An insured cleaning company is one whose cleaners are covered if they injure someone or damage your property while working in your home. At a minimum, that means public liability insurance. If the company employs its cleaners, it also means employers' liability insurance, which UK law requires. At Cosy Maids, our cleaners are vetted and insured, and every booking carries a 72-hour re-clean guarantee. This guide explains what each type of cover does, where gaps appear and how to check the cover before you hand over your keys.
TL;DR
- Public liability insurance covers injury to you or damage to your property caused by the cleaner's work. Employers' liability is a separate cover that the law requires when people are employed.
- Standard cover can have gaps for carpets, ovens and delicate surfaces, so the type of job matters as much as the word "insured".
- A good cleaning company can state its cover clearly and name the business that holds it. Home insurance is a backstop, not the first line.
- For end-of-tenancy and between-tenant cleans, insured cleaners and a re-clean guarantee protect both deposit and inventory.
- Cosy Maids cleaners are vetted and insured, prices are fixed and shown instantly, and every clean has a 72-hour re-clean guarantee.
Table of Contents
- Why insurance matters when someone cleans your home
- The types of cover, in plain English
- What the law requires, and what it does not
- How to check a cleaning company's insurance
- Booking through a cleaning company
- End-of-tenancy and between-tenant cleans
- What happens if something is damaged or someone is hurt
- How much does insured cleaning cost?
- Choosing an insured cleaner for your situation
- Our approach at Cosy Maids
- FAQ
- Sources
Why insurance matters when someone cleans your home
A cleaner works with water, chemicals, ladders, heavy appliances and your belongings. Most visits end without incident. The rare ones are the reason cover exists: a slipped bottle of bleach on a wooden floor, a cracked glass hob, a visitor who trips on a wet stair.
Without the right insurance, the cost of putting that right can fall on you. You would be left chasing the person responsible, or claiming on your own home policy and perhaps paying an excess. Insurance moves that cost to an insurer, which is why "fully insured" appears on almost every cleaning website. The words are easy to print. What sits behind them differs from one company to the next.
For busy professionals, this matters more than most. You are often out when the cleaner is in. You want to come home to a clean flat, not a claims process.
The types of cover, in plain English
Cleaning insurance is not one product. The main parts below are the ones UK insurers and official guidance describe for cleaning businesses.
Public liability insurance
This is the core cover. Business.gov.uk explains that public liability protects against claims that a member of the public was injured, or their property damaged, because of a business's activities. For you as a customer, that means a cleaner who breaks a mirror or injures a guest is covered by the cleaning company's policy rather than by you.
Simply Business describes the same cover as paying out for damage to someone else's property while working and for injuries resulting from the work, including accidental injuries caused by employees.
Public liability is not a legal requirement for self-employed cleaners, though insurers such as AXA recommend it strongly. That is why you will see it advertised as a mark of a serious operator.
Employers' liability insurance
This cover protects the people who work for the business, not you. It pays if an employee is hurt or made ill by their work. Business.gov.uk states that UK businesses are legally required to hold it if people work for them. Simply Business notes one exception: an unincorporated family business where every employee is a family member.
Why should you care? A company that has set this up properly is usually one that runs its staffing in an orderly way. It also means a cleaner hurt in your home is not a dispute between you and them.
Damage to property worked upon
This is the section customers rarely hear about. Standard public liability can exclude or limit damage to the very thing being cleaned. Polished Insurance notes that this matters particularly for carpets, ovens and delicate surfaces, and that a separate "damage to property worked upon" section closes the gap.
It explains why a company that offers carpet, oven or upholstery cleaning should be able to tell you that those jobs are covered, not just general cleaning. A cheap online policy can leave out exactly this kind of work, according to CoverTrade's list of common omissions, which also includes loss of client keys and end-of-tenancy work.
Keys, theft and dishonesty
Two further parts matter if a cleaner holds a key to your home:
- Loss of keys. Optional on many policies. It pays for locks to be changed if keys are lost.
