What You Really Need to Know About Legionella
and How Landlord LRA Makes It Simple
There are a mountain of responsibilities that come with being a landlord and one that sometimes gets overlooked is Legionella.
So what is it, where does it come from, is it really a risk in simple water systems, do you need to assess that risk or is it just another check box that you need to tick….
Matt Etherington of legionella specialists, Landlord LRA, answers some of the most frequent questions you may have and that we get asked!
What Is Legionella and Why Should Landlords Care?
Legionella is a type of bacteria that can develop in domestic water systems and cause Legionnaires' disease (a type of pneumonia) if inhaled through water droplets. While rare, it's something every landlord MUST assess and control by law.
I don't have any water tanks, is it still relevant to me?
Yes! While cold water storage tanks, and any volume of stored water increases the risk, even the simplest water system i.e. cold mains and a combi boiler may still have areas which can encourage bacterial growth and therefore need to be assessed.
Do I need to take water samples, is that enough?
Sampling of the water system is not required under HSE guidance unless there are issues or areas of concern, or if the Legionella Risk Assessment deems it necessary.
Taking a water sample gives you a 'snapshot' of the water system at the time of sampling and is not very helpful 3, 6 or 9 months later.
That's why HSE says it's not required, BUT an assessment of the water system is…
The assessment looks at the water system as a whole (and in its component parts) and flags any areas which may encourage bacterial growth. It also highlights what you need to be doing on an ongoing basis to make sure the water system remains safe.So what exactly is my legal duty as a landlord?
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act and HSE guidance:
You must assess and control the risk of Legionella in your property's water system.
This means:
- Completing a Legionella Risk Assessment (DIY or by a professional).
- Put in place simple controls (maintenance, service works etc.)
For due diligence you should also make your tenants aware of things they can do to make sure the water system remains safe, simple measures such as:
- Keeping shower heads clean and free from limescale
- Flushing and running outlets that may not be used regularly
- Ensuring the hot water is hot, and cold water are cold.
- Not to adjust settings on boilers or cylinders
- Who to contact if they are concerned or if something isn't working.
What sort of things get assessed during the risk assessment?
HSE has produced a technical guide called HSG274 which is over 170 pages long. It details how water systems should be installed, how they should operate and how they should be maintained to ensure the safety of the users.
Some of the main areas covered are:
- Correct installation and materials used
- Redundant pipework and dead legs
- Temperatures and distribution of hot and cold water
- Cleanliness of the system
- Use, turnover, volumes and potential for stagnation
The list of things looked for during the assessment is quite daunting however the THREE MAIN AREAS to look for are TEMPERATURE, MOVEMENT and CLEANLINESS.
What happens if I don't complete an assessment?
At the moment, legionella assessments aren't proactively inspected (no one is going to come knocking on your door asking to see a copy).
However, they are a legal requirement which may be why your letting agent or management company has requested one to be completed.
You also have an obligation under the HSW act to ensure your property is safe and you have assessed the risk.
If your tenant becomes ill and you cannot show you have met these obligations the investigating body will want to know why not and the fines for non-compliance can be very large!!!
What do I need to do to assess the risk, do I need to hire someone to do it for me?
HSE says - "Most landlords can assess the risk themselves and do not need to be professionally trained or accredited."
That's fine but what do you look for, what are the risks, how do you know if there are any risks present, how do you know if the water system at your property complies with the relevant HSE guidance…?
Good question, HSE guidance for legionella is over 170 pages long…so you have 3 options:
OPTION 1 – TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE GUIDANCE YOURSELF AND COMPLETE THE SURVEY
This may be a great way to learn all about legionella, the legislation, types of hot and cold water systems etc. etc. but normally isn't something people want to do spend time on.
OPTION 2 - HIRE A PROFESSIONAL LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSOR
You can of course ask someone to come in and complete the Legionella Risk Assessment for you. This means contacting a company that completes LRAs, they visit your property, complete the survey and send you the completed assessment.
How much will that cost?
Normally properties will be priced dependant on size, for a small flat with a simple water system the cost would be somewhere in the region of £95, for larger properties with more outlets and more complex water systems it could be £300+ (especially if you have cold water tanks, multiple cylinders, hot tubs etc.)
OPTION 3 - COMPLETE THE LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSMENT YOURSELF USING LANDLORD LRA
As part of the South West Legionella group we get contacted a lot asking if we can complete Legionella Risk Assessments at residential properties.
It was frustrating having to charge so much to cover the costs of visiting and surveying a simple residential property and always felt a little unfair to the landlord so we came up with a better solution.
Landlord LRA is a powerful yet simple Legionella Risk Assessment app designed specifically for UK landlords and property managers.
It guides you step-by-step through the entire legionella compliance process, helping you meet your legal duties under HSE guidance (L8 and HSG274) without needing to hire a consultant.
No prior knowledge required, simply enter the details of your water system, take some temperatures etc. and the app does all the hard work for you interpreting the information in line with all the HSE guidance. Simple drop down boxes, AI chat support at every stage and you can even upload photos if you wish.
Once completed it generates a PDF report for you which is simple to understand, compliant and can be forwarded to letting / management agents or insurance companies if required.
The PDF assessment provides you with:
- An overall risk level of your properties water systems
- Details of issues found including advice on how to put right
- Information on what you need to do to maintain the water system
- A 'Legionella Awareness for Tenants Leaflet' to provide to tenants / residents
All for just £9.99
Simple, easy, affordable compliance
If you have any questions regarding the water systems at your property, your legal obligations or legionella in general we are more than happy to provide any email guidance to members of the Portsmouth & District PLA free of charge (you can contact us at
Alternatively, there is further information on our website which may answer any questions you have regarding the App.
Many thanks
Matt Etherington
Landlord LRA