Legionella Risk Assessment

Legionella is a hazardous bacteria found in water. The risk is higher in water stored at temperatures between 20 and 45 degrees and water tanks that contain stagnant or recirculated water.

If ingested, Legionella can cause Legionnaire's disease. It makes you seriously ill, causing high fevers, headaches, coughing and nausea, but can be treated easily with antibiotics.

Although it is not a formal legal requirement like an EICR or Gas Safety Certificate, a Legionella risk assessment is recommended to landlords in the government's How to Let guide. 

Landlords do, however, have a general responsibility and duty of care to their tenant that includes making sure there are no health and safety hazards in their rental property.

If ingested, Legionella can cause Legionnaire's disease and make your tenant very ill. A Legionella risk assessment is an ideal way of ensuring your water supply is safe to drink and use.

For rentals with water systems that have a higher Legionella risk (such as open water tanks), a risk assessment is recommended every two years or before the start of a new tenancy. 

It is also good practice to perform a risk assessment if there are significant changes to the property's water systems.

A Legionella assessor will inspect all water systems in your rental. The assessment itself will involve:

• Identifying potential hazards and the level of risk posed
• Identifying who is at risk
• Taking water temperatures 
• Testing for limescale
• Testing the water system for Legionella
• Putting adequate control measures in place to minimise the risk
• Recording the findings of the assessment
• Reviewing the assessment as needed

After your assessment, you will be provided with a report contain all the above information.

The duration of Legionella inspection varies depending on the size of the property and it's water systems.

Your assessor will need time to take a digital temperature reading of every hot and cold tap, as well as conducting visual inspections of all taps and showerheads. This including exterior taps and outdoor houses.

For example, a one-bed flat with one bathroom and a combi boiler could take 20 minutes, whereas a three-bed house with two bathrooms and a water tank could take an hour.