Public Liability for Cleaning Companies
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Why Compare Cleaners Insurance At SimplyQuote.co.uk?
Comparing cleaners insurance helps you find suitable protection at a fair price by showing how different insurers assess the risks involved in cleaning work. It gives you a clearer view of the policies available, so you can choose cover that genuinely fits the jobs you take on.
Cleaners insurance usually centres on public liability, but the way insurers interpret cleaning work varies significantly. Domestic cleaners, commercial contractors, end-of-tenancy specialists, and those handling specialist chemicals all face different types of exposure. Comparing quotes through SimplyQuote, in partnership with Quotezone, allows you to see how each insurer weighs these risks and what they include as standard.
Some insurers focus on treatment risk and accidental damage, particularly when you are working around delicate surfaces, appliances, or high-value items. Others take a closer look at whether you handle keys, work alone in a property, or employ staff. These differences explain why premiums vary widely, even when the work seems similar. Seeing the options side by side helps you avoid choosing a policy that looks affordable but lacks the specific protections your cleaning business needs.
The comparison process itself is straightforward. You provide a small amount of information about your work, review the range of policies available, and select the cover that aligns with your responsibilities. For a service built on trust and access to clients’ homes or premises, comparison offers a simple route to finding insurance that reflects the real risks of professional cleaning.
What Do I Need to Get a Quote?
To get a cleaners insurance quote, you only need to provide a few details about how your business operates. Insurers use this information to understand the risks involved in your work and calculate accurate pricing.
Most of the questions relate to the practical side of cleaning, whether you work in domestic homes, commercial spaces, or a mix of both. These details help insurers understand the type of surfaces and environments you clean, the equipment you use, and the responsibilities you take on when entering a client’s property.
You will usually need to provide:
- Whether you are a domestic cleaner, commercial cleaner, or both
- Whether you work alone or employ staff
- The types of cleaning tasks you carry out, such as general cleaning, deep cleaning, end-of-tenancy work, or specialist services
- The equipment you use, including vacuums, steamers, chemicals, or machinery
- Whether you hold clients’ keys or work unsupervised in their homes or premises
- The areas you cover and how often you visit different properties
- The value of tools or equipment you want to insure
These details help shape the quotes you receive, giving you policies that reflect the realities of your work rather than a generic template. If you plan to expand into commercial contracts, hire staff, or offer more specialist services in future, it’s worth considering this when selecting your cover so your policy continues to suit your business as it grows.
Why Do I Need Cleaners Insurance Cover?
You need cleaners’ insurance because you work in other people’s properties and are responsible for the surfaces, items, and environments you clean. If you damage something or cause an injury while working, insurance protects you from the financial impact.
Cleaning carries risks that are easy to underestimate. A chemical reacting with a surface, a slippery floor causing a fall, or a piece of equipment damaging furniture can all lead to costly claims. Public liability is the foundation of cleaners insurance for exactly this reason, as it covers injuries or property damage that occur during your work.
There are also risks specific to the cleaning trade. Treatment risk or accidental damage cover helps when cleaning products or equipment cause unintentional harm, especially around delicate materials. If you hold clients’ keys or work alone in their homes or offices, insurance can assist with the cost of lost keys or disputes involving accidental damage.
Cleaners with staff need employers’ liability cover too, as it is a legal requirement and offers protection if an employee is injured while working. With these risks in mind, insurance provides stability and reassurance, allowing you to take on jobs confidently and maintain trust with clients.
What Does Cleaners Insurance Cover Include?
Cleaners’ insurance usually includes public liability, cover for accidental damage to property you are working on, and protection for key holding or access to client premises. Optional add ons can extend your cover depending on the type of cleaning work you do.
Policies are designed to reflect the risks cleaners face when working inside homes, offices, and commercial spaces. While the core cover remains consistent across most insurers, the optional extras allow you to tailor a policy to the equipment you use, the surfaces you clean, and whether you employ staff.
Typical cover includes:
- Public liability for injury to others or damage to property caused during cleaning work
- Accidental damage or treatment risk cover for harm caused by chemicals, machinery, or cleaning processes
- Key cover if clients’ keys are lost, stolen, or require emergency replacement
- Employers’ liability if you have staff, including temporary or part time workers
- Tools and equipment cover for vacuums, steamers, machinery, or cleaning supplies
- Legal expenses cover for defending claims or handling disputes
- Optional personal accident cover for the cleaner
- Optional cover for items transported between jobs, such as tools in transit
The right combination of cover depends on whether you focus on domestic cleaning, commercial premises, deep cleaning, end of tenancy work, or specialist services. Comparing policies helps ensure you are protected against the risks most relevant to the jobs you take on, without paying for features you do not need.
What’s Not Covered?
Cleaners’ insurance will not usually cover deliberate damage, work you have not declared, or incidents involving high risk tasks that fall outside the scope of normal cleaning services. Exclusions help define what your policy does not protect you against.
While each insurer sets its own limits, many exclusions are consistent across the cleaning industry. They exist to separate everyday cleaning risks from activities that require specialist insurance or pose risks insurers cannot reliably assess.
