As a registered housing provider, you have a legal duty to protect your tenants from health hazards, including the risks associated with legionella bacteria in water systems. The Regulator of Social Housing’s Safety and Quality Standard sets clear expectations, stating that:

“Registered providers must identify and meet all legal requirements that relate to the health and safety of tenants in their homes and communal areas.”

This means that landlords, housing associations and property managers must take proactive steps to assess, manage and control legionella risks in rental properties to ensure tenant safety and regulatory compliance.

The law recognises that most residential rental properties have low legionella risk, particularly where water is used daily, preventing stagnation, cold water comes directly from the mains (not stored) and hot water is heated and distributed at 50-60°C through a well-maintained system. For such properties, a simple risk assessment and basic control measures (such as temperature monitoring and flushing unused outlets) are usually sufficient.

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