Is a legionella risk assessment a condition of a short-term let licence in Scotland?

Yes. It is one of the mandatory conditions attached to every short-term let licence: the licence holder must assess the risk from exposure to legionella within the premises.

Do I need a professional to do it?

No. The Scottish Government’s guidance for hosts says the assessment does not need to be carried out by a professional and you can do it yourself. It advises you to keep a brief record, because your council may want to see it.

My let is on Scottish Water mains. Do I still need one?

Yes. The separate water-supply condition needs nothing more if you are on the mains, but the legionella condition applies whether or not the premises has a private water supply.

How often does it need redoing?

The licence conditions set no fixed interval. Review it when the water system or the way the property is used changes, after a long shutdown, and before you apply to renew the licence. Each DwellFlow assessment sets its own review date from what the property is.

Does a hot tub count?

A hot tub is a spa pool, with its own HSE guidance and its own regime of testing and treatment. A hot and cold water assessment of the house does not cover it.

What about a long-term let in Scotland?

The same health and safety duty applies to landlords of long lets across Great Britain. The licence condition is specific to short-term lets; the duty to assess the risk is not.

For short-term let hosts in Scotland

Legionella risk assessment for a short-term let in Scotland.

Every short-term let in Scotland needs a licence, and one of the conditions of every licence is a legionella risk assessment. You do not need a professional to do it. You do need a record of it, because your council may ask to see it.

What the licence says

A mandatory condition, in one sentence.

The Licensing of Short-term Lets Order 2022 attaches the same mandatory conditions to every licence in Scotland. Paragraph 9 of schedule 3 reads: “The holder of the licence must assess the risk from exposure to legionella within the premises, whether or not the premises are served by a private water supply.” It is on legislation.gov.uk.

A licence is needed however long you let for, one night or several months. It runs for a period your council sets, often three years, and has to be renewed before it expires.

What the Scottish Government says

You can do it yourself. Keep the record.

No professional needed. The guidance for hosts says the assessment “does not need to be carried out by a professional; you can do it yourself.”
Keep a record. It advises you to “keep a brief record of what assessment you did, as your licensing authority may want to see it.” Your council may also offer a template form.
Hot tubs are separate. The guidance points hosts to HSE’s own advice on hot tubs, pools and spas, which have a regime of their own.

From the Scottish Government’s short-term lets licensing guidance for hosts and operators, published 25 March 2026, paragraphs 2.47 to 2.50, which in turn points to HSE’s page on legionella and landlords.

Why a short-term let is different

Low risk in a family home. Not between bookings.

The same guidance says the risk in most homes is low “because water is used regularly and does not stagnate.” A short-term let is the exception to that sentence. It stands empty between guests, sometimes for weeks, and the first thing every arriving guest does is take a shower in water that has stood in the pipes since the last changeover.

So the assessment is short, and the part that matters is the routine that follows it: every outlet run through during voids, stored hot water kept hot rather than turned down, shower heads cleaned, and the person who does the changeovers named. The holiday-let page sets out that routine in full.

Doing it

Do it at a changeover. AI does the write-up.

Your phone asks the questions at the property, including how long it stands empty between bookings. You take a temperature at each outlet and photograph what you find; the AI checks the survey before you submit, then writes the assessment and the written scheme of control, with the guidance clause under every recommendation. That is the record your council may ask for. Thirty minutes to an hour, depending on the size and type of the water system, and £20 a property including VAT. Managing lets for owners? The same survey works across a portfolio, at less per property.

Questions Scottish hosts ask

Short answers.

Is a legionella risk assessment a condition of a short-term let licence in Scotland? Yes. It is one of the mandatory conditions attached to every short-term let licence: the licence holder must assess the risk from exposure to legionella within the premises.
Do I need a professional to do it? No. The Scottish Government’s guidance for hosts says the assessment does not need to be carried out by a professional and you can do it yourself. It advises you to keep a brief record, because your council may want to see it.
My let is on Scottish Water mains. Do I still need one? Yes. The separate water-supply condition needs nothing more if you are on the mains, but the legionella condition applies whether or not the premises has a private water supply.
How often does it need redoing? The licence conditions set no fixed interval. Review it when the water system or the way the property is used changes, after a long shutdown, and before you apply to renew the licence. Each DwellFlow assessment sets its own review date from what the property is.
Does a hot tub count? A hot tub is a spa pool, with its own HSE guidance and its own regime of testing and treatment. A hot and cold water assessment of the house does not cover it.
What about a long-term let in Scotland? The same health and safety duty applies to landlords of long lets across Great Britain. The licence condition is specific to short-term lets; the duty to assess the risk is not.