Is forced release of roller shutters on a window mandatory?

Good day.

I have the following problem.

My windows and balcony door are equipped with electric roller shutters. (I own a condominium in a multi-family house. It was built turnkey.)
Now, during the acceptance of the apartment, an expert said that the kitchen window or the balcony door
must have an emergency release. The power could fail, and in an emergency, the roller shutters would not be able to be opened. Because if there is a fire in the hallway (I have my apartment on the upper floor), I could neither let the smoke out nor escape onto the balcony. My kitchen window faces the balcony.

So either with a manual crank (then the roller shutter motor must be replaced. Wireless would then of course no longer work) or with a battery (which my roller shutter manufacturer does not offer at all).
I also told this to the roller shutter installer.
He does not know of any requirement or regulation.

Of course, I do not want to have any problems, among others with the household/building insurance, etc., should this case occur.

Who can tell me with certainty whether I really have to have a window equipped with an emergency release?
And who has to bear the costs of the retrofit? If it is required, the roller shutter installer must know this!
My developer also only learned of this from the expert at the acceptance. So he could not have warned us beforehand...

I am quite desperate...

Thank you very much
erika

Well, you need a second escape route... how exactly you manage that is up to you...

Well, you need a second escape route...how exactly you do that is up to you...

But isn’t that the responsibility of the developer who sold me the condominium turnkey????

So if something were burning in my apartment or in the hallway, the plastic roller shutter armor would not stop me at all. The thing is open in less than a minute. Without electricity, battery, or hand crank.

Hello Erika,

During the inspection of the apartment, an expert said that the kitchen window or the balcony door must have an emergency release. The power could fail, and in an emergency, you would not be able to open the shutters.

Correct.

And who has to bear the costs of the conversion? The shutter builder must know about this if it is prescribed! My developer only found out about this from the expert during the inspection. So he couldn’t warn us beforehand...

Your developer owes you the proper use of the condominium – how he arranges it with his subcontractor, the window builder, is none of your concern.

Your developer should have known this; the escape routes/floor must also be observed in Bavaria!

Rhenish greetings

But isn't that the responsibility of the developer who sold me the condominium turnkey????

It depends on who ordered the roller shutters from whom.
If you ordered the roller shutters as an extra feature from the developer, he is also obliged to ensure the second escape route.
However, if you found a roller shutter installer yourself and commissioned him, the developer would not be obliged, since he has ensured the second escape route, but you had something changed afterwards.
Nevertheless, the roller shutter installer should be aware of this issue; after all, he doesn’t build these parts for the first time.

That would be my opinion on this, half gut feeling, half logic