Cleaning Service Contract (England & Wales)
This Cleaning Service Contract (the “Contract”) is entered into on [Effective Date] between:
[Client Name], of [Client Address], [Client City], [Client County], [Client Postcode] (hereinafter referred to as the “Client”); and
[Provider Name], of [Provider Address], [Provider City], [Provider County], [Provider Postcode] (hereinafter referred to as the “Service Provider”).
The Client and the Service Provider are referred to collectively as the “Parties”.
1. CLEANING SERVICES
1.1 The Service Provider agrees to provide professional cleaning services (the “Services”) at [Premises Address], which is [Premises Type], in accordance with the terms of this Contract.
1.2 The Services to be performed at each visit are as follows: [Services Description].
1.3 The Service Provider shall perform the Services with reasonable care and skill, as required by section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. Where the standard of cleaning does not meet this requirement, the Client may require the Service Provider to repeat the relevant service at no additional charge, or receive a price reduction, in accordance with sections 55 and 56 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
1.4 The Service Provider and all of its operatives shall comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) when using cleaning chemicals or other hazardous substances at the Premises. All products used shall be appropriate for the surfaces to which they are applied.
1.5 The Service Provider shall comply with all applicable health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, when carrying out the Services.
2. SERVICE SCHEDULE
2.1 The Services will be provided [Frequency].
2.2 The agreed service day(s) and time window are: [Service Day and Time].
2.3 If the Service Provider is unable to attend on a scheduled date due to illness, equipment failure, or other exceptional circumstances, the Service Provider shall give the Client as much advance notice as reasonably possible and shall arrange an alternative service date within a reasonable period.
2.4 If the Client requires additional cleaning visits outside the agreed schedule, such visits shall be agreed in writing in advance and may be subject to an additional fee.
3. CONTRACT DURATION AND TERMINATION
3.1 This Contract shall commence on the Effective Date and shall continue for [Contract Duration], unless terminated earlier in accordance with this clause.
3.2 Either Party may terminate this Contract by giving not less than [Notice Period] written notice to the other Party.
3.3 Either Party may terminate this Contract with immediate effect by written notice if the other Party commits a material breach of this Contract that is incapable of remedy, or if the other Party fails to remedy a material breach capable of remedy within 14 days of written notice requiring it to do so.
3.4 Where this Contract is concluded at a distance and the Client is a consumer, the Client shall have the right to cancel within 14 days of entering into the Contract under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, unless the Services have been fully performed with the Client’s express consent before the end of the cancellation period.
3.5 Upon termination of this Contract, the Service Provider shall promptly return any keys, access cards, or security codes held for the Premises.
4. FEES AND PAYMENT
4.1 The Client shall pay the Service Provider a fee of £[Service Fee] [Fee Period] (the “Service Fee”).
4.2 The Service Fee is payable by [Payment Terms].
4.3 Payment shall be made by [Payment Method].
4.4 In the event that the Client fails to pay an invoice by the due date, the Service Provider reserves the right to charge statutory interest on the overdue amount under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (for commercial clients) or at the rate of 8% per annum above the Bank of England base rate (for consumer clients), together with any reasonable costs incurred in recovering the overdue amount.
4.5 The Service Provider may review the Service Fee on an annual basis and shall give the Client not less than 30 days’ written notice of any proposed fee increase.
4.6 Where the Client cancels a scheduled service visit with fewer than 48 hours’ notice (other than in an emergency), the Service Provider reserves the right to charge the Client a cancellation fee of 50% of the applicable Service Fee for that visit.
5. CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
5.1 [Equipment Provider].
5.2 Where the Service Provider supplies cleaning equipment and products, all products shall be COSHH-compliant and suitable for use at the Premises. The Service Provider shall maintain all equipment in a safe and good working condition.
5.3 The Service Provider shall not use any cleaning product at the Premises that could cause damage to surfaces, fixtures, or fittings, or that poses a risk to the health of any person on or near the Premises.
6. ACCESS TO PREMISES
6.1 The Client shall ensure that the Service Provider has adequate access to the Premises during the agreed service times. Access arrangements are as follows: [Access Arrangements].
6.2 Where the Service Provider is provided with keys, access cards, or security codes for the Premises, the Service Provider shall keep these strictly secure, shall not copy or disclose them to any unauthorised person, and shall return them to the Client promptly upon termination of this Contract.
