Cal. Civ. Code § 5:10-27.2
General installation requirements
Operative Text
(a) Window guards shall be installed in accordance with all applicable requirements of the State Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23, and with manufacturer's instructions. (b) Any window guard installed on an emergency egress window shall be releasable or removable from the inside without use of a key, tool or excessive force. For purposes of this subchapter, an "emergency egress window" is any window in a sleeping room located on the second or third floor, other than a window providing access to a fire escape. (c) Any window guard installed on a window that is not an emergency egress window, including any window in a unit located above the third floor and any window in a room on the second or third floor that is not a sleeping room, shall be designed, constructed and installed so that it cannot be removed, opened or dislodged without the use of a key or tool; provided, however, that no window guard shall be installed on any window giving access to a fire escape.
N.J.A.C. § 5:10-27.2 establishes how window guards must be installed in residential buildings. Guards on emergency egress windows — defined as windows in second- or third-floor sleeping rooms that don't access a fire escape — must be releasable from the inside without a key, tool, or excessive force. Guards on all other windows (excluding fire-escape windows, which must remain unguarded) must be secured so they cannot be removed or opened without a key or tool, and all installations must comply with the State Uniform Construction Code and manufacturer's instructions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under N.J.A.C. § 5:10-27.2, compliant operators distinguish between emergency egress windows and all other windows before selecting and installing any window guard. For sleeping rooms on the second or third floor, operators typically install quick-release guards that occupants can open from the inside without tools or keys. For non-egress windows — including those above the third floor and non-sleeping rooms on the second or third floor — operators use guards engineered to resist removal without a key or tool, and they leave any fire-escape-access window entirely unguarded.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.J.A.C. § 5:10-27.2 gives tenants the right to have properly installed window guards that match the type of window in their unit — quick-release guards on second- and third-floor sleeping room windows, and secured guards elsewhere, with no guard blocking fire-escape access. If a guard appears to be the wrong type, is missing, or seems improperly installed, tenants can document the condition and report it to their local housing code enforcement office or the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Tenant-rights organizations can also help residents understand what remedies may be available under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 3, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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