NJ A4177

Changes New Jersey's child-protection window guard policy from opt-in to opt-out, requiring landlords to install window guards in units where children 10 years or younger reside unless tenants specifically waive the requirement in writing

Named "Sebastien's Law" after seven-year-old Sebastien Manzalaoui of Fort Lee, who died in 2023 after falling from a window without guards

Requires landlords to provide tenants with standardized notice forms (in English and Spanish) at lease signing and annually between January 1-16, informing them of window guard requirements and allowing them to indicate their preferences

Mandates semi-annual inspections of installed window guards (once between February 1-May 1 and once between September 1-December 1) with records maintained for at least five years

Failure to install required window guards constitutes a nuisance and condition dangerous to life and health, allowing the Department of Community Affairs to order installation and recover expenses if orders are not complied with within five days