Legionella Risk Assessments for Landlords

A landlord Legionella risk assessment shows how you’ve checked the water system in your rental and what you’re doing to keep it safe. We carry them out across Hampshire for single lets, HMOs and whole portfolios. Because we’re plumbers too, we can also fix most of what we find.

What the law asks of landlords

If you let out a property, you have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the COSHH Regulations to assess and control the risk from Legionella. HSE’s Approved Code of Practice L8 applies to rented homes as well. You should also keep a record of what you found and what you did about it.

However, the law doesn’t ask for a “Legionella certificate”, and HSE doesn’t set a fixed renewal date. Instead, it says you should review the assessment regularly and whenever something changes. Many landlords choose every two years, and sooner after plumbing changes, a long empty spell or a change of tenant.

Landlord Legionella risk assessment prices

You won’t pay a call-out fee or any hidden extras on top. Every report includes an outlet register, temperature readings at each hot and cold outlet, a risk rating and a prioritised action plan. We send it within 3 working days of the visit.

Single lets

For a standard house or flat, the visit usually takes 45–90 minutes. We check every outlet, the boiler or cylinder and any loft tank. Along the way, we record temperatures and look for unused outlets, dead legs and dirty tanks. In most single lets the risk is low, and the report shows that clearly.

HMOs and shared houses

HMOs carry more risk, because there are more outlets, more people and often bigger hot water systems. For that reason, we quote a fixed price before the visit. We can also add schematic drawings on request, which make the system easier to follow.

HMO licensing teams expect landlords to show how they manage water safety. A clear, recent assessment is a simple way to do that. It’s especially handy in Southampton and Winchester, where many shared houses are let to university students.

Portfolios

If you own several properties, we can assess them together and give you portfolio pricing. We also group nearby addresses into the same trip where we can. For instance, a landlord with flats in Eastleigh and Fareham might have both done on one day. That keeps the cost down and gives you a matching set of reports.

Letting agents booking for landlords

If you’re a letting agent, you can book on behalf of the landlords you manage for. We then arrange access with the tenants directly, so you don’t have to juggle diaries. Tenants don’t need to be in, but we do need to reach every outlet, the boiler or cylinder and any loft tank.

Once the report is ready, we send it to both the agent and the landlord. So everyone holds the same record, and nobody has to forward it on.

What tenants need to do

Tenants play a part as well, because they use the water every day. After the visit, we leave a simple tenant information sheet that explains how to keep the risk low. In short, it asks them to:

• Run any tap or shower that hasn’t been used for a week or more
• Keep shower heads clean and free of scale
• Tell the landlord or agent if hot water isn’t getting hot, or cold water runs warm
• Leave boiler and cylinder temperature settings alone
• Report leaks, or any changes to the plumbing

Between tenancies and empty properties

A change of tenant is a good moment to check the water. Before the new tenant moves in, run every outlet through and check the hot and cold temperatures. If anything looks wrong, that’s the time to review the assessment.

Empty properties need more care, since water sits still in the pipes and any tank. While a property is vacant, someone should run each tap and shower on a regular basis, ideally weekly. After a long vacancy, flush the whole system through and review the assessment before anyone moves in. If we find a dirty tank or a dead leg, our remedial works team can sort it.

When to review your assessment

There’s no fixed expiry date. Even so, it makes sense to review your assessment:

• After any plumbing changes, such as a new bathroom, boiler or cylinder
• When a property has stood empty for a long spell
• When the tenant changes
• If the people living there change in a way that raises the risk
• Every two years or so, if nothing else has changed

We’re based just over the border in Poole and cover landlords across Hampshire, from Romsey to the New Forest. For larger buildings, see our main Legionella risk assessment page. If you’d like to book, send us the addresses through our contact page.

Questions from landlords