At minimum, a cleaning company should hold public liability insurance, commonly £1m to £5m, and employers liability insurance if it has any employees. Ask for both certificates before the first visit, check the expiry dates, and check the excess.
That last point catches people out more than the headline figure. A policy with £5m of cover and a £2,500 excess provides no practical protection against the incidents that actually happen in domestic cleaning, which are almost all worth a few hundred pounds.
The types of cover
Public liability. Covers injury to third parties and damage to third party property caused by the business. This is the one that matters most to you as a customer: a broken television, a scratched worktop, a flooded bathroom, a visitor who slips on a wet floor. Not legally required, but standard, and its absence is a serious warning sign.
Employers liability. Covers claims by employees who are injured or made ill through their work. This is a legal requirement for almost all UK employers, with a minimum of £5m, and employers must make the certificate available. A company with employees and no employers liability insurance is breaking the law, which tells you what you need to know about the rest of their operation.
Treatment risk, sometimes called damage to the item being worked on. This is the important one for cleaning specifically, and it is frequently missing.
Standard public liability often excludes damage to the very item the business was working on. So a cleaner who scratches a floor while cleaning it may not be covered by public liability alone, because the floor was the subject of the work. Ask specifically whether the policy covers damage to items being cleaned, and get the answer in writing.
Key cover, or loss of keys. Covers lock replacement and sometimes the cost of securing a property if keys are lost. Relevant if the company holds keys to your home, and frequently an optional add-on rather than standard.
Contents and equipment. Their own machinery. Not your concern directly, but its presence suggests a properly arranged policy rather than a minimum one.
What levels to expect
| Cover | Typical level |
|---|---|
| Public liability, domestic work | £1m to £2m |
| Public liability, commercial work | £5m, often required by landlords |
| Employers liability | £5m, legal minimum for employers |
| Treatment risk | Often a sub-limit of £10k to £50k |
| Key cover | £1k to £5k |
Many commercial landlords and managing agents will not permit a cleaning contractor on site without £5m public liability, so for office work that level is effectively a requirement rather than a preference.
The excess
Ask the number. It determines whether the policy is useful for the incidents that actually occur.
Real domestic cleaning incidents are things like a dropped lamp, a chipped worktop, a marked wooden floor, a damaged blind, a broken ornament. These are £100 to £800 problems.
A policy with a £250 excess is genuinely useful for those. A policy with a £2,500 excess means the company pays for every realistic incident out of its own pocket, which is fine if the company is solvent and honest, and worthless if it is not.
What to ask for and how to check it
1. Ask for the certificate, not a policy number. It should name the company, the insurer, the cover type, the limit and the expiry date.
2. Check the name matches the company you are contracting with. A certificate in a different trading name needs explaining, and sometimes indicates you are actually dealing with a franchisee or a subcontractor.
3. Check the expiry date and diarise it. Annual renewal is normal, and lapsed cover is common in small businesses.
4. Ask about the excess.
5. Ask whether treatment risk is included.
6. Ask whether subcontractors are covered, if they use any. Many policies exclude them, which means the person in your home may be uninsured even though the company is insured.
7. Verify the insurer exists through the Financial Conduct Authority register if anything looks doubtful. Calling the broker named on the certificate is legitimate and straightforward.
If you hire an independent cleaner
A self-employed cleaner should hold their own public liability insurance. Many do, and it is inexpensive, typically £60 to £150 a year. Ask to see it.
If they do not have it, understand what that means. If they damage something, you are relying on their willingness and ability to pay. If they are injured in your home, the position depends on the circumstances and on your own home insurance.
Check your own home contents policy on two points: cover for people working in your home, and cover where a third party holds keys. Most UK policies are comfortable with both, but conditions vary, particularly around key safes and around theft without forced entry.
What insurance does not do
It does not make a company competent. Insurance covers accidents. It does not prevent them, and it says nothing about cleaning standards.
It does not cover deliberate acts. Theft by an employee is generally not a public liability matter. Some companies carry separate fidelity or employee dishonesty cover; most do not. This is why vetting matters independently of insurance.
It does not cover pre-existing damage, which is why photographing anything already marked before work starts protects both sides.
It does not automatically pay out. Claims are assessed, and there will be exclusions in the policy wording.
It does not cover wear and tear or gradual deterioration.
When something does get damaged
Report it promptly, in writing, with photographs. A good company will tell you before you notice, which is the strongest signal you can get about who you are dealing with.
For small items, most established companies simply replace them rather than claiming, because a claim affects their premium more than a £60 lamp costs. That is normal and reasonable, and often faster for everyone.
For anything significant, ask for the incident to be reported to their insurer and get the claim reference. Keep your own record with dates and photographs.
If there is a dispute, the company's insurer will assess it. You can also check your own contents insurance, since some incidents may be covered there.
A company that becomes evasive at this point is showing you why the certificate mattered.
Frequently asked questions
Is public liability insurance a legal requirement? No, but employers liability is for almost all UK employers. A cleaning company without public liability is taking a risk with your property and theirs.
How much cover is enough? £1m to £2m for domestic work, £5m for commercial. Most landlords and agents specify £5m.
What if the cleaner is self-employed? They should hold their own policy. Ask to see it, and check your own home insurance position.
Does my home insurance cover a cleaner damaging something? Sometimes, under accidental damage cover, but you would be claiming on your own policy and paying your own excess. Their insurance is the right route.
What is treatment risk and why does it matter? It covers damage to the item being worked on, which standard public liability often excludes. In cleaning, that is exactly the damage most likely to occur.
Can I ask to be named on their policy? Not usually necessary or offered for domestic work. For commercial contracts, some clients require an indemnity to principals clause.
