Cottesloe roller shutters and outdoor blinds

Across five years, burglaries in Cottesloe have come down. WA Police counted 49 in 2021 and 33 in 2025, which is 32.7% fewer. Further back, 2017 had 81.

Measured against population, the 2025 count gives a rate of 4.3 per 1,000 residents. That is a little above the metropolitan rate of 4.0, so the figure is close to the Perth average rather than far from it. Motor vehicle thefts eased too, from 17 in 2021 to 9 in 2025.

What a shutter adds is simple to describe. It is a physical barrier on windows and doors, and it makes forced entry slower and noisier. It does not replace good locks or an alarm; it adds another layer to them.

Separate houses are 69.1% of Cottesloe's occupied dwellings, below the Greater Perth figure of 77.8%. Flats and apartments make up 18.6%, and semi-detached, terrace or townhouses 12.5%. Landgate records that in September 1886 the Commissioner of Crown Lands, John Forrest, announced his intention of subdividing Crown Land between Perth and Fremantle into suburban lots, and Governor Broome suggested the name that year.

For houses, start with residential roller shutters on bedrooms and the doors out to the garden. With nearly a third of homes in townhouses or flats, strata can come into it. The default by-law asks for the strata company's written consent before an owner keeps anything visible from outside the lot that does not fit in with the rest of the building, so get that consent in writing before booking a measure.

Alfrescos and balconies suit Ziptrak track-guided blinds, Slidetrack and cafe blinds. Motorised blinds can carry sun and wind sensors that adjust automatically as the weather changes.

The Town of Cottesloe's starting point is that development approval is required unless the development is exempt. For a single house, the state exemption covers alterations when the R-Codes apply, the work meets their deemed-to-comply standards and the place is not heritage protected. Places on the Town's Heritage List need its development approval for most development works, so check the list before ordering.

Shop and cafe owners in the town centre have one more rule to know. The Town's design guidelines require street awnings on active shopfronts in Napoleon Street, Station Street South and Jarrad Street North, 2.5 m wide on the north side of the street and 3 m on the south. If you are planning cafe blinds or commercial roller shutters for a shopfront there, raise the awning requirement with the Town as part of the plan.

Older residents may get help with the cost. The WA Seniors Card Safety and Security Rebate covers security window screens or window shutters, up to $400 per household, and can be claimed once.