Legionella risk assessment for Holiday lets
Updated 12 September 2026
Key points
- A legionella risk assessment is required for holiday lets premises under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Approved Code of Practice L8
- Typical cost: £150 to £400
- Review every 24 months, or sooner if the water system, its use, or the people using it change
- A named duty holder (usually the employer, landlord, or building operator) must arrange it and act on its findings
Holiday lets sit somewhere between a rented home and a hotel for legionella purposes. The operator is the duty holder and must carry out a risk assessment, but the risk profile is often low because most properties are small with short pipe runs. The main risk comes from periods between bookings when the system stands unused.
Water systems in holiday lets range from mains-fed, combi-boiler properties (lower risk) to larger self-catering cottages with stored hot water and multiple bathrooms (higher risk). Hot tubs and private pools turn the risk upwards sharply and bring the property within the scope of HSG282. Any property with a hot tub should have a documented disinfection regime, daily water quality checks when in use, and a written scheme that the changeover cleaner can actually follow.
Industry bodies like PASC UK and platforms like Airbnb increasingly ask operators for evidence of a legionella risk assessment, and letting agencies will usually require one before accepting a property onto their books.
Is it legally required?
Yes. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a general duty on employers and those in control of premises to protect people from health risks. The Approved Code of Practice L8 sets out how this duty applies specifically to legionella, and HSG274 provides the technical detail. These apply to holiday lets premises with any water system that can aerosolise water, including taps, showers, spray humidifiers, fountains, and cooling towers.
Who is the duty holder?
The duty holder is whoever has control of the premises or the water system. For holiday lets premises, this is usually the employer, owner, landlord, or managing agent. The duty cannot be contracted out: you can hire a water hygiene consultant, but the legal responsibility still sits with you.
If you are unsure who holds the duty for your premises, see: Who is responsible for a legionella risk assessment?
What the assessment should cover
ACOP L8 sets out five things a suitable and sufficient assessment must do:
- Identify and assess sources of risk across the whole water system, including stored hot and cold water, dead legs, rarely used outlets, and any equipment that generates aerosols
- Produce a written scheme for preventing or controlling the risk, with specific tasks, temperatures, and frequencies
- Implement, manage, and monitor the scheme in practice, not just on paper
- Keep records of the assessment, the scheme, monitoring results, and any remedial action taken
- Appoint a competent person (often called the "responsible person") to be accountable for the scheme
Free legionella risk assessment template
A structured Word document following the five-step approach in ACOP L8. Covers risk identification, written scheme, monitoring, and records. If it isn't written down, you can't evidence it.
Follows ACoP L8 and HSG274 Part 2. Free. No spam.
Specific water system risks to check
For holiday lets premises, assessors typically pay close attention to:
- Hot water storage temperatures (calorifiers must reach 60°C throughout)
- Hot water distribution temperatures (50°C within one minute at outlets)
- Cold water storage tank condition, lid seal, and temperature (below 20°C)
- Dead legs, redundant pipework, and little-used outlets
- Shower heads, flexible hoses, and thermostatic mixing valves
- Any cooling tower, evaporative condenser, or spa pool (these are notifiable to the local authority under the Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992)
How often to review
There is no fixed legal interval, but ACOP L8 requires that the assessment is reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to believe it may no longer be valid. For most holiday lets premises, that means at least every 24 months and sooner after any of the following:
- Changes to the water system (new pipework, fittings, equipment)
- Changes to the use of the building or the number of occupants
- A positive legionella test result or a case of Legionnaires' disease linked to the premises
- Prolonged periods of low occupancy or system shutdown (a risk during holidays, term breaks, or refurbishment)
- New guidance from HSE
Typical cost
A professional legionella risk assessment for holiday lets premises typically costs between £150 and £400, depending on the size of the building, the number of water outlets, and whether there are any cooling towers or evaporative condensers (these add significantly to the cost because of the statutory inspection regime).
Use our cost calculator for an estimate based on your specific water system.
Need a legionella risk assessment for your premises? We will be partnering with Legionella Control Association registered providers shortly.
Free legionella risk assessment template
A structured Word document following the five-step approach in ACOP L8. Covers risk identification, written scheme, monitoring, and records. If it isn't written down, you can't evidence it.
Follows ACoP L8 and HSG274 Part 2. Free. No spam.
The holiday let template + worked example — Pro edition, £29
A completed worked example for holiday lets, the editable Word and Excel documents, and the smart log book to run your monitoring from. It records, it never certifies.