Legionella for landlords;
4 steps you can take to protect your tenants
Most landlords know their responsibilities when it comes to electrical and gas safety.
But there’s another potential safety risk that often gets overlooked for rental properties; and that’s legionella infection.
We’ve put together this short guide on how to protect your tenants from the risks of legionella.
What are my legal responsibilities as a landlord regarding legionella?
To quote GOV.UK, Landlords in the UK have a legal obligation to ensure the properties they rent out to tenants are ‘safe and free from health hazards’.
This includes:
- Residential properties
- Commercial properties
- Rooms in your own home that you’re renting out to tenants
- Holiday homes
- Airbnb properties
As we’ve covered before on the Dynamika blog, a legionella bacteria outbreak can cause serious illness or even death. Ignoring your health and safety responsibilities could see you facing serious fines, legal action from your tenants or their families, or even imprisonment.
What is the level of legionella risk to rental properties?
Thankfully, the risk for most residential properties is relatively low. That’s because your tenants will be regularly using the water systems, which means any legionella bacteria present likely won’t get the opportunity to multiply in large numbers.
The risk is somewhat higher for commercial properties (which may use water less frequently and may have more complex water systems) and holiday homes (which may remain unoccupied for long periods each year).
In any case, being able to demonstrate that you’ve taken the appropriate steps to mitigate the risks will definitely come in handy if your tenants should ever fall ill from legionella bacteria.
Here’s the steps landlords should take to fulfill their legionella safety responsibilities.
#1. Put together a risk assessment
Your risk assessment should identify all the high-risk areas of your property, classify each area’s level of risk, and outline the actions needed to eliminate or control the risk.
For example, your property’s showerhead might be a high-risk area, particularly if your property stays vacant for an extended period of time. Running hot water (above 60°C) through the shower for a few minutes before you use it can be a good way of mitigating the risk.
If your property is a brand new build, you’ll also need to ensure your water systems are thoroughly chlorinated prior to use.
You’re free to carry out your own risk assessment, but a qualified and competent engineer can provide a more thorough and accurate assessment on your behalf; including legionella testing for complete peace of mind.
By doing it yourself, you could potentially miss key risk areas or prescribe inadequate controls to deal with them; and if your tenants do end up getting ill as a result, you’ll be wholly responsible for the consequences.
#2. Take action
Simply writing down the risks and the actions that should be taken isn’t enough; you need to make sure that they’re carried out.
For rental properties, this will typically involve notifying your tenants of the controls that need to be implemented. For example, you might include an instruction to disinfect the shower head regularly in your tenants handbook, or tell your tenants to contact you in the event of any hot water supply failures.
#3. Keep a record
There’s no legal requirement for landlords to keep records of their risk assessment; unless you’re effectively running a property business with five or more employees.
Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to keep records of your risk assessments. They can come in handy for ensuring controls have been implemented, comparing new risk discoveries against previous assessments, and defending yourself in court in the event of a tenant falling ill.
#4. Review and revise regularly
Again, there’s no strict legal requirement for landlords to review their risk assessment on a regular basis; but it’s often wise to do so.
It’s recommended to carry out a quick review of your existing assessment before each new tenancy begins. Maintenance visits and gas checks can also provide opportunities to review your assessment while you have access to the property.
Be sure to keep records of any updated assessments; but make sure they’re clearly labelled to prevent confusion on which version is the most recent.
Dynamika offers complete legionella risk assessments, water testing and disinfection services to help landlords mitigate and control the risks of legionella. Arrange a consultation today – call Dynamika on 03333 22 0800 or get in touch online today.