As a landlord, it seems you never hear the end of electrical regulations, gas safety and EPC requirements – but what’s the deal when it comes to water?
In this article, you’ll find out what your responsibilities are when it comes to water, how to assess the risks of Legionella and what you can do to keep your water – and your tenants – safe.
IMPORTANT: Landlords must assess the potential risk of Legionella bacteria in their rental property.
Are landlords legally required to carry out a Legionella risk assessment?
There is a legal duty for landlords to assess and control the risk of exposure to legionella bacteria.
Landlords in Scotland are legally required to have a Legionella Risk Assessment.
Landlords in England and Wales are not legally required to produce a formal certificate in the same way they are expected to have an EICR, EPC or Gas Safety Record.
However, landlords do have a more general legal duty of care to protect the health and safety of their tenants – a part of which is to ensure their property’s water is safe to drink and use.
To do this, landlords can carry out a Legionella risk assessment. A professional risk assessment is not a formal legal requirement, however, it’s a good way to ensure your water supply is safe.
What does a landlord Legionella risk assessment involve?
A Legionella risk assessment will generally cover all water systems in your rental property. The assessment itself will involve:
Identifying potential hazards and the level of risk posed
Identifying who is at risk
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
A Legionella risk assessment should be carried out by someone with a competent understanding of the hazard of Legionella.
If you are a landlord, or you are renting a property, and feel a Legionella risk assessment should be carried out on the rental property, you can contact us to arrange for a professional assessor to do it for you.
If you book a professional Legionella inspection, you will receive a report containing the relevant information listed above, including significant findings and any suggested control measures.
How often should I carry out a landlord Legionella risk assessment?
For rental properties with water systems that could pose a potential Legionella risk, it is recommended that a Legionella risk assessment is carried out once every two years – or before a new tenancy begins. It’s also a good idea to perform a risk assessment if there are significant changes to the property’s water systems.
How long does a professional Legionella risk assessment take?
The duration of a professional Legionella risk assessment varies from property to property.
Your assessor will need to take a digital temperature reading of every hot and cold tap in the property and a reading of outlet pipes from water tanks.
They will also visually inspect every tap and showerhead, report on redundant pipework and flexible hoses and access any water tanks in the loft. If the property has a garden with an exterior tap, it must be tested for limescale and outdoor hoses will be inspected as well.
So, a one-bed flat with one bathroom and a combi boiler would take approximately 20 minutes to inspect, whilst a three-bed house, with two bathrooms, a utility room, a garden and a hot and cold tank would take around an hour to complete.
How can landlords book a Legionella risk assessment?
To arrange your landlord Legionella risk assessment please call us on: 01245 830 050.
For more information on Bullseye Services and how we can help you please visit: bullseyeservices.co.uk.
For further advice on Legionella Risk Assessments visit: https://www.bullseyeservices.co.uk/legionella-risk-assessment
Contact
Our website and brochure combined should provide you with all the information you need however if you do require further information, there's a quick and easy contact form on our website and, of course, you are more than welcome to use the more traditional ways to contact us.
