Free legionella training for landlords

A landlord does not need a qualification. A landlord does need to know what to look for.

Every landlord of a rented home in England, Scotland and Wales has the same duty: HSE says landlords “have a legal duty to ensure that the risk of exposure of tenants to legionella is properly assessed and controlled”. That applies to one flat as much as to a portfolio, to houses in multiple occupation and to holiday lets.

HSE also says who can do it: “Most landlords can assess the risk themselves and do not need to be professionally trained or accredited.” What the person does need is to be competent: to understand where legionella could grow in the property, the precautions, and how to keep them working. This legionella training for landlords teaches those three things for an ordinary home.

Free legionella awareness training. Not a qualification.

• Free. No payment, no sign-in, no email address asked for.
• Online, at your own pace. Watch, listen or read, on a phone or a computer.
• Only about domestic properties. Houses and flats that are let, in England, Scotland and Wales.
• Checked against HSE. Each lesson lists the HSE documents it came from.
• Not accredited, and no certificate. It does not, by itself, make anyone competent. HSE’s code of practice says competence comes from training, instruction, experience and knowledge together. The course is the knowledge.

Short answers.

• Do landlords need legionella training? There is no legal requirement for a landlord to hold a legionella qualification. HSE says most landlords can assess the risk themselves and do not need to be professionally trained or accredited. The person who does the assessment must be competent, which means understanding the water system and its risks. That is what this course teaches.
• Is this legionella course for landlords really free? Yes. All eight lessons, the videos and the test are free, with no sign-in and no email address asked for. You only pay DwellFlow if you go on to use the software and want the report it writes.
• Can I do my own legionella risk assessment after this training? HSE says most landlords can assess the risk themselves. The course gives you the knowledge; it does not by itself make anyone competent. If you finish it unsure about your property, HSE says you can arrange for someone else to do the assessment for you.
• Do I get a legionella certificate at the end? No. The course is not accredited and there is no certificate. HSE says health and safety law does not require landlords to obtain or produce a legionella test certificate. What you need is a risk assessment and a record of it.
• How long does the landlord legionella training take? About 13 minutes to watch the eight videos, or about 1 hour 17 minutes to read every lesson in full. Each lesson stands on its own, so you can do one at a time.

Related: Do landlords need a legionella risk assessment? · How to do your own legionella risk assessment · Do landlords need a legionella certificate?

The same course, for other people: Free legionella training for letting agents and property managers · Free legionella training for plumbers and gas engineers