Insurance for cleaners
Our cleaners' insurance provides essential cover to protect your business from accidents and injuries, as well as damage to a client’s (or your own) property - whether you work solo or employ a crew.
Be quote confident. We'll beat the price of any like-for-like quote. T&Cs apply.
Cleaning business insurance quote
What does cleaning insurance cover?
From tripping over vacuum wires to spilling harsh chemicals – running a cleaning doesn't come without risks. And getting into a dispute with a client could get messy.
Whether you work solo or employ a crew, our cleaners insurance provides essential cover to protect your business from accidents, injury, damage to property and more.
10% of cleaners paid £5 a month or less for their Superscript business insurance between July and September 2022.
- Adjust or cancel anytime, without being charged
- Choose from £1m, £2m, or £5m of public liability cover
- Flexible monthly subscription
- A wide range of relevant covers
Be quote confident
We're big on fairness. So if you find a lower price for a comparable quote, we won't just match it – we'll go one better and beat it.
So even better than apples to apples, apples to better apples. We're talking Galas to Braeburns.
As you'd expect, T&Cs apply.
What insurance does a cleaner need?
Public liability insurance
If you regularly enter clients’ homes or work around the public at commercial properties, public liability insurance for cleaners is essential for your business. If an accidental injury or property damage happens as a result of your cleaning work, public liability can cover the legal and compensation costs if someone were to make a claim against you.
Business equipment insurance
Cleaning takes a lot of equipment to get the job done and keep your business running, so protecting it all is important. If your cleaning equipment gets stolen or is accidentally damaged, business equipment insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing it, so you don’t lose out on a day’s work.
Employers' liability insurance
Whether full-time, part-time or temporary – if you employ one or more people, employers’ liability (EL) cover is a legal requirement for your business. Our flexible insurance means you can easily make changes to your policy regarding the number of employees you have and you won't be charged any fees.
Personal accident cover
If you or your employees suffer an accident that affects your ability to work, personal accident insurance will pay compensation to cover your earnings until you get back on your feet.
Hired-in machinery cover
As a cleaning business, you might have to hire some specialist equipment from time to time. If you do, we can add extra cover to your policy to protect hired-in machinery from theft or damage.
Once you've completed a quote, you'll be able to view a summary of cover. Please always refer to your policy documents for full details around exclusions, terms and limits of your customised cover.
Just need to insure your tools and equipment?
At Superscript, we offer special cover for just the tools and equipment of your trade. You won't be tied into taking out any other covers in your policy so you only pay for what you need.
As a professional cleaner, you can get simple, flexible cover for vital items of equipment such as:
- Vacuum cleaner
- Steam cleaner
- Pressure washer
- Equipment trolly
- Phone
Read more about our tools-only cover.
Cleaner insurance claims
The risks that could result in a claim are different for every business, but here are a few examples of claims where a cleaning business could be liable.
A slip and fall
A client accidentally slips on a mopped floor and they want to make a claim against you. As it's an accidental injury involving a third party, public liability insurance would cover the legal and compensation costs associated with the claim.
Injured employee
An employee is using a steam cleaner and accidentally burns their hand. They want to make a claim against you for lack of training. Employers' liability insurance would cover the legal and compensation costs associated with the claim.
Spilt bleach
While cleaning a bathroom, you accidentally knock a bottle of bleach into the corridor, ruining your client's carpet. Public liability would cover the legal and compensation costs associated with the accidental damage to third-party property.
A break in
Someone breaks into your locked van during the night, stealing a company phone, cash, some of your own equipment and a hired carpet washer. Business equipment and hired-in machinery insurance would cover the cost to replace these items.
How do claims work?
You make a claim
Log in to your online account and go to the ‘Make a claim’ section. There, you can make a claim directly – there's no need to call us.
We'll ask you for some details about your claim, including a crime reference number (if applicable), the date of loss, type of claim and its detailed description.
