Guides / Holiday let hot tub regulations (HSG282): what to test and record
Holiday let hot tub regulations (HSG282): what to test and record
A hot tub that paying guests use counts as a work activity in the UK, even in a single holiday cottage. HSE's guidance HSG282 expects regular water tests and records you can show an inspector. This free log covers the daily checks, changeovers and lab results.
Download the hot tub log (Excel, free)
Also free: a hot tub risk assessment checklist (Word) with the HSG282 headings, to fill in for your property, and a printable hot tub rules sign for guests.
What HSG282 asks for, in short
| Check | Typical frequency for a domestic-type hot tub |
|---|---|
| pH and free chlorine (or bromine) | At least twice a day, depending on your risk assessment and use |
| Water clarity, water line | Daily |
| Water replacement, filter clean | Between lets or as your risk assessment sets |
| Lab samples | Councils commonly ask monthly, and legionella at least quarterly |
| Keep records | At least 5 years, showing who did each check and when, signed or verified |
Typical targets in the guidance: free chlorine 3 to 5 mg/l or bromine 4 to 6 mg/l, pH 7.0 to 7.6. Your own written risk assessment and your council's conditions come first.
What is in the log
- Daily checks: date, time, tub, chlorine or bromine, pH, clarity, water line, chemical added, who checked and initials. Out-of-range values turn red.
- Changeovers: drain and refill, filter, cover and headrests, shock dose.
- Lab results: sample date, lab, test, result, action taken, report reference.
- Monthly: jets removed and inspected for biofilm, pipework cleaned and disinfected, lab sample taken.
- Targets: edit to match your risk assessment.
- Alarm tests: smoke, heat and CO alarms between guests (fire safety is a separate duty for paying-guest accommodation).
- Water flushing: taps and showers after the property stood empty, with hot and cold temperature spot checks for Legionella control.
Need the dose, not just the record? The hot tub chlorine calculator gives grams for your tub size.
General information, not legal advice. Read HSE's HSG282 and your local council's guidance for holiday lets with hot tubs.
Want a step-by-step plan from your own test?
Clearly turns your pool or hot tub water test into an ordered plan: what to add, how much and in what order, for any brand of chemicals. It works offline and needs no account.
Clearly by Pulad Labs (Istanbul). Android, available on Google Play.
General information, not professional advice. Always follow the product label and your pool manufacturer's guidance. Never mix chemicals, add chemical to water (not water to chemical), wear eye and skin protection, and keep children and pets away while treating the water.
Frequently asked questions
Do holiday let hot tubs need water testing records?
Yes. In the UK a hot tub used by paying guests is a work activity, and HSE's HSG282 expects regular tests and records, kept for at least five years, showing who did each check and when.
How often should I test a holiday let hot tub?
HSG282 gives at least twice a day for pH and disinfectant in domestic-type hot tubs, depending on your risk assessment and use, with daily visual checks and regular lab samples.
What chlorine and pH levels does HSG282 give?
Free chlorine 3 to 5 mg/l or bromine 4 to 6 mg/l, and pH 7.0 to 7.6.