Most cleaning disputes are not about cleaning. They are about a scope that was never written down clearly enough for either side to be right.
A good contract is boring and specific. It says which areas, how often, to what standard, at what price, with what cover when something goes wrong, and how either party gets out of it.
The short version
- Scope written by zone and surface, not as a general description
- Frequency stated per zone with a defined visit window
- A clear standard, so completion is not a matter of opinion
- Cover arrangements for sickness and holidays, in writing
- Insurance levels and documentation named in the contract
- Price review mechanism and notice period both stated
Scope, written by zone
The scope should list areas and surfaces, not activities in the abstract. Reception carpet, main stair treads, first floor open plan, ground floor washroom hard floor. Each with what is being done to it.
A scope that says clean the office to a high standard is unenforceable. Nobody can prove it was met and nobody can prove it was not.
Frequency and visit windows
State how often each zone is attended and the window in which the work happens. For out of hours work the window matters as much as the frequency, because a visit that overruns into opening hours is a problem even if the cleaning was faultless.
Include what happens if a visit is missed. A rescheduled visit within a defined number of days, or a credit, both work. Silence does not.
Standards and how completion is judged
Attach a simple checklist per zone, or reference an appearance standard, so both sides are measuring the same thing. Photographs before and after a periodic deep clean are cheap and settle arguments quickly.
Agree a defect window as well: a period after each visit during which you can raise anything missed and it gets put right without further charge.
Cover, insurance and vetting
Ask what happens when a cleaner is off sick, and get the answer in the contract rather than over the phone. Cover is one of the biggest practical differences between suppliers and it is invisible until the day you need it.
Name the insurance levels, and ask for certificates before the first visit rather than after an incident. Where a site needs vetted or DBS checked staff, that requirement belongs in the contract too, not in an email.
- Named cover arrangement for sickness, holiday and turnover
- Public liability and employers' liability levels stated, certificates supplied
- Vetting or DBS requirements written into the scope where the site needs them
- Risk assessments and method statements supplied and kept current
- Who supplies equipment, chemicals and consumables, and who stores them
- Key holding, alarm and access responsibilities set out clearly
Price, review and exit
A fixed price per visit is easier to manage than an hourly rate, because it makes the cost predictable and puts efficiency risk on the supplier. If there is an annual review mechanism, state how it is calculated.
Notice periods should be symmetrical and short enough to be a real remedy. A twelve month tie in with three months notice is fine when the service is good and painful when it is not.
The clauses people forget
Damage and reporting: who reports what, how quickly, and what the process is for making good. Access changes: what happens when the site alters its opening hours or a zone is refurbished. Additional works: how a one off extra is quoted and authorised so it does not appear as a surprise line on an invoice.