Legionella risk assessment for Landlords
Updated 16 August 2026
Key points
- A legionella risk assessment is required for landlords premises under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Approved Code of Practice L8
- Typical cost: £150 to £350
- 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
Landlords are often surprised to learn that legionella is their problem. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 treats a rented home as a place of work for the landlord, which means the legionella duty sits with you rather than the tenant. The obligation is modest for a simple domestic water system, but it is a real legal duty and most letting agents now ask for evidence that it has been discharged before they will take on a property.
For the majority of single lets, what is needed is a written assessment of the water system, a brief control scheme (usually a note telling the tenant to run taps weekly and clean shower heads quarterly), and a record that you have done this. Thermostatic mixing valves, unvented cylinders above 25 litres, and any period of the property standing empty between tenants all add to the risk and should be recorded. The assessment does not need repeating every year if nothing about the system changes, but it should be reviewed whenever you refit the bathroom, install a new boiler, or take the property back between tenants.
HMO landlords and those renting to vulnerable people (over-65s, people with weakened immune systems, or anyone with a chronic respiratory condition) should treat the duty more seriously. The risk is low in practice for most domestic systems, but the consequences of getting it wrong are not.
Is it legally required?
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and section 3(2) in particular, landlords owe a duty of care to tenants in respect of health risks from the water system. The Approved Code of Practice L8 and HSG274 set out how that duty is discharged in practice. The HSE has published specific guidance for landlords confirming that a simple written assessment and control scheme is sufficient for most single domestic lets, and that annual sampling is not normally required.
Who is the duty holder?
The duty holder is whoever has control of the premises or the water system. For landlords 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 landlords 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 landlords 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 landlords premises typically costs between £150 and £350, 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 landlord & HMO template + worked example — Pro edition, £29
A completed worked example for landlords, the editable Word and Excel documents, and the smart log book to run your monitoring from. It records, it never certifies.