Legionella risk in a let

The short answer

Landlords have a general duty to assess and control the risk of legionella in a let. In an ordinary domestic property this is a straightforward written assessment of the water system — stored water, dead legs, temperatures, showerheads — rather than testing. The most useful controls are keeping hot water hot, cold water cold, removing unused pipework and flushing outlets in a void.

What the work involves

Recording the type of system, checking hot water storage temperature, identifying unused outlets and pipework, advising tenants to flush after any absence, and reviewing at each change of tenancy.

Rules and responsibilities in Scotland

The duty comes from general health and safety obligations rather than a domestic-specific rule; routine sampling is not normally required in a simple domestic system.

What commonly goes wrong

Paying for unnecessary water sampling in a combi-boiler flat, while ignoring a genuine risk such as a redundant cold water tank in the loft.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

• A written assessment for a standard flat is inexpensive and can be repeated at each tenancy change.
• Removing redundant tanks and dead legs is a one-off cost that removes the risk permanently.
• Sampling is rarely justified in domestic property and adds cost without reducing risk.

What to do, in order

1. 1Note whether the property has stored water or is fed directly by a combi boiler.
2. 2Check hot water storage is reaching a safe temperature.
3. 3Identify and remove unused pipework and outlets.
4. 4Ask tenants to run taps and showers after any period away.
5. 5Flush all outlets before a new tenancy in a property that has stood empty.

Local detail for the Lothians

• Older Edinburgh tenement flats often retain a redundant loft or cupboard tank from before a combi conversion — the most common real risk in the local stock.
• Long void periods in student flats over the summer make pre-tenancy flushing important in the city.
• Rural properties on private supplies have separate water quality considerations.

When you need a professional

A plumber can remove dead legs and redundant tanks; a specialist assessment is only needed where the system is complex.

Common questions

Do landlords need a legionella certificate?

There is no certificate. A proportionate written risk assessment kept on file is what evidences the duty in a domestic let.

What should happen after a property has stood empty?

Flush all outlets, including showers, before the new tenant moves in, and record that you did it.

Related pages

• Water, drainage and leaks

  Stopcocks, frozen pipes, blocked drains and who is responsible for what in a rented property.

• Void deep clean

  The clean that gets a property back to letting or marketing standard, room by room.

• The annual property inspection

  What to look at on a periodic inspection, how to record it, and how to raise issues with tenants.