Legionella H&S/Landlords responsibilities/ove rzealous testing

I wonder if you have unwittingly agreed to a monthly service for which you will be billed by letting him carry out an initial clean.

This isn’t a service that a landlord would provide and I think you would have been informed beforehand in writing if it was to be carried out for some reason.

I think you should contact your housing provider urgently to find out if they commissioned this service.

In Scotland all landlords are legally required to carry out an annual legionnaire's risk assessment. It's very simple and the landlord can easily complete this but some will pay professional companies to do it. It doesn't involve any cleaning.

In your case Sores, l wouldn't give them access. Surely you need notice and explanation from your landlord. Did they have ID etc

In my professional job, this was a tiny part of it, but as you rightly said, the advice was to run the taps if you have been away for a week.

They should not be working with fluid they do not know about, and I agree a whopping bill will be arriving any day.

Thank you for speedy replies! We had a letter this week describing monthly servicing of the showerhead and water testing, that they would be onsite today and a precise time.
This does seem rather excessive and easy money spinner
for a local firm?!
There are 56 apartments in this retirement village where we live administered by a private Housing Association.

Legal advice suggested to write declining the service as unjustified which we will do this week.

Of course if anything needs fixing, management are nowhere
to be seen !

No he didn’t have ID, but he did have a bucket.
It isn’t much of a career, is it, what an odd occupation.

Job creation scheme?

Jaxjacky - it is a Bona Fide firm I checked them out,
Companies House, Head Office, etc. still its unnecessary
and we will be writing to the HA expressing this decision.

My OH opined it reminded him of traffic light windscreen washer bandits.
I would be mortified if I knew my son/grandson/nephew whoever spent his working day scrubbing old folks showers shudder.

I wondered if anyone else had experienced this rather predatory servicing and what they thought.

Plus, the shower is hard working, four showers daily,
not much chance of germs lurking.

We don’t anticipate a bill, this will be part of the astronomical service charge we pay quarterly, to keep the grounds beaitiful, security, cleaning communal areas etc. This is a new thing, I don’t know if it was commissioned or the water services company approached management.

Either way it is neither necessary nor desirable.

I’m hoping someone who has experienced this
helpful service and what they thought of it will
be along shortly.
If not, thanks all

Lathyrus3

I wonder if you have unwittingly agreed to a monthly service for which you will be billed by letting him carry out an initial clean.

This isn’t a service that a landlord would provide and I think you would have been informed beforehand in writing if it was to be carried out for some reason.

I think you should contact your housing provider urgently to find out if they commissioned this service.

I wouldn’t have thought so? we have asked around to baffled responses.
Many of the residents here are eighties, nineties, infirm,
not steady on their feet, with limited shower use.
Even so, this ‘service’ is an intrusion into tenants privacy and dignity, a high handed diktat which we will not shirk from challenging.
We believed this was a one off as OldFrill described, not a monthly outing!

It’s easier to set up a firm registered at Companies House. Anyone can do it.

Did the letter come direct from the Housing Association telling you about this service or from the firm?

From what you’ve sad they could easily just create a clientele by knocking on the door and saying they’ve come to do a job and people are letting them in to do it?

Lathyrus, from the HA - this is a gated estate - I would have sent him away with a flea in his ear otherwise.

We have been here just over a year now with a Tenancy Agreement which seems to me to be worthless, what with
all the goalpost moving going on.

So much for peace and quiet.

Thank you for your concerns, most kind.

I own a property which I rent out and I try to keep abreast of any requirements whether recommended, legal or moral. I have not read anything about this.

My understanding is that, if any work or inspections are to be carried out, the landlord should give the tenant at least 24 hour's notice and check that it is convenient for the tenant. I always do.

Indigo8

I own a property which I rent out and I try to keep abreast of any requirements whether recommended, legal or moral. I have not read anything about this.

My understanding is that, if any work or inspections are to be carried out, the landlord should give the tenant at least 24 hour's notice and check that it is convenient for the tenant. I always do.

Same here.

I’ve not heard of this either . I’ve looked online at various sites to see if there is a legal requirement and I can’t seem to find anything.

Sorry, but I wouldn't have let him in. Contact Housing officer/ landlord before doing so. Not safe nowadays.

This covers Landlords in England. Unless they have identified a definite risk they are being over zealous.
www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/legionella-landlords-responsibilities.htm

Why are you so unpleasant re this poor lad who is earning an honest living , not everyone can be an investment banker or
doctor and what on earth have the size of his feet got to do with it ! And why are you both having two showers a day , do you not care about the planet your grandson/nephew are inheriting.
I’m off back to Mumsnet , I’m a gran but not grumpy enough yet to be on Gransnet .

Couldn’t agree more. Poor lad, trying to earn an honest living.

If it kills legionella germs it's well worth it. My late MIL caught it from a hotel in Majorca in the 80s. She was very very ill and spent weeks in hospital. The Drs weren't sure if she would survive. Probably caught from unclean aircon or shower.

BTW OP white vinegar cleans limescale not bleach. White vinegar also has antibacterial properties. HTH

I'm not sure why you need bleach and detol on your shower head.

Sazzl is right. White vinegar is the best cleaner and disinfectant for showers. Bleach might kill the germs but it just bleaches the limescale and any mold that might hang around.

This is an intrusion on your privacy.
When I moved into my apartment the manager attended to make sure all the pipes were thoroughly flushed out as the place had been empty for some months.
Now she just reminds me approx. once a fortnight to detach the shower head and give it "a damn good scrub" and run water through the system.
She certainly doesn't send anyone with "special cleaner".

Next time it happens just keep your eye on the family silver......

What a nasty insinuation mae.

Hello SORES, I live in a rented flat and have never heard of this at all.