You can also attach any relevant supporting documentation like proof of loss or proof of purchase.
We'll get on the case
Once submitted, your claim will be assessed.
If the claim is large, we may need more information from you. Or, if it's small, our team may be able to settle it within a couple of days (or hours, in some cases).
Either way, we'll keep you regularly updated and you'll be able to see the status of your claim on our customer portal.
Your claim is settled
After it's been assessed, we'll let you know if your claim has been successful or not.
If items have been lost, stolen or damaged, we might arrange for the items to be replaced or make a payment to you.
Cleaning insurance FAQs
Do I need insurance to clean houses?
If you employ staff, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for UK businesses.
It doesn't matter if it's one person or a team of people, if you're not covered for employers’ liability and you have employees, you could be fined up to £2,500 for every day that you didn’t have it.
While not a legal requirement, many cleaning companies find public liability essential to protect their business. This is because you regularly come into contact with other peoples’ property. Some clients may even insist that you have this insurance before taking you on.
How much is insurance for a cleaning business?
Our quotes start from as little as £5 a month. The cost of insurance for a cleaning company or sole trader varies depending on factors such as revenue, number or employees and how much cover you’d like. To get an idea of how much your monthly premiums would be, we'd recommend starting a quote. There's no obligation and it only take a few minutes.
Will switching from sole trader to a limited company affect my policy?
Yes, switching from a sole trader to limited company may affect your premiums as the legal structure of your business is changing and we usually provide additional cover for limited companies.
I sometimes work overseas, can you provide for that?
Yes, as long as your business is based in the UK, we can provide cleaning liability insurance for work anywhere in the world.
What kinds of employees are covered under employers’ liability insurance?
All types of employee can be covered under the same policy for the same risks with Superscript’s employers’ liability. So, whether they’re full-time, part-time, subcontractors or agency staff, we have suitable cover for you.
Do you offer commercial and domestic cleaning insurance?
Yes. We offer a range of cleaning insurance policies including:
– Domestic properties only
– Domestic properties plus commercial properties, such as shops and offices
– Domestic and commercial properties with additional cover for hazardous locations
As part of my business, I sell a small number of cleaning products – do you provide cover for this?
Yes, as long as the products aren't homemade or rebranded and are kept at your business premises, we can add stock cover to your policy. And, if you have contents and equipment insurance, we can also protect your stock against theft from your vehicle if it’s left unattended.
Am I covered if I lose my clients’ keys?
Yes, we can extend your cover to include this as well as lock replacement.
We insure thousands of innovative businesses
- 17 Mar 202314 minute read
What the 2023 Spring Budget means for small businesses
On Wednesday 15 March 2023, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made his highly anticipated Spring Budget speech. We explore what the his proposals mean for businesses around the UK and how they've been met by the small business community.
- 8 Mar 20234 minute read
Five leading incubators at the heart of UK tech
The UK tech startup space is in rude health. Let's meet five of the most significant tech startup incubators helping fledgling UK startups break new ground.
- 6 Mar 20235 minute read
The cost of living and insurance claims
Our Claims Manager Laura explains how the cost of living has impacted insurance claims, and what you need to know if you run a business. Read more.
Authorised by the FCA
The FCA supervises UK financial services firms to protect consumers. We are directly authorised and regulated by the FCA and our Firm Reference Number is 656459. These details can be confirmed on the Financial Services Register at www.fca.org.uk or by calling the FCA on 0845 606 1234.
A-rated financial strength
Our insurance products are underwritten by Standard & Poor’s A-rated financial strength or higher. This means the underwriter has been independently assessed by the world’s leading credit rating provider and found to have a strong capacity to meet financial commitments (pay claims).
Protected by the FSCS
If you are a business with an annual turnover under £1m, charity with an annual income under £1m, or trust with net assets under £1m, then you will be entitled to compensation from the FSCS in the unlikely event we cannot meet our obligations. Full details and further information on the scheme are available at www.fscs.org.uk.