- Employee dishonesty. Public liability does not cover theft by a cleaner or their colleagues. Polished Insurance explains that this is a separate section, often called fidelity guarantee or employee dishonesty cover.
This is one reason vetting matters alongside insurance. Insurance deals with the aftermath; checking who comes into your home reduces the chance of a problem in the first place. Cosy Maids cleaners are vetted before they are booked onto jobs.
What the law requires, and what it does not
The legal position is narrower than many people assume.
| Cover | Required by law? | Who it protects |
|---|---|---|
| Employers' liability | Yes, if the business employs people (with limited exceptions) | The cleaning staff |
| Public liability | No, but widely held and often expected by agents and landlords | You and your property |
| Damage to property worked upon | No | You, for the item being cleaned |
| Keys and dishonesty | No | You, as the key holder |
Source for the legal position: Business.gov.uk and AXA.
The practical lesson is that the most useful cover for you, public liability, is not compulsory. A company that holds it has chosen to. And the more specialised the job, the more you want to hear that the company's cover reaches it.
How to check a cleaning company's insurance
You do not need to read a policy line by line. Business.gov.uk advises comparing documents on four points: what the policy covers, what it excludes, the cover limits and any conditions that could void it. Translated into questions for a cleaning company:
- Is public liability held in the company's name? Cover in the name of the business that actually sends the cleaner is what counts.
- Is it in date? Policies run for a year and lapse if not renewed.
- What is the limit? Letting agents and managing agents commonly ask for a certificate showing public liability of £1 million or £2 million, in the business name and currently in date, according to CoverTrade.
- Does it reach the work you are booking? Carpets, ovens and upholstery are the jobs to ask about. Insurers also say that specialist tasks such as working at height, chemical use or window cleaning may need extra disclosure, so a general policy should not be assumed to cover them.
- Are the cleaners employed or engaged by the company, and who is responsible on the day? A clear answer means a clear route if something goes wrong.
A company that is confident in its cover will answer these in a sentence. Hesitation or vague wording is itself useful information.
Booking through a cleaning company
When you book through a cleaning company, you deal with one business for the booking, the price, the cleaners and any problem. That single point of contact is the most practical benefit of the arrangement. If something goes wrong, you are not trying to work out who is responsible.
With Cosy Maids, the cleaners are vetted and insured, and they bring all products and equipment. You see an exact fixed price in seconds and can complete a booking online in about two minutes with no hidden fees. Every clean also carries a 72-hour re-clean guarantee. That covers a different risk from insurance: insurance deals with damage and injury, while the guarantee deals with a clean that falls short.
Insurers point out that the right answer depends on the type of operator, with sole traders, commercial companies and facilities contractors all needing different cover. So the question for you is not whether a label is used, but what is held and whether it fits the work.
End-of-tenancy and between-tenant cleans
Tenants and landlords have a particular reason to care about cover.
For tenants, the clean is about the deposit. Your tenancy agreement and the inventory decide what must be returned in the condition it was handed over in. A company that cleans ovens, carpets and hard-to-reach areas properly reduces the risk of deductions. Damage during the clean, a scratched worktop or a stained carpet, would be a problem on top of the cleaning itself. Insured cleaners mean that the cost of such an accident does not become yours.
Tenants often ask whether their landlord or agent will accept the clean. Many agents ask for receipts, and some ask for proof that the company is insured, as noted above. Our guide on getting your full deposit back in London goes through the process.
For landlords, cleaning between tenants usually happens in an empty property, sometimes with fresh redecoration or new flooring. A mistake costs real money. Check that the company's insurance covers work in unoccupied properties and the specific tasks you need, such as carpet and oven cleaning. If you manage several properties, ask for evidence of cover once and keep it on file.
Our End of Tenancy Cleaning service is priced at £149 to £419, depending on the property. Move In Cleaning starts at £139, and After Builders Cleaning starts at £239, useful for landlords refurbishing between lets.
What happens if something is damaged or someone is hurt
The order of events, if the worst happens, should be simple:
- Tell the cleaning company straight away, ideally in writing, with photos of the damage or the scene.
