What should I ask before hiring a cleaning company?

Hiring a cleaning company: the short list

Most disputes after a home clean come from things nobody said out loud. The cleaner assumed the oven was extra, and you assumed the windows were part of the job. Run through these questions before you confirm, whether it is a one-off clean of a 4-room HDB flat or a weekly visit to a condo unit.

1. Licence, where it applies. If the company also cleans offices or condo common areas, ask about its licence. The cleaning licence check shows how to look one up.
2. Who is coming. Ask how many people will come, their names and whether the company employs them directly.
3. What is included. Ask for a room-by-room list of tasks, plus what is left out.
4. Supplies and tools. Ask whether the team brings products and equipment or uses yours.
5. Damage. Ask how a breakage is reported and how it is settled.
6. Price and changes. Ask how extra hours, rescheduling and cancellation are handled.

Licence and who does the work

Licensing for cleaning businesses became mandatory in 2014, and NEA's requirements include training for cleaners and the Progressive Wage Model. The NEA Cleaning Business Licence applies to businesses offering general cleaning at premises or public places, even if that is only part of their business. NEA lists cleaning of domestic premises as excluded work, so a company that only cleans homes does not need the licence. Many firms that also take on commercial jobs hold one anyway.

NEA's licence FAQ names non-domestic work such as office cleaning, on-site dishwashing and cleaning of condominium common areas, whether ad hoc or on a term contract. A firm that also cleans your condo lobby needs the licence for that work, but not for the job inside your unit.

Freelancers raise a different question. For part-time or temporary help with household chores, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) says you can contact any of the companies on its Household Services Scheme (HSS) list. It is an offence for a foreign domestic worker to work part-time for another household, even with her employer's consent. If someone offers to come on their own, ask who employs them. The guide to finding a legal part-time cleaner explains your options.

Scope and supplies

A booking that just says "general cleaning, 4 hours" leaves too much open. Ask the company for a cleaning service checklist that names each area: bedrooms, living and dining, kitchen, each bathroom, the service yard and, in a landed home, the staircase and porch. Beside each one, mark what is in and what is out. Wiping inside kitchen cabinets, scrubbing grout, cleaning the fridge and doing the inside of windows are easy to leave vague. For a move-out or post-renovation job, the deep cleaning checklist lists the extra items to raise.

Be just as clear about supplies. Does the team bring products, cloths, a vacuum, a mop and a step ladder? Does the quote change if you supply them? If you prefer your own products on marble, timber or a glass cooktop, set them out and say so. Never mix bleach with acid-based cleaners or ammonia.

Breakages and access

Even a careful cleaner can chip a mug or scratch a glass tabletop. Before the first visit, ask how you should report damage and by when, and how the company decides between repairing, replacing or paying for an item. Ask, too, whether it has insurance for damage in clients' homes. Photograph valuable pieces beforehand so nobody can dispute their condition later. The guide on what to do if a cleaner breaks something covers the steps after the fact.

Access is the other half. If you will be at work, agree who holds the key or door code, how it comes back to you and whether only named staff may use it. In a condo, ask the management office whether cleaners need to be registered at the guardhouse.

Price, hours and cancellation

Quotes depend on the size of the home, the tasks and the time needed, so the most useful cleaning company questions here are about how the price is built. Hourly booking suits regular upkeep where the task list shifts from week to week. A fixed price suits a defined job, such as cleaning an empty flat before move-in. Our comparison of hourly rate vs fixed price sets out the trade-offs.

For an hourly booking, ask when the clock starts, whether there is a minimum number of hours and what happens if the team runs over. Do they stop on time, or finish and bill the extra? For a fixed price, ask what would count as outside the agreed scope and how that is charged.

Then ask about changes. How much notice must you give to reschedule or cancel? What happens if the company cancels on you or sends fewer people than agreed? If there is a deposit, is it refundable, and on what terms?

Red flags

Some answers, or a lack of them, should make you pause. Think twice if a company:

• will not say who is coming or whether they are its own staff
• gives a figure without any list of tasks
• wants full payment upfront for a one-off clean
• has no business name or address you can verify
• turns vague when you ask about breakages or cancellations

The guide to house cleaning red flags covers more warning signs to watch for.

Questions