Legionella Risk Assessment — landlord obligations in England
Health and safety law requires landlords to assess and manage the risk of Legionella bacteria in water systems under their control. For most domestic properties with a simple hot and cold water system the risk is low, but an assessment must still be carried out. Where a risk is identified, appropriate control measures must be put in place.
The law that creates this obligation
Your obligations as a landlord
- Who this applies to: Landlords who control water systems that could present a risk of Legionella exposure.
- When it applies: Before the property is let, and then reviewed on significant change, new information, or following an incident.
- What you must do: Carry out a suitable and sufficient Legionella risk assessment for the property's water systems, and keep a record of the assessment for platform evidence purposes — a formal written certificate is not a universal statutory requirement for most simple domestic water systems, but keeping a record is strongly recommended.
What good evidence looks like
Your compliance file should contain
- Written record or document confirming this obligation has been met
- Date of compliance — email timestamp, signed receipt, or platform log
Upload the Legionella risk assessment record for the property.
Record this obligation in your LettingsLedger workspace
Upload evidence, set reminders, and build a timestamped compliance record — all in one place.
Consequences of non-compliance
This is a criminal offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which can lead to a prohibition notice, improvement notice, and prosecution.
Further reading for landlords
LettingsLedger is a compliance evidence governance platform. It is not a legal services provider and does not provide legal advice. Content is derived from UK primary legislation at legislation.gov.uk and official GOV.UK sources. Reflects the position as at June 2026. A GovProtocol product by Pertheo Limited.