- The company deals with it under its own insurance. The AA's advice on damage by workmen is that the cleaner or cleaning company should have its own insurance and that you should check the level of cover in its terms.
- Your own home insurance may also respond. The same AA page says accidental damage by a cleaner may be covered under your home insurance, so check your policy. Read the wording: some policies exclude loss or damage caused by the process of professional cleaning, as one UK home policy does.
That last point is why the cleaning company's cover matters more than your own. Home insurance is a backstop, and it can come with exclusions and an excess.
How much does insured cleaning cost?
Insurance is a business cost, so it sits inside the price of a clean. It is not usually a line on your quote. What you should expect is a clear price for the job, not a surprise at the end. At Cosy Maids, prices are fixed and shown before you book. Our published ranges, as listed on the site, are:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Regular Domestic Cleaning | £46 to £124 per visit |
| Deep Cleaning | £129 to £359 |
| Carpet Cleaning | £55 to £175 |
| Oven Cleaning | £65 to £145 |
| Upholstery Cleaning | £45 to £119 |
| Airbnb Cleaning | from £55 per changeover |
The exact figure depends on the size of the home and the tasks. For more on what drives London prices, see our breakdown of what a cleaner costs in London.
Choosing an insured cleaner for your situation
Busy professionals. You are not home, so trust and a quick booking matter. Choose a company that is clear about vetting and insurance, takes the booking online and lets you rebook easily. A recurring slot with the same company keeps one point of contact for any question.
Homeowners wanting regular help. For weekly or fortnightly visits, ask about cover for the tasks you want on top of the basics. Oven and carpet jobs are where the extra section of cover counts.
Tenants. Your priority is the deposit. Match the clean to your tenancy agreement and keep the receipt.
Landlords and property managers. Keep a file of the company's insurance evidence and book the same company across properties so the standard stays consistent.
Our approach at Cosy Maids
We cover all 32 London boroughs. Our cleaners are vetted and insured, they bring professional-grade products and equipment, and the price you see is the price you pay. If a clean misses the mark, our 72-hour re-clean guarantee applies.
If you want a clean you can book in two minutes and stop thinking about, start with our cleaning services or go straight to instant booking.
For offices and commercial spaces, see our office and commercial cleaning page.
FAQ
What insurance should a cleaning company have?
At a minimum, public liability insurance, which covers injury to others and damage to property caused by the work. If the company employs staff, employers' liability is a legal requirement, as Business.gov.uk states. For carpets, ovens and delicate surfaces, ask whether damage to property worked upon is included.
Is an insured cleaner better than an uninsured one?
An insured cleaner means that an accident in your home is dealt with by an insurer rather than by you. Cosy Maids cleaners are vetted and insured, which is why we can offer fixed prices and a re-clean guarantee with confidence in how a booking will run.
Do I need to ask for proof of insurance?
It is reasonable to ask for a certificate showing the business name, the type of cover and the dates. Agents and letting managers commonly request one, with public liability limits of £1 million or £2 million often mentioned, according to CoverTrade. Keep a copy if you manage rental properties.
Will my home insurance cover damage by a cleaner?
Possibly, but check your policy. The AA advises that accidental damage may be covered, while some policies exclude damage caused by professional cleaning. The cleaning company's own insurance should be the first route.
Does the 72-hour re-clean guarantee replace insurance?
No, they do different jobs. Insurance deals with injury and damage. The 72-hour re-clean guarantee at Cosy Maids deals with a clean that is not up to standard, and it applies to every booking.
Sources
- Insuring your business, Business.gov.uk
- Insurance for cleaning business, Simply Business
- Cleaners insurance, AXA UK
- Domestic Cleaners Insurance Explained, Polished Insurance
- Domestic Cleaning Insurance, CoverTrade
- Cleaning Insurance FAQs, Insure24
- Damage caused by builders and workmen, AA Insurance
- Home insurance policy wording, July 2024