HOW TO HIRE · CLEANING

How to hire an office cleaner in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to office cleaners, but COSHH, TUPE and the National Living Wage shape the contract. The checks to make.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an office cleaner in five steps

  1. Ask for insurance certificatesPublic and employers' liability, in writing.
  2. COSHHSafe storage and protective kit for the chemicals.
  3. Changing contractor?TUPE may move the current cleaners across.
  4. Check the rateA rate near the National Living Wage cannot cover holiday pay.
  5. Write the scheduleAreas, frequency and hours.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nothing licenses office cleaners in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so office cleaning can be offered by anyone; trader status, insurance and references carry the weight. No register requires it, but public liability insurance is what pays if office cleaning damages a floor, a fabric or a fitting. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 entitles you to office cleaning done with reasonable care and skill.

Ask for a business name, an invoice for the office cleaning and the name of the insurer. Get the insurer's name from the office cleaner before booking the office cleaning.

Cleaning chemicals and COSHH

Strong products used for office cleaning — degreasers, descalers, biocides — are hazardous substances, and HSE says its COSHH rules cover a self-employed cleaner who brings them into your home, except for monitoring and health surveillance.

Ask which products the office cleaning uses, and whether they are safe on your surfaces. hse.gov.uk →

TUPE when you change contractor

gov.uk explains that the TUPE Regulations protect employees when a business or service transfers, which can include a contract changing hands: existing cleaners may move to the new contractor on their terms.

If you are replacing an office cleaning contractor, ask both firms how TUPE applies. gov.uk →

The National Living Wage

Under the National Minimum Wage Regulations, from 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, in all four nations. A price per cleaner hour barely above it leaves nothing for holiday pay, supervision or products.

Ask the office cleaning contractor what the cleaners are paid. gov.uk →

VAT

Office cleaning is standard-rated, so VAT is 20% on the contract. A contract cleaning company above the £90,000 threshold must be registered, charge it on every visit and show the 20% as its own line.

Ask for the cleaning contractor's VAT number and check every monthly invoice shows the 20% apart from the hours. gov.uk →

“Can you send your public and employers' liability certificates?”

A good answer: Yes, in writing.

“How do you store and use cleaning chemicals under COSHH?”

A good answer: Safe storage, data sheets and protective kit.

“What do your office cleaners earn per hour?”

A good answer: At or above the National Living Wage, with holiday pay.

“Who supervises the office cleaning, and how are complaints handled?”

A good answer: A named supervisor and a process.

“Does TUPE affect our current cleaners?”

A good answer: An honest answer if contractors change.

“What is the schedule and scope?”

A good answer: Areas, tasks and frequency, written.

“Is VAT included?”

A good answer: Quotes are usually before VAT at 20%.

Getting the quote right

  • Scope by area and frequency
  • Hours per visit and rate per cleaner hour
  • Products and consumables
  • Insurance certificates
  • Who actually attends each shift, and whether the cleaners are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with 20% VAT shown separately on each monthly invoice

Walk away if

  • A rate too close to the National Living Wage
  • No COSHH answers
  • Verbal insurance only
  • No supervisor or complaints route
LOW
£15
TYPICAL
£22
HIGH
£40

What an office cleaner costs: £15–£40 per hour

Office cleaning is priced per cleaner hour on a schedule; out-of-hours work costs more. Office Cleaning price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Office cleaners near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. DesksWiped and bins emptied.
  2. WashroomsCleaned, disinfected and restocked.
  3. KitchensWorktops and appliances wiped.
  4. FloorsVacuumed and mopped.
  5. Lock upSecurity routine followed.

TUPE
The rules protecting employees when a service transfers.
COSHH
HSE's rules on hazardous substances.
Cleaner hour
One cleaner working for one hour.
Employers' liability
Insurance a business with staff must hold.
National Living Wage
The legal minimum pay for workers 21 and over.
Schedule
The written list of areas and frequency.

AFTER

When the job is done

Review monthlyAgainst the schedule.
Keep the contractScope, rates and notice.
Log issuesIn writing to the supervisor.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy are tied to a booking, so yours about the office cleaning carries weight. If something is not right, the make-it-right step gives the office cleaner the first chance to fix it before it is published.

STEP 1Put it in writing to the office cleanerMessage the office cleaner with the date, what went wrong and the fix you want. If the office cleaning fell below reasonable care and skill — the test in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 — sections 55 and 56 give you a free redo or a cut in the price.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepIf you rate the office cleaning under four stars, Locufy asks whether to send the problem to the office cleaner first, and we follow it through before your review goes up.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesFor advice about the office cleaning, or to have the complaint passed to Trading Standards, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedAn unpaid refund or repair bill from the office cleaning goes to small claims: £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland using simple procedure, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland — all designed to be used without a solicitor.

Hiring an office cleaner: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

HSE's COSHH rules on hazardous substances.

It can, when a service transfers to a new contractor; ask both firms.

£15–£40 per cleaner hour, about £22 on average. Read the office cleaning price guide for the factors behind it; to see cleaners near you, enter your town above.

The National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for workers 21 and over from 1 April 2026.

Usually, at 20%, on a business cleaning invoice.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in cleaning

How to hire: Deep CleaningHow to hire: Carpet CleaningHow to hire: Window CleaningHow to hire: After Builders CleaningHow to hire: One-Off CleaningHow to hire: Upholstery CleaningHow to hire: Pressure WashingHow to hire: House CleaningAll 701 hiring guides →

Office cleaners near you

Office cleaners in LondonOffice cleaners in ManchesterOffice cleaners in BirminghamOffice cleaners in GlasgowOffice cleaners in BelfastAll office cleaners on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — does COSHH apply to the self-employed?
  2. gov.uk — business transfers, takeovers and TUPE
  3. gov.uk — National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  6. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  7. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register