies
who were able to do the job, and
there was plenty of variety in styles
and colours to choose from,” she says.
“It cost $3,000 to place bars on 12
windows – a small price to pay for
peace of mind.”
But when it came to safely
securing her balcony doors, the
options were fewer. Simone was
unable to find anything suitable
locally, so she had deadbolt locks sent
up from Australia. She also refused
to allow any furniture to be placed on
her balcony, which could tempt little
climbers.
“Some might say I’m overly
cautious, but it’s better to be safe than
sorry. There are no second chances
when you live on the 46th floor.”
But it’s not just those in high-rises
who need to heed caution. Parents
in first- or second-floor apartments
shouldn’t be complacent, as even a
short fall can inflict serious injuries, or
worse.
As well as windows and balconies,
any rooftops and utility platforms
need to be childproofed. Ensure doors
leading to these areas are properly
secured, and keep anything that can
be climbed upon, like bikes, furniture
or laundry equipment, far from
balustrades.
W
hen my family and
I moved into a new
multi-storey apartment
block in Deep Water
Bay, I was surprised to find there were
no locks on any of the windows. I
didn’t think my two-year-old had the
manual dexterity to turn the handle,
but I didn’t want to risk being proven
wrong. The real shock came when we
asked our landlord if we could have
locks installed; the answer was no,
because of concerns that locks would
negatively impact the look of the
frames.
It’s a response that doesn’t
surprise Stella Abraham, a residential
leasing consultant at Jones Lang
LaSalle. She says window locks are
not standard in Hong Kong’s high-rise
apartments and that landlords are not
obliged to put them on.
Tragically, accidents do happen.
Several children have lost their lives
in recent years after falling from
apartment windows.
“Tragedies have occurred in
both the expatriate and local Chinese
communities. It has been a continuing
issue,” Stella says. “I would encourage
anyone moving into a new apartment
to first ensure locks have been
installed on all windows which pose a
threat.”
May 2014
87
