Legionella

Assessments for Landlords

Legionella Assessments for Landlords

One question we are often asked by Landlords is “Do I need to get a Legionella Assessment done?” and the simple answer to that question is a resounding YES. The reason for this answer is twofold as below:

1. Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal lung infection that is caused when individuals inhale the legionella bacteria.
The bacteria can exist in any man-made water system such as water tanks, taps, showers and pipework.
2. Your Rent Smart Wales Landlord licence states that you must comply with the Code of Practice for Licensed Landlords under Part 1 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

So Landlords have a moral and statutory obligation to carry out a Legionella Assessment to ensure the safey of their Contract Holders and to comply the with their licence obligations under Rent Smart Wales.

So what is a Legionella Assessment?

A Legionella Assessment is a risk assessment of the hot and cold water systems within the property, which will include any issues that may contribute towards the potential of Legionella being present within the systems. The assessement will look at the temperature of both the the hot and cold water provided within the property, the outlets where water is distributed such as taps and showers, the presence of any cold storage water tanks, and whether there is any redundant pipework within the property. By producing a suitable risk assessment this will enable Landlords to implement measures to manage, prevent or control the risk of any legionella growth in the future.

There are some simple steps that can be followed to reduce the risk of exposure to Legionella as below:

– Flushing the water system before letting the property
– Avoiding any debris getting into the system, especially if there is a cold water storage tank.If there is a cold water tank this must be fitted with a lid.
– Ensuring that the hot water is heated to 60°C and the cold water is under 20°C
– Make sure all outlets are free of limescale and Contract Holders are advised to keep shower heads clean.

How we can help

Here at Smart Letting Solutions we are able to provide Landlords and Agents with a Legionella Assessment of their property to ensure that any risks are identified and controlled before a Contract Holder takes occupation. We will provide a detailed document outlining the schematics of the water system, the temperature of both the hot and cold water oulets in addition to other data regarding the make up of the system and how it is being maintained. Any risks identifed during the assessment will have recommended control measures included to reduce the risk of Legionella, plus timescales for when these measures should be implemented and if required, re-assessed.