Landlords are being warned to review water safety risks after the record hot late-May weather increased concern about legionella growth in stored and stagnant water systems.
The immediate trigger is simple: warmer temperatures can push stored water into the range where legionella bacteria multiplies more easily. That turns a neglected tank, pipe run or little-used outlet from a background maintenance issue into a live health and compliance risk at the start of summer.
For landlords, this is not a new legal duty. It is a reminder that seasonal risk can quickly become a formal enforcement issue if a property has poor water management, long voids or underused parts of the system.
Hot weather can raise risks in low-use water systems
Landlord Today reported that the UK recorded its hottest bank holiday weekend on record, while legionella specialists renewed warnings to landlords as temperatures rise. Legionella bacteria is generally associated with water held between 20C and 45C, especially where there is stagnation or poor circulation.
That matters most in properties with stored hot water systems, little-used showers, empty rooms, loft tanks or accommodation that has been vacant between lets. The risk is not confined to older stock, but modern buildings can also create problems if systems are rarely flushed or poorly maintained.
The Health and Safety Executive says landlords must understand and control the risk from exposure to legionella in water systems.
This follows Residential Landlord’s earlier reporting on councils taking a harder enforcement stance on housing standards. It also sits alongside wider compliance pressure across the sector, where landlords are increasingly being judged not just on rent collection but on whether systems, records and safety processes can stand up to scrutiny.
Official guidance on landlord duties is set out by the Health and Safety Executive’s legionella responsibilities page for landlords.
What landlords should do before summer voids and turnovers
The sensible response is practical rather than dramatic. Landlords should check whether any part of a water system has been unused, whether temperatures are being controlled, and whether a simple flushing and monitoring routine is documented before the next tenant moves in.
- Review legionella risk assessments for any property with stored water
- Flush little-used outlets after void periods or low occupancy
- Keep records of checks, contractor visits and remedial work
The key point is that hot weather does not create a new obligation. It exposes where old routines have slipped.
Opinion
Legionella is one of those risks landlords tend to remember only after a warning hits the headlines. That is a mistake. Summer compliance problems rarely arrive out of nowhere – they usually come from ordinary maintenance tasks that were put off for too long.