6.3 If the Service Provider is unable to access the Premises on an agreed service day due to the fault of the Client, the Service Provider reserves the right to charge the Client the full Service Fee for that visit.
7. LIABILITY
7.1 The Service Provider shall take all reasonable care to protect the Premises and the Client’s property while carrying out the Services. The Service Provider shall be liable for loss or damage caused to the Premises or the Client’s property as a direct result of the Service Provider’s negligence or breach of this Contract.
7.2 The Service Provider shall not be liable for any pre-existing damage or defects at the Premises, ordinary wear and tear, or damage caused by defective or unsuitable equipment supplied by the Client.
7.3 Nothing in this Contract shall limit or exclude the liability of either Party for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law (including under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 or the Consumer Rights Act 2015 where the Client is a consumer).
7.4 Subject to clause 9.3, the Service Provider’s total aggregate liability to the Client under or in connection with this Contract shall not exceed the total Service Fees paid by the Client in the three months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
8. DATA PROTECTION
8.1 Each Party shall comply with all applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, in relation to any personal data processed under or in connection with this Contract.
8.2 Where the Service Provider processes personal data on behalf of the Client in the performance of the Services, the Parties shall enter into a separate data processing agreement if required under applicable data protection legislation.
9. GENERAL PROVISIONS
9.1 A person who is not a party to this Contract shall have no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any of its terms.
9.2 This Contract constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties in relation to its subject matter and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements, representations, and undertakings.
9.3 No amendment or variation of this Contract shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by authorised representatives of both Parties.
9.4 If any provision of this Contract is held by a court to be invalid, void, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
9.5 This Contract and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The Parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Cleaning Service Contract as of the date first written above.
THE CLIENT
Full name: [Client Name]
Address: [Client Address], [Client City], [Client County], [Client Postcode]
THE SERVICE PROVIDER
Full name / Company name: [Provider Name]
Address: [Provider Address], [Provider City], [Provider County], [Provider Postcode]
Client
________________
Signature
Date: ________________
Service Provider
________________
Signature
Date: ________________
What Is a Cleaning Service Contract (England & Wales)?
A Cleaning Service Contract in the United Kingdom sets the services to be provided, the fees, the timetable, and each side's responsibilities for the engagement, with its requirements set by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.
In England and Wales, Cleaning Service Contracts are primarily governed by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and, where the client is a consumer, the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, there is an implied term in every service contract that the service will be performed with reasonable care and skill. This implied term cannot be excluded or restricted by the contract. Where the standard is not met, the client has the right to require repeat performance of the deficient service or, where that is not possible, to receive a price reduction.
Cleaning services in England and Wales span a vast range of contexts. Commercial office cleaning, retail and hospitality cleaning, industrial cleaning, post-construction cleaning, healthcare facility cleaning, and specialist deep cleaning all give rise to different legal and operational considerations. A professional Cleaning Service Contract addresses these differences by allowing the parties to specify the exact scope of work, the cleaning standards to be achieved, the frequency and timing of visits, and any specialist compliance requirements such as those arising under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002.
The COSHH Regulations 2002 are particularly important for professional cleaning businesses. Any cleaning company that uses hazardous substances in the course of its work — including common products such as bleach, solvent-based degreasers, and biocidal disinfectants — must carry out written risk assessments, provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), train its operatives in the safe use and storage of cleaning chemicals, and maintain up-to-date safety data sheets for every product used. A Cleaning Service Contract provides the contractual framework within which these obligations are documented and allocated between the parties.
Beyond COSHH, professional cleaning businesses in England and Wales must also comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and, where the business employs staff, the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969. A Cleaning Service Contract will typically confirm the service provider’s compliance with these obligations and provide the client with contractual recourse if those obligations are breached.
When Do You Need a Cleaning Service Contract (England & Wales)?
A Cleaning Service Contract should be put in place before professional cleaning services begin in any commercial or semi-commercial context. There are numerous situations in which a formal written Cleaning Service Contract is not only advisable but effectively indispensable.
