Legionella Risk Assessment Services

Why You Need a Legionella Risk Assessment

Water systems can create conditions where Legionella bacteria may grow, particularly where water is stored, stagnant, lukewarm, poorly circulated or affected by scale, sludge, biofilm or low-use outlets.

A legionella risk assessment can help identify risk factors in the water system, review existing control measures and provide practical recommendations. It supports water safety management, but it does not guarantee that the system is free from Legionella, fully compliant or risk-free.

Why Landlords Should Review Legionella Risk

Landlords should assess and manage the risk of exposure to Legionella in water systems they control. In many simple domestic properties, the assessment may be straightforward and proportionate, but it should still consider the water system, outlets, stored water, low-use areas and whether suitable control measures are in place.

A legionella risk assessment can support landlords with practical recommendations such as temperature checks, flushing low-use outlets, cleaning shower heads, reviewing stored water and keeping simple records where appropriate.

Preparing for a Legionella Risk Assessment

Before the assessment, gather any available information about the water system, including boiler or cylinder details, tank locations, shower outlets, little-used taps, previous maintenance records, temperature checks, flushing logs and any known water hygiene issues.

Make sure the assessor can access relevant areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, plant rooms, risers, tanks, cylinders, communal areas and low-use outlets where included in scope. If access is not available, the report may include limitations or recommend a follow-up visit.

Essential Legionella Risk Assessment Advice for Landlords

Landlords should manage Legionella risk in a practical and proportionate way. In many domestic rental properties, the water system may be simple, but the landlord should still consider whether water can stagnate, whether hot and cold water temperatures are suitable, whether outlets are used regularly and whether shower heads or taps need cleaning.

Where the property has stored water, complex pipework, vulnerable occupants, long void periods, low-use outlets or previous water hygiene concerns, a more detailed review or follow-up action may be needed.

Understanding Legionella Risk Assessment Without the Confusion

A legionella risk assessment is a practical review of a water system to identify conditions where Legionella bacteria could grow and where people could be exposed to water droplets or aerosols.

The assessment may consider stored water, low-use outlets, temperature control, pipework layout, showers, tanks, cylinders, scale, sludge, biofilm, maintenance records and existing control measures.

The outcome should be clear: what was checked, what risk factors were found, what limitations applied, what actions are recommended and when the assessment should be reviewed.

What Landlords Should Record After a Legionella Risk Assessment

After a legionella risk assessment, landlords should keep a copy of the findings and record any recommended actions completed. This may include flushing low-use outlets, cleaning shower heads, reviewing hot and cold water temperatures, checking stored water arrangements or arranging further specialist advice where required.

Records should be reviewed when the water system changes, the property has been vacant, occupancy changes, vulnerable occupants are present or previous controls are no longer suitable.

A legionella risk assessment should be reviewed periodically and when something changes, such as changes to the water system, occupancy, use, maintenance, stored water, void periods or control measures. HSE says the law does not prescribe annual or biennial review for landlord legionella assessments.

A reassessment or review may be needed after installing a new boiler, cylinder, water tank, shower, pipework or other changes that affect the water system. The level of review depends on the change and whether existing control measures remain suitable.

Duties depend on the property use, letting arrangement and who controls the water system. Where accommodation is provided to tenants or paying guests, the person in control should assess and manage Legionella risk in a suitable and proportionate way. The exact duty should be reviewed based on the property and business arrangement.

Tenants can ask for relevant water safety information. Landlords should share appropriate findings or practical guidance where needed, especially where tenant actions such as flushing low-use outlets or reporting water issues form part of the control measures.

Enforcement depends on the property, dutyholder, risk level, incident history and whether suitable risk assessment and control measures were in place. The safer wording is that failure to assess and manage Legionella risk can expose landlords, employers or dutyholders to enforcement action if legal duties are not met.

Legionella sampling or testing is not usually required for simple domestic hot and cold water systems. HSE says testing should not be confused with temperature monitoring, which is a reliable way to confirm whether the system is under control.

HSE says health and safety law does not require landlords to obtain or produce a “legionella test certificate”. However, landlords should assess and manage Legionella risk and may keep a record of what has been done for property management purposes.

It may check hot and cold water systems, outlets, showers, tanks, cylinders, stored water, low-use outlets, temperatures, stagnation, scale, maintenance records and existing control measures, depending on the agreed scope.

No. It records the systems and checks included in the agreed scope at the time of assessment. It does not guarantee that the water system is free from Legionella, fully compliant or free from future risk.

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