What is HSG282?
HSG282 is the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance document for managing spa pool systems safely. If you rent out a property with a hot tub, it applies to you. The full title is The control of legionella and other infectious agents in spa-pool systems, and it covers everything from water quality to record keeping.
The guidance exists because warm, aerated water is a breeding ground for bacteria, including Legionella. In a private home, the risk is manageable because you know who uses the tub and how. In a holiday let, you have different guests every week, varying hygiene habits, and no guarantee anyone read the welcome pack. That is why the HSE treats holiday let hot tubs as business-use systems, not domestic ones.
The good news: WhatSpa? estimates the compliance routine amounts to a few hours of work per week. It is not the regulatory nightmare some people imagine.
Does HSG282 Apply to My Holiday Let?
Yes, if guests pay to stay at your property and have access to the hot tub. It does not matter whether the property is a cottage, a lodge, a glamping pod, or a shepherd’s hut. If it is a business setting and there is a hot tub, HSG282 applies.
This includes Airbnb lets, agency-managed cottages, holiday parks, and any property where guests are paying to stay.
The Daily Routine
This is the part that worries most people, and it is also the part that turns out to be simple.
Twice-daily checks (2 minutes each)
Test water clarity, pH, and disinfectant residual. You are looking for:
- Clear water (no cloudiness or foam)
- pH between 7.2 and 7.6
- Free chlorine 3-5 mg/l, or total bromine 4-6 mg/l
Record each reading in your log. If a reading is off, adjust. If the water is cloudy and will not clear, close the tub until it does.
Who does this?
Your cleaner, your property manager, or you. We provide a testing kit and laminated log sheets with every holiday let installation. The test takes two minutes with a simple dip strip or reagent kit.
Between Guest Groups
HSG282 says you should drain, clean, and refill the hot tub between each group of guests, or at least weekly, whichever comes first.
For a 13A tub like the ReefSpa Coral, a full drain and refill takes 2-3 hours including heat-up time. During that time:
- Drain completely
- Wipe down the shell, waterline, headrests, and jets
- Remove, clean, and rotate filter cartridges (keep two sets so one can dry while the other is in use)
- Refill with fresh water
- Dose chemicals and wait for readings to come into range
- Record everything in the changeover log
Your changeover cleaner can handle this with the checklist we provide. It slots into a normal property turnaround.
Monthly and Quarterly Testing
Monthly: microbiological testing
Once a month, take a water sample and send it to a UKAS-accredited laboratory. They test for aerobic colony count, coliforms, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The lab sends results back within a few days. If anything fails, you close the tub, shock-dose, drain, clean, refill, and retest.
Quarterly: Legionella testing
Every three months, the lab also tests for Legionella. This is the one people worry about most, but with proper disinfection and regular water changes, positive results are rare in well-maintained domestic-type hot tubs.
Record Keeping
HSG282 requires you to keep records of:
- Your written risk assessment
- The operating procedures (who does what, when, and how)
- All daily and weekly test results
- Chemical usage
- Maintenance and cleaning records
- Lab test results
- Any incidents or corrective actions
Keep monitoring records for at least five years. Keep the risk assessment for at least two years after it is superseded.
We provide printed and digital log templates with every installation. Fill them in as you go. If anyone ever asks to see your records (an insurer, a local authority, or an agency), you hand them the folder.
What Makes Compliance Easier
The right equipment makes a big difference. HSG282 recommends inline chemical feeders rather than hand-dosing for business-use hot tubs. Both the Coral and Ocean have inline feeders as standard.
Other features that matter:
- 24/7 filtration (both models run continuously)
- Full water turnover in under 15 minutes (HSG282 recommends this for domestic-type spa pools)
- Lockable controls so guests cannot change temperature or filtration settings
- Steel frame construction that handles years of commercial use
Devon and Somerset Trading Standards are blunt on this point: cheap inflatable or home-use hot tubs are not suitable for commercial or business use.
Guest Information
You need clear, visible guest instructions near the hot tub. We provide laminated, waterproof signage covering:
- Shower before use
- No glass in or around the tub
- Maximum bather number
- Maximum 15-minute sessions
- Children must be supervised at all times
- Water temperature should not exceed 40C
- Do not use if unwell
- Report any issues immediately
The same rules go in the welcome pack. Clear, simple, and visible. Guests are surprisingly good at following rules when they are presented plainly.
What Your Dealer Should Provide
A good dealer does not just sell you a tub and leave you to figure out compliance on your own. When we install a holiday let hot tub, our holiday let package includes:
- Risk assessment template
- Written operating procedures
- Guest safety signage
- Testing kit and reagents
- Log templates (print and digital)
- Starter chemical pack
- Training on the changeover routine
We also offer ongoing service contracts with priority callout for holiday let customers. If something goes wrong mid-season with guests arriving, you need a dealer who answers the phone.
The Bottom Line
HSG282 compliance is not a burden. It is a routine. Test twice a day, change the water between guests, send a lab sample once a month, and keep your logs up to date. If you have the right tub and the right support, it fits into normal property management without drama.
If you are thinking about adding a hot tub to your holiday let, talk to us. We will walk you through the compliance side before you commit to anything.