For businesses engaging a cleaning company on an ongoing basis — whether for daily office cleaning, regular retail cleaning, or periodic deep cleaning — a written Cleaning Service Contract provides the certainty and enforceability that a verbal arrangement cannot. Without a written contract, disputes frequently arise about the scope of cleaning included in the agreed fee, the standard to which cleaning is to be performed, who is responsible for providing cleaning supplies, and how much notice each party must give to end the arrangement. A Cleaning Service Contract eliminates all of this ambiguity.
For property managers and landlords who engage cleaning companies to service multiple units or common areas of a residential development or commercial property, a Cleaning Service Contract is essential. The contract should specify the exact areas to be cleaned, the cleaning frequency, the service standard to be achieved, and the process for raising quality concerns. Where the cleaning company is given master keys or access codes for the building, the contract must also address key security and the return of access materials upon termination.
For healthcare facilities, schools, and other regulated premises, a Cleaning Service Contract is critical because of the heightened hygiene standards that apply. Cleaning companies working in healthcare environments may be required to hold CQC-compliant cleaning protocols or to follow NHS cleaning standards. The contract should identify any specific compliance requirements applicable to the premises and confirm that the cleaning company’s operatives are appropriately trained.
For post-construction cleaning, end-of-tenancy cleaning, and other one-off deep cleaning assignments, a Cleaning Service Contract — even in simplified form — should be used to specify the exact scope of work, the price, and the standard to be achieved. Without a written agreement, clients and cleaning companies frequently disagree about whether the cleaning has been completed to the required standard, leading to costly disputes.
From the cleaning company’s perspective, a written contract is the most effective tool for protecting its commercial interests. It provides a basis for pursuing unpaid invoices through the courts, entitles the company to charge the cancellation fees agreed in the contract, and demonstrates to clients and insurers that the business is professionally managed.
What to Include in Your Cleaning Service Contract (England & Wales)
A well-drafted Cleaning Service Contract for use in England and Wales should contain a thorough set of provisions that protect both the client and the cleaning service provider.
The scope of services clause is the most commercially important provision in the contract. It should list every cleaning task to be performed at each visit with sufficient detail to prevent any ambiguity. Generic descriptions such as “general cleaning” are insufficient and frequently lead to disputes. The contract should specify which areas of the premises are to be cleaned, which tasks are performed at every visit, which tasks are performed less frequently (such as deep cleaning of windows or specialist equipment), and which tasks are expressly excluded.
The service schedule clause should specify the frequency of cleaning visits (daily, weekly, fortnightly, and so on), the agreed day(s) and time window for each visit, and what happens if a visit cannot take place due to illness, equipment failure, or other circumstances. The clause should also address the procedure for requesting additional ad hoc cleaning visits and the cost of such additional services.
The fees and payment clause should state the service fee clearly (whether per visit, per week, per month, or per hour), the invoice payment terms, and the payment method. For commercial clients, the contract should reference the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. For consumer clients, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 governs unfair payment terms. A short-notice cancellation fee clause is important for protecting the cleaning company’s revenue against last-minute cancellations.
The COSHH and health and safety clause should confirm the cleaning company’s obligations to comply with the COSHH Regulations 2002 and all applicable health and safety legislation. It should specify who is responsible for providing cleaning supplies and specify that all products used must be appropriate for the surfaces to which they are applied.
The quality inspection clause gives the client the right to conduct periodic checks that the cleaning is being carried out to the agreed standard. It should specify the procedure for raising quality concerns and the timeframe within which the cleaning company must rectify any deficiencies.
The insurance clause should confirm that the cleaning company holds public liability insurance at an adequate level — typically a minimum of £5,000,000 for commercial contracts — and, where the company employs staff, that it holds employers’ liability insurance as required by the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969.
The liability and termination clauses, together with a governing law clause confirming England and Wales jurisdiction, complete the contract and provide both parties with clear rights and remedies in the event of a dispute or breakdown of the commercial relationship. The forms-legal.com Cleaning Service Contract (England & Wales) template covers the mandatory elements under Companies Act 2006.
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Reference this free template in an article, syllabus, or research note:
Forms Legal. (2026). Cleaning Service Contract (England & Wales) (United Kingdom) [Legal document template]. Forms Legal. https://forms-legal.com/uk/business/contracts/cleaning-service-contract-uk
"Cleaning Service Contract (England & Wales) (United Kingdom)." Forms Legal, 2026, https://forms-legal.com/uk/business/contracts/cleaning-service-contract-uk.
