Legionella Risk Assessment Template for Landlords

Most legionella risk assessment templates you'll find online are council PDFs designed for commercial buildings — 10 pages of fields that don't apply to a two-bed flat with a combi boiler. Here's a template built specifically for domestic rental properties, with a walkthrough of what each section actually means.

Why you need a written record

The HSE's guidance for landlords is clear: you must assess the risk of legionella in your rental properties and keep a written record. If someone contracts Legionnaires' disease and the HSE investigates, your written assessment is your evidence that you took reasonable steps.

No written record = no evidence = potential prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, with unlimited fines and up to 2 years' imprisonment. For the full legal breakdown, see our legionella risk assessment guide.

The template

Copy and complete the sections below for each rental property. Keep it as a Word document or spreadsheet — not a paper form in a drawer.

Section 1: Property details

Field	Your entry
Property address
Property type (house / flat / HMO)
Number of bathrooms
Number of kitchens
Boiler type (combi / system / back boiler / electric)
Hot water storage (none / cylinder / tank)
Cold water storage (mains-fed only / header tank)
Assessment date
Assessor name
Next review date (2 years from assessment)

Why this matters: Property type and water system determine your risk level. A flat with a combi boiler (no stored water) is lower risk than a house with a header tank in the loft and a hot water cylinder.

Section 2: Water temperature checks

Check temperatures at representative outlets. Run each tap for one minute before measuring.

Outlet	Hot temp (°C)	Cold temp (°C)	Time to reach 50°C+	Pass/Fail
Kitchen tap				Hot ≥50°C, Cold <20°C
Bathroom basin				Hot ≥50°C, Cold <20°C
Bath tap				Hot ≥50°C, Cold <20°C
Shower				Hot ≥50°C, Cold <20°C
En-suite (if applicable)				Hot ≥50°C, Cold <20°C

What you're checking: Legionella multiplies between 20–45°C. Hot water should reach 50°C within one minute of running the tap. Cold water should stay below 20°C. If your hot water cylinder or boiler stores water, it should be set to 60°C or above.

If temperatures fail: Increase the boiler thermostat or cylinder stat. If cold water is above 20°C, check whether pipes run through warm spaces (airing cupboards, near heating pipes) and insulate them.

Section 3: Water system inspection

Check	Yes / No / N/A	Notes
Cold water tank has close-fitting lid?		N/A if mains-fed (combi boiler)
Cold water tank free of debris and sediment?
Hot water cylinder thermostat set to 60°C+?		N/A if combi boiler
Any dead legs (capped-off pipes, removed taps)?
Any outlets rarely used (<1x per week)?		List which ones
Showerheads free of heavy limescale/biofilm?
Pipework insulated where running through warm/cold areas?
System flushed after last void period?		Note date and void duration

Dead legs are sections of pipework that no longer connect to an active outlet. They're common after bathroom conversions or where a tap was removed. Stagnant water in dead legs is a legionella risk — remove the redundant pipework if possible, or flush it regularly.

Rarely used outlets (spare bathroom, utility room tap) allow water to stagnate. Include these in your management actions below.

Section 4: Risk level

Based on your findings, rate the overall risk:

Risk level	Criteria
Low	Combi boiler (no stored water), all temperatures pass, no dead legs, no water tanks, no rarely used outlets
Medium	System boiler with cylinder at 60°C+, minor issues found (e.g., one rarely used outlet, slight limescale on showerhead)
High	Open water tank without lid, temperatures in 20–45°C range, dead legs present, property void for 30+ days without flushing

Most standard domestic rental properties with a combi boiler will be low risk. The HSE confirms this in ACOP L8 — for low-risk properties, no further action beyond the assessment may be needed.

Section 5: Management actions

Record what you'll do to maintain control, based on what you found:

Action	Frequency	Next due
Flush rarely used outlets for 2 mins	Weekly (tenant) / between tenancies (landlord)
Check hot water temperature at taps	Every 2 years (at review)
Descale/replace showerheads	Annually or when limescale builds
Inspect cold water tank condition	Every 2 years (at review)
Flush full system after void periods (7+ days empty)	Before each new tenancy
Remove dead leg pipework	One-off — note completion date

Tenant responsibility: Include a note in your tenant welcome pack asking tenants to run all taps and showers at least once a week, especially in rooms that aren't used daily. You're responsible for the system; they're responsible for regular use.

Combi boiler properties: the short version

If your property has a combi boiler, no water storage, no dead legs, and all outlets are used regularly, your assessment will likely be:

Risk level: Low
Actions: Flush system between tenancies, descale showerheads annually, review in 2 years
Time to complete: 20–30 minutes

The assessment still needs doing and recording — but it's quick.

What NOT to put in your template

Don't record tenant usage patterns beyond noting rarely used outlets. You don't need to monitor how often your tenant showers.
Don't include commercial building fields (cooling towers, spa pools, humidifiers) unless you actually have these systems. Most council templates include them because they're designed for all building types.
Don't leave sections blank — write "N/A" with a reason. A blank field looks like you forgot to check; "N/A — combi boiler, no stored water" shows you considered it.

When to redo the assessment

Review your assessment:

Every 2 years as standard practice (HSE recommended interval)
After any plumbing work — new boiler, altered pipework, bathroom added or removed
After a void period of 30+ days — reassess before the new tenant moves in
If a tenant reports discoloured water, unusual smells, or fluctuating temperatures

Check your overall compliance status →