Holiday lets and blind cords: what hosts should check and what guests can do
A holiday let is the one place a family sleeps in a bedroom they did not choose, with blinds they did not buy. Nobody has checked the cords for them, and the host may never have thought about it. Here is what each side can reasonably do.
Why it matters
RoSPA says a child can lose consciousness and die within two to three minutes of getting a blind cord round their neck. It is aware of at least 33 UK deaths over the past 20 years, and the National Child Mortality Database recorded nine child deaths from blind cord strangulation between April 2019 and March 2022. Most involve young children in bedrooms, which is exactly where holiday-let blinds tend to be.
The rules apply to holiday homes too
The European standard for internal blinds, EN 13120, covers blinds in homes generally. The British Blind and Shutter Association's guidance for hotels and holiday homes treats them the same way. Since 2014, new blinds sold in the UK have to be safe by design or supplied with a safety device. That does not help in a property where the blinds were fitted years earlier, which is common in furnished lets.
For hosts: a five-minute check
- Look at every window in every bedroom. Any blind with a loop of cord or chain, or exposed inner cords on a Roman blind, needs attention.
- Check a safety device is actually fitted and working. A cleat should be at least 1.5 m up, according to RoSPA. A tensioner should be screwed to the wall or frame, not left swinging.
- Consider where the beds are. Furniture under a window adds to a child's reach; see our guide to cots and furniture near windows.
- Swap the worst offenders. In a child-friendly property, cordless blinds in the bedrooms remove the problem entirely.
Cleats and tensioners help but are not foolproof, as our post on why safety devices fail explains. They only work if a guest uses them.
For guests: the first night
RoSPA's advice for holiday accommodation is short:
- If a safety device is missing, report it to the owner, managing company or the booking site as soon as you can.
- Until it is sorted, keep the cord or chain out of children's reach, and secure it again every time you operate the blind.
- Move cots and beds away from windows and anything a child could climb on.
Ask before you arrive, too. A host who has already dealt with it will say so in one line.
A fix that does not need drilling. A stick-on winder takes up a loose chain and holds it out of reach. It suits a short stay, or a let where the owner does not want holes in the wall. See the FAQ for how it fits.
Related guides
- Renting with a toddler — what a landlord is responsible for on a longer let.
- Are corded blinds illegal in the UK? — what the rules do and don't cover.