Cleaning insurance

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  • Get covered and all your documents the same day
  • Get tailored cleaning insurance quotes in less than 7 minutes

Why do you need cleaners insurance?

In a whirlwind of dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping – and sometimes a strong chemical or two – mistakes and accidents can be an unpleasant surprise. The good news? They don’t have to derail your entire business. Whether you work alone or with a team, cleaning insurance protects you against the costs of the unexpected.

  • cover against big claims such as accidental injury or damage to somebody else’s property
  • reassurance for you, your business, your employees, and your cleaning clients
  • personalised protection, from cleaning tools to business equipment to legal expenses


What does cleaning insurance cover?

We help you piece together your policy so your insurance covers exactly what you need it to. For most cleaners, this means a minimum of public liability insurance (and perhaps also employers’ liability insurance) in case you face unplanned medical or legal expenses. Beyond that? You choose what you include and what to leave out.


How much does cleaners insurance cost?

Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices for cleaners insurance from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.

Prices start from £4.74 per month

Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes

Example cleaners insurance quotes, real prices

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How it works

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How do I choose cleaning business insurance?

Making sure you have the right type and level of business insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.


Talk to an expert

Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help, Mon 09.00am – 05.30pm, Tues 09.00am – 05.30pm, Weds 09.00am – 05.30pm, Thurs 09.30am – 05.30pm, Fri 09.00am – 05.30pm, Sat 09.00am – 02.00pm

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0333 043 8527

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Contact us on our website whenever suits you

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Call our insurance experts during office hours (calls are charged at a local rate)

FAQs

Find answers to common insurance questions


How do cleaning insurance claims work?

Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.

£51 million in claims paid out in 2023

Example cleaner insurance claim

Having cleaning insurance through Simply Business has saved cleaners thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.

Eddie saved more than £11,600

After cleaning a customer’s second home, Eddie (not his real name) left the hot tap running in the bath by mistake. The customer returned some time later and found steam damage throughout the bedrooms, hall and landing, with mould on the walls, damp carpets, and fixtures that had to be replaced. It took a lot of work to restore the property to its previous condition, so Eddie was glad he had domestic cleaning insurance to pay for the repairs.


Chosen by nearly 1 million small businesses and landlords


Cleaning insurance FAQs

Whether you’re new to buying cleaning business insurance or you’ve been trading for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about cleaners insurance. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.

There are two key types of cover for most cleaning companies.

Firstly – because your area of work involves coming into contact with other people’s property, many cleaners see public liability insurance as essential. It steps in to cover the cost of causing accidental damage to somebody else’s property or injuring them by accident. For this reason, some cleaning clients (especially offices and other high-value properties) may insist that you have public liability insurance before they’ll say yes to doing business with you.

And secondly – if you have people working for you, you’re legally required to have employers’ liability cover.

And you have several other options available too:

Do you rely on digital equipment such as a business laptop, or specialist cleaning equipment such as a steam mop? You might want to look into business and office equipment cover and tool cover.

Are you interested in going the extra mile to protect yourself and others against the financial difficulty that can follow on from injury and illness? That’s what personal accident insurance is for.

Finally, are you looking for an extra layer of protection against court costs and compensation bills, especially when it comes to disputes with clients or employees? You can take out legal protection insurance.

Still feeling uncertain about what insurance you need for your man and van business? You might find it helpful to read our guide on assessing the risks.

Thousands of independent house cleaners in the UK choose to take out self-employed cleaner insurance.

It’s not a legal requirement unless you have employees (in which case, employers’ liability insurance is a must). But it does demonstrate professionalism to potential cleaning clients, and more importantly, it protects your business against the unexpected. When things go wrong, either in the process of cleaning houses or in the overall running of your business, the costs can quickly add up.

Keep in mind, if you operate as a self-employed cleaner through an online marketplace, you may already be covered by the marketplace’s own insurance policy. If you’re not sure, you can always ask them.

In a word, yes. From losing your cleaning equipment to seriously injuring yourself while working, as a self-employed cleaner you’ll face a range of risks on a daily basis. 

With this in mind, it’s important that you have the right level of insurance to make sure you’re protected financially if the worst happens. 

Insurance can also help to show your clients that your self-employed cleaning business is professional with the necessary precautions in place.

Yes. You may start offering additional services that require you to use different skills or carry out different tasks. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to give us a call on 0333 043 8527 to update your policy before you take on this new work. If you don’t have the correct type of cover in place for the work you do, you may be unable to claim on your policy if something goes wrong.

An excess is an amount you pay towards any claim you make on your insurance. For example, if your excess is £250 and you make a claim worth £1000, your payout will be a maximum of £750.

Insurance coverLowest excessHighest excess
Main building£200£4000
Stock£200£4000
Contents£200£4000
Employers liabilityNo excessNo excess
Public liabilityNo excess£750
*The figures above are for guidance only and any excess applying to your quote may differ. You’ll get a breakdown of the excesses for each quote when you compare with us.

If you change your business legal structure from sole trader to limited company mid-way through your policy, give us a call straight away on 0333 043 8527. It’ll only take us a few minutes to cancel your existing policy and replace it with one that correctly covers your new legal structure. It’s worth bearing in mind that your insurer and premium amount may need to change.

This will depend on whether you have employers’ liability insurance in place. Public liability insurance is designed to protect your business against the consequences of legal action brought by members of the public for injuries or damage to their belongings. But when it comes to your employees causing injury or damage, this protection only activates if you also have employers’ liability insurance.

If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance.

There’s one exception here. Family businesses that aren’t incorporated as a limited company are not legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. The government defines a “family business” as one where all your employees are closely related to you (as a spouse, civil partner, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, step-parent, stepchild or half-sibling). So if you run an unincorporated family business and you choose not to get employers’ liability insurance, it’s important to know that your public liability insurance wouldn’t cover you against damage or injury caused by your team.


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