Every landlord has a legal duty to assess and control the risk of legionella in a rented home. But for most standard properties there is no mandatory "legionella certificate" and no routine water test — the myth that sells expensive, unnecessary tests. Here's what the law actually asks for, how to do a simple assessment, and how to keep the record under review.
Track your assessment free — no card required →General guidance, not legal advice · last reviewed 25 August 2026 · always verify on the HSE & GOV.UK
The duty comes from the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), with practical detail in the HSE's Approved Code of Practice L8 and guidance HSG274. In plain terms:
The HSE has been clear that in most residential settings a simple assessment is enough and routine testing is not normally required — testing or a professional assessor become sensible only where the risk assessment identifies a specific concern (complex systems, stored water tanks, long void periods, or vulnerable occupants). Verify your own circumstances on the HSE legionella pages.
Because the duty sounds technical, plenty of services market a paid "legionella certificate" or annual test as if it were the law. For a straightforward domestic rental it generally isn't. What protects you is a suitable and sufficient risk assessment that you actually act on and keep under review — dated, recorded, and revisited when things change. That's what an inspector, insurer or tenant's solicitor would expect to see, not a glossy certificate.
General good practice for a simple, regularly occupied property — not a statutory checklist. If anything here is unclear or the system is complex, use a competent assessor.
Then the part everyone forgets: review it. A dated assessment with a review reminder is how you show, months later, that the duty was managed — not left in a drawer.
Legionella isn't a certificate with an expiry date printed on it, which is exactly why it slips. LandlordProof gives it a home alongside your gas, EICR and EPC records:
Honest about it: LandlordProof is a record-keeping and reminder tool. It does not carry out or sign off a legionella risk assessment, and it isn't legal advice — you (or a competent assessor) do the assessment; we make sure the paperwork and the review date don't get lost.
Free for your first property. Up to 30 properties, the document vault and the full toolkit for £39/year (about £3.25 a month). No card to start.
Yes — a duty to assess and control the risk (HSWA 1974, COSHH 2002, HSE L8/HSG274). But the duty is to assess, record and review, not to hold a certificate.
For most standard, occupied homes, no routine test and no "certificate" is required. Testing follows only if your assessment flags a specific concern.
For a simple system, usually yes, if you're competent to understand and control the risk. Complex systems or flagged concerns → use a trained assessor.
No single fixed interval for a standard let — review periodically and whenever the system or circumstances change (new tenancy, void period, plumbing work).
Set up a free account for your first property in about a minute. Store the assessment, set a review reminder, and stop it slipping. No card, no trial countdown.
Start free →Free forever for one property · unlock everything for £39/year (about £3.25/month)