CIPHE is advising landlords that the need to provide a 'Legionnaires Testing Certificate' for their properties is not a requirement of the revised L8 ACOP, after receiving reports that some letting agents and consultants are asking for them.

The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering has said while landlords do have a duty to ensure that the risk of exposure to Legionnaires' Disease to their tenants is properly assessed and controlled, health and safety law does not require a 'Legionnaires Testing Certificate'.

Instead, landlords can carry out the risk assessment themselves, so long as they are knowledgeable and can be considered competent. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has free guidelines on its website – www.hse.gov.uk – that can be downloaded by landlords.

Danny Davis, CIPHE operations manager, 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 have been placing an unnecessary financial burden on some landlords. We would like to raise awareness of this issue to prevent further misunderstandings."

For more information about the Safe Water campaign, visit the consumer section of the CIPHE website www.ciphe.org.uk