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title = {Cleaning Service Contract (England & Wales) (United Kingdom)},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/uk/business/contracts/cleaning-service-contract-uk}},
note = {Free legal document template. Based on Companies Act 2006}
}Also available for these jurisdictions:
Frequently Asked Questions
While both documents govern the provision of cleaning services in England and Wales, a Cleaning Service Contract is typically more detailed and is designed for professional or commercial cleaning arrangements rather than a sole trader carrying out domestic cleaning. A Cleaning Service Contract will generally include provisions covering service-level standards, quality inspection rights, COSHH compliance obligations, cancellation fee structures, employers’ liability insurance requirements, and data protection clauses under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. It is commonly used between commercial cleaning companies and business clients such as office landlords, retail operators, and healthcare providers. A simpler cleaning contract may be adequate for a domestic cleaner visiting a private home, but commercial clients and cleaning businesses with multiple operatives should use a more detailed agreement such as this Cleaning Service Contract.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 require employers and self-employed persons who use hazardous substances in the course of work to carry out risk assessments and implement appropriate control measures to protect employees, clients, and others from harm. For professional cleaning companies in England and Wales, COSHH compliance means: carrying out a written risk assessment for every hazardous cleaning chemical used (including bleach, solvents, biocides, and oven cleaners); ensuring that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, goggles, and protective clothing is provided and used; training staff on the safe use, storage, and disposal of chemicals; maintaining a safety data sheet (SDS, formerly MSDS) for every product; and reviewing risk assessments regularly. Failure to comply with COSHH is a criminal offence enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and can result in prosecution, fines, and civil liability for any injuries caused.
Under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (where the client is a consumer) and section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, there is an implied term that cleaning services must be performed with reasonable care and skill. If a cleaning company fails to meet this standard, the client may exercise the following statutory remedies in England and Wales. First, the right to require repeat performance: the client can require the cleaning company to repeat the deficient part of the service at no additional charge, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the client (section 55 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015). Second, if repeat performance is impossible or the company fails to carry it out within a reasonable time, the client may exercise the right to a price reduction — either a partial reduction or, in some cases, a full refund (section 56). These rights cannot be excluded or restricted by a term in the contract where the client is a consumer.
Yes. Under the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, any business that employs one or more employees in England and Wales must hold employers’ liability insurance with a minimum indemnity of £5 million. This applies to cleaning companies of all sizes. The insurance must be provided by an authorised insurer and the certificate must be displayed at the employer’s place of business (or made available electronically). Failure to hold adequate employers’ liability insurance is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £2,500 per day. Public liability insurance is not legally required but is strongly recommended for all cleaning businesses, as it protects the business against claims from clients or third parties for property damage or personal injury caused by the cleaning operatives.
Yes, a cleaning service contract in England and Wales can include a cancellation fee clause, provided it represents a genuine pre-estimate of the loss suffered by the cleaning company when a visit is cancelled at short notice (following the test in Cavendish Square Holding BV v Makdessi [2015] UKSC 67). A clause that penalises the client out of all proportion to any legitimate interest of the cleaning company risks being struck down as an unenforceable penalty. A common and commercially reasonable approach is to charge 50% of the applicable service fee where a visit is cancelled with fewer than 48 hours’ notice. Where the client is a consumer, any cancellation fee clause must also satisfy the fairness test in Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which means it must be transparent and must not create a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations to the detriment of the consumer.
A written Cleaning Service Contract is not legally required in England and Wales — oral contracts can be binding. However, for commercial cleaning arrangements, a written contract is essential for several reasons. First, a written contract provides clear evidence of what has been agreed, including the scope of services, service standards, fees, and notice periods, which is critical for resolving disputes. Second, commercial cleaning contracts frequently involve significant ongoing expenditure, and businesses need the certainty of a written document that can be relied upon in the event of a dispute. Third, where the cleaning company processes any personal data of the client’s staff or customers in connection with the services (for example, through security camera footage or access to HR areas), the UK GDPR requires a written data processing agreement. Fourth, many clients require a written contract as a condition of engaging a commercial cleaning company, particularly for regulated premises such as healthcare facilities.
This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.Full disclaimer
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