Fifty years after New York City became the first U.S. city to require window guards, the law’s anniversary on April 15, 2026 is landing with a reality check: plenty of landlords still are not installing or maintaining the protections tenants say they need. City records show thousands of open violations and, in multiple cases, the Housing Department has had to send its own crews into buildings when owners would not act. With temperatures climbing and windows cracking open across the city, parents and safety advocates say the stakes are sky high this spring.
The Health Department points to sharp declines in fatal falls since the law took effect but stresses that enforcement is what keeps those numbers down. Between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 HPD received 2,663 complaints and issued more than 7,045 violations requiring installation or repair, and there were four nonfatal window falls last year, the agency said in a city statement. Officials including Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg and Health Commissioner Alister Martin used the 50th anniversary to call out landlords publicly and reminded New Yorkers they can call 311 if owners will not comply, according to the NYC Health Department.
But local reporting and public records suggest that follow-through is uneven. CBS News reviewed records showing roughly 11,000 window-guard violations from July 2017 to June 2018 and about 12,000 the following year. The outlet also reports the city issued roughly 4,000 violations during the first three months of 2026, and that in at least one Harlem building the city ultimately dispatched its emergency repair team after the landlord failed to fix problems.
What the law requires
Under Local Law 57 and the city’s health code, owners of buildings with three or more residential units must provide, install and maintain approved window guards or limiting devices in any apartment where a child 10 years of age or younger resides and in public-area windows if a child lives in the building, as outlined in the NYC Administrative Code. Owners also are required to send tenants an annual notice about window guards and to arrange installation when tenants request it.
Enforcement and emergency repairs
HPD can issue class C immediately hazardous violations when guards are missing or improperly installed, and its Emergency Repair Program will arrange installations or repairs when owners fail to act. Any ERP work can be billed to the property, a cost that ultimately shows up on the property’s tax bill, a tool the agency uses to push owners into line, as noted by HPD.
Residents say landlords aren't stepping up
Tenants across the city report guards that are loose, missing or never installed in the first place. "They're not new or they don't come to check or re-fix to make sure that it's strong and secure," resident Marie Kay told CBS News. The outlet notes city records list the property manager at 1831 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. as Nieuw Amsterdam Property Management.
What tenants can do
City agencies urge anyone with missing or defective guards to file a complaint with 311. Owners are required to install guards on request and to follow annual notice rules, according to the NYC Health Department. The city also said agencies will step up outreach this spring, including an ACS campaign titled "Tiny Moments, Big Safety," to remind families about simple fall-prevention steps.
The 50-year record shows the law works: falls from windows have plummeted since 1976 and today the devices quietly prevent tragedy. Still, thousands of open violations and recurring emergency repairs underline a stubborn reality that parents see every time they open a window this season: the law’s success depends on landlords doing the work, not the city swooping in after the fact.