Common exclusions include:
- Deliberate or reckless damage caused by the cleaner or an employee
- Work that was not declared when taking out the policy, such as specialist restoration or hazardous cleaning
- Damage to surfaces or items you were not authorised to clean
- Using chemicals or machinery not appropriate for the task
- Claims arising from using a vehicle without suitable business or tools-in-transit cover
- Property damage occurring outside agreed working hours or locations
- Theft of tools or equipment left unsecured or unattended
- Injuries resulting from unsafe working practices or ignored guidance
Exclusions are not designed to restrict your work but to ensure your policy accurately reflects what you do. Reviewing them carefully helps you avoid gaps in protection, particularly if you take on new types of jobs or expand your services over time.
How Much Does Cleaners Insurance Cost?
Cleaners’ insurance typically starts from around £5 to £6 per month for basic public liability cover. Costs increase when you add protection for accidental damage, tools, staff, or specialist cleaning work.
Insurers price cleaning businesses by looking at the type of clients you work with, the tasks you carry out, and the level of risk involved. Domestic cleaners with simple equipment and low-risk duties usually fall at the lower end of the scale. Once you begin working in commercial settings, handling chemicals, or cleaning high-value surfaces, the premium reflects the extra exposure.
Typical price ranges include:
- Around £60 to £70 per year for sole traders offering standard domestic cleaning
- Around £90 to £150 per year for cleaners who mix domestic and small commercial jobs
- Around £150 to £300+ per year for commercial cleaning businesses or those needing accidental damage, tools, or treatment risk cover
- Higher costs when employers’ liability is required, particularly if you manage several employees
These figures should be viewed as guide ranges rather than fixed amounts. Two cleaners with similar workloads may still receive different quotes depending on how insurers view their tools, working environments, and previous claims. Optional extras also influence price, especially if you transport equipment, work on specialist surfaces, or want cover for legal expenses.
Comparing quotes is the easiest way to understand where your business sits within these ranges. Because insurers assess cleaning risks differently, reviewing multiple options helps you find the right balance between cost and protection.
How Can I Save Money On Cleaners Insurance?
You can save money on cleaners insurance by choosing only the cover you genuinely need, comparing multiple insurers, and presenting a clear, low risk working profile. Small adjustments in how you operate can make a noticeable difference to your premium.
Insurers price cleaning businesses according to how predictable and manageable the risks appear. This means the way you structure your work, the equipment you use, and the responsibilities you take on all influence the cost of cover.
Ways to reduce your premium include:
- Selecting a realistic level of public liability rather than defaulting to the highest limit
- Declaring only the cleaning services you actually provide
- Avoiding unnecessary add ons such as tools cover if your equipment is low value
- Choosing a higher excess if you are comfortable with the trade off
- Maintaining a clean claims history wherever possible
- Using suitable cleaning products and equipment to reduce the chance of accidental damage
- Keeping accurate records if you employ staff or take on ad hoc workers
- Reviewing your policy annually to ensure it still matches your working model
Savings usually come from accuracy rather than cutting back on essential cover. If you focus on low risk cleaning tasks or work mainly in domestic environments, your premium often reflects that reduced exposure. The key is to shape your policy around the work you actually do, not the work you might take on in future.
How To Compare Cleaners Insurance Quotes At SimplyQuote
Comparing cleaners insurance quotes is the quickest way to find suitable protection at a fair price. With simplyquote.co.uk, the process is straightforward and designed to reflect how professional cleaners work.
How It Works:
- Enter Your Details – Provide essential information about your cleaning business, including the type of cleaning you do, whether you work alone or employ staff, and whether you operate in homes, commercial spaces, or both.
- Choose Your Cover Requirements – Select the level of public liability you need and add any extras, such as accidental damage, treatment risk cover, tools protection, or employers’ liability.
- Compare Quotes from Multiple Insurers – Review tailored options from several UK providers and compare differences in cost, limits, and optional add ons.
- Select and Purchase Your Policy – Choose the policy that fits your business and complete the purchase online, receiving confirmation of cover immediately.
Because cleaners often work to tight schedules or need cover quickly for new clients, SimplyQuote, working in partnership with Quotezone, allows you to compare policies in minutes. This helps you arrange or update your insurance without interrupting your day.
Whether you specialise in domestic cleaning, commercial contracts, or a mix of both, the platform offers a simple way to find a policy that aligns with the real risks of your work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Accidental damage and public liability risks still apply, even in low-risk environments. Most clients expect cleaners to have insurance before giving access to their property.
Yes. If a product reacts badly with a surface or causes damage, you could be held responsible. Treatment risk or accidental damage cover helps protect you in these situations.
You will usually need employers’ liability cover. It is a legal requirement for most businesses that employ staff, even on a temporary or flexible basis.
It can, but only if your policy includes accidental damage or treatment risk cover. Standard public liability alone may not cover certain types of surface or material damage.
Many policies include key cover, which pays for lock changes, new keys, or emergency access if a client’s keys are lost or stolen while in your care.
Yes, as long as both activities are declared when taking out the policy. Insurers assess the risks separately and tailor the policy to fit your workload.
Only if subcontractors are included within your policy and meet the insurer’s criteria. If they are not declared, claims may be declined.
Yes. End-of-tenancy work often involves deep cleaning and higher-risk tasks, which increases the importance of having suitable protection in place.
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