Legionella & Landlord's Responsibilities

Recent changes in Health & Safety legislation place an obligation on Landlords to have a qualified risk assessment carried out on any rental property with regards to Legionella.

We at Focus Plumbing & Heating are all City & Guilds qualified (level 1, level 2 and level 3) and certified to be able to provide a risk assessment service. We are also able to be nominated as your responsible / competent persons in the event you are asked if you have taken professional advice.

For most residential settings, the risk assessment may well show the risks are low, so long as simple control measures are followed. This will apply to houses or flats with small domestic type water systems where the water turnover is high. Provided the risk assessment shows that the risks are insignificant, and control measures are being properly managed, no further action would be necessary. It is important, however, to keep the assessment under annual review in case anything changes to the system and / or the tenant changes or a tenant comes under those who are in a medical risk category. If the property remains unoccupied for a period of time, then a re-assessment would be needed. Records need to be current and held for a 5 year period.

If you would like Focus Plumbing & Heating to provide this service, please contact the office to arrange a suitable date and time. If you would like the assessment to be done with a Gas Safety Certificate, please mention this when booking. Prices quoted will be per residential property to include documentation, a letter for tenants on their obligations, and assessment document storage as we do currently with Gas Safety Certificates.

For further information on Legionella please feel free to contact us on (01983) 872255, alternatively, you can visit:  www.hse.gov.uk/legionaires