According to an alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vacation rental properties can be a source of Legionella, the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires’ Disease.
Legionnaires’ Disease is a serious, and sometimes fatal type of pneumonia, and the CDC says the number of cases has been increasing recently.
According to the CDC’s statistics:
• About 1 in 10 people who get Legionnaires' Disease die from it.
• Nearly 1 in 7 Legionnaires’ Disease patients reported staying overnight at hotels, private homes, or vacation rental properties.
• About half of Legionnaires’ Disease patients who reported travel and staying at a vacation rental property also reported hot tub use.
There are steps hosts can take to reduce the risk of guest exposure to Legionnaires’ Disease in their hot tubs.
The CDC recommends hot tubs are monitored for adequate disinfectant levels, even when the hot tub is not in use:
• Bromine: 4–8 ppm.
• Free chlorine: 3–10 ppm.
• pH: 7.2–7.8.
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Follow manufacturer recommendations for:
• Cleaning or scrubbing the hot tub.
• Replacing the filter and water.
• Practicing all other maintenance activities.
Consider installing an automatic di s infectant sys tem for the hot tub rather than handfeeding disinfectant.
Note also that the CDC recommends that public hot tubs should be drained on a weekly to monthly basis, depending on usage.
While a vacation rental hot tub is not considered to be a public hot tub, if it is getting a lot of traffic, hosts should consider treating it as such and hire a professional for regular maintenance.
