Windows that will not open in a Mickleham rental
A stuck or locked window can touch three rental standards at once. How windows, ventilation and fresh air are judged in a Mickleham home.
In short: The windows standard asks for a working latch on every outside window that opens. A window that cannot be opened at all can also leave a room without the ventilation the Building Code expects, and wet areas need a fan that actually reaches outside.
The latch test
Each external window that can be opened must be able to be held closed with a latch. We open and close each window by hand and note any with a missing, loose or broken catch.
Stuck is a different problem
Windows painted shut, locked with a lost key or jammed in their tracks pass the latch test in a sense, because they cannot be opened. But a bedroom whose only window will not open may no longer be ventilated to Building Code requirements, which is its own standard.
Wet areas and the exhaust fan
Where a bathroom or laundry relies on an exhaust fan, the fan has to take the air somewhere. A fan left unducted in the roof sends moist air into the ceiling space, where it condenses on the underside of the roof.
Fix order
Free stuck windows first, then replace missing latches, then deal with any fan ducting. All three are small trade jobs that can be done in the gap between leases.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Mickleham. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
