The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), has warned that landlords are erroneously being asked by letting agents and consultants to provide a Legionnaires’ testing certificate for their properties.

The landlords have been asked to supply the documentation having been told it is a requirement of the revised L8 Approved Code of Practice.

Although they have a duty to ensure that the risk of Legionnaires’ disease to their tenants is properly assessed and controlled, health & safety law does not require a testing certificate, according to the CIPHE.

Landlords can carry out the risk assessment themselves, so long as they are knowledgeable and can be considered competent, the Institute says.

It directs those concerned with how to carry out this assessment to the HSE website, which offers free-to-download guidelines.

Danny Davis, operations manager for the CIPHE, said: “Since the launch of our Safe Water campaign at the beginning of August, a number of worried landlords have been in touch about this matter.

“It appears that misinterpretation of the legal requirements has been placing an unnecessary financial burden on some landlords. We would like to raise awareness of this issue to prevent further misunderstandings.”