Legionella sits in the awkward middle ground of being a low-likelihood risk with a high-consequence outcome. Most landlords have heard of it; many would struggle to point to their assessment.
What is actually required
A written Legionella risk assessment for each rental property. For a standard low-risk domestic let, the assessment itself is usually short — the value is in having it on file.
When the risk profile changes
Long voids, unused taps, large cold-water tanks, hot-water systems running below the recommended temperature — each of these moves a property out of “routine” territory and warrants more attention.
A simple tenant briefing
A short note at the start of the tenancy explaining the need to run taps and showers after long absences is sensible. It also produces a record that the briefing was given.
A two-page document on file is cheap. The conversation you avoid by having it is priceless.
