Legionella – Landlords are responsible for checks

Did you know the law requires landlords to undertake an assessment on their residential properties to identify the risk of legionella.

What is legionella?

Legionella is a bacteria which lives in water systems like water tanks, air conditioning units and humidifiers. When breathed in, water droplets containing the bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ Disease.

What do landlords need to do?

Legislation states that landlords need to have a “competent person” undertake a risk assessment and identify if there are areas in which water could lie for long periods of time (the main risk factor for growth of the bacteria).

Landlords can undertake this assessment themselves if they believe they are competent to do so, or they can instruct a specialist contractor to do it for them.

What happens if a landlord fails to address this issue?

There are fines for landlords who don’t comply with the regulations. Legionnaires’ Disease can be fatal, and landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their tenants and others visiting the property are protected.

Where can landlords get further advice?

The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance for landlords, which is available online at www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires.

What does YOUR AGENT do?

We engaged a specialist contractor who can undertake legionella risk assessments at properties managed by us, on request from the landlord. We can organise this in the same way that other safety certificates, such as gas safety certificates. For more details, please call us on 08452 606 440 or email info@your-agent